A Skirmish with Notebook LM : 179 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.

 Sapper Joseph Niland and a skirmish with Notebook LM.

Having played with Notebook LM a couple of times this year and generated some good results, I had a go with the War Diary of Joe Niland's unit, 179 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers - a unit noted for the Lochnagar and Y Sap craters from the first day of the Somme offensive in July 1916, and Dorothy Lawrence's foray to the front line as a journalist in disguise.

Joe was a paternal Great Grandfather, employed as a Cooper at the Guinness Brewery at St James' Gate, Dublin before he enlisted in the British Army in April 1915. He was killed on the 28th March 1917.

The War Diary has been digitized by the UK National Archives into 6 PDFs that contain a total of 630 pages. The pages are photographs of the original hand written documents and are not text searchable 😑.

Having read through the documents previously I knew of 2 references to Joe Niland (one written as Nylands) in the 630 pages and that there might be others that I'd missed. I also knew there were lots of other soldiers mentioned but transcribing them all was not a task I wanted to take on.

Using Notebook LM with the War Diary I wanted to see :

a. would it pick up the 2 references to Joe Niland/Nylands, and would it find any more?

b. could it generate an alphabetic list of all the soldiers and officers mentioned in the diary?

c. could it generate a numeric list of all the numbers of the soldiers mentioned in the diary?

Uploading the 6 PDFs to Notebook LM was simple and it accepted them OK (I have used large documents and hit capacity issues) and generated a basic overview on the first document :

These official military war diaries provide a daily chronicle of the activities and operational status of the 179th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, during the latter half of 1917. The records meticulously track unit personnel numbers and provide a detailed registry of wounded, killed, or missing soldiers alongside those receiving medical treatment at hospital bases. Primary labors documented include the construction of infantry shelters, the laying of cable trenches and duckboard tracks, and the maintenance of vital drainage systems near locations like Varna and Francois Farms. The entries also highlight various engineering assignments, such as establishing signal stations in German lines, clearing old blockhouses, and repairing bridges damaged by enemy shelling. Frequent mentions of personnel movements and official inspections by high-ranking officers illustrate the logistical complexity of maintaining trench infrastructure during active combat operations. Collectively, these documents serve as a vital primary record of the technical and human toll of frontline engineering work during World War I.

Asking it to create a summary based on all the documents created a better overview :

The source documents comprise the official War Diaries and technical reports of the 179th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, covering their operations during World War I from approximately August 1915 through May 1919. These records provide a detailed account of the company's daily activities, personnel, and technical mining expertise across several key sectors of the Western Front, including Albert, La Boisselle, Arras, Mametz, and the Ypres Salient.

Core Operations and Activities

The primary function of the company was subterranean warfare and specialized construction. Their activities included:

• Mine Warfare: Driving galleries toward enemy lines to plant large explosive charges (mines) and listening for enemy counter-mining efforts using specialized instruments like the Geophone.
• Defensive Construction: Excavating deep dugouts, shelters, and communication tunnels (such as the Tyndrum and Sanda tunnels at La Boisselle) to protect infantry and establish secure command posts.
• Demolition and Clearance: Destroying captured enemy mine systems and searching for unexploded booby traps and mines in liberated areas.
• Infrastructure Support: Repairing roads, constructing bridges for tanks, and erecting Nissen huts for troop camps.

Major Historical Events

The sources detail several significant moments in the company's history:

• La Boisselle (1915–1916): Extensive reports document the "notes on German Mining Systems" and the eventual destruction of enemy workings there in July 1916.
• The Arras Pay Parade Incident (March 28, 1917): A tragic entry records two enemy shells striking a billet in Arras just as men assembled for a pay parade, killing 2nd Lt. P. J. Bates and six Sappers (including J. Niland and A. Mudway) and wounding 38 others.
• The "Pimple" Raid (February 13, 1917): A detailed technical report describes the company’s cooperation with the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade during a raid in the Carency Sector to acquire information on enemy mining.

Technical and Personnel Records

The documents are a rich source of technical data, containing sketches and blueprints of gallery timbering, monorail haulage systems, and complex tunnel layouts. They also serve as a comprehensive personnel record, listing daily strength reports, casualty lists, and honors and awards. For instance, the diaries note Sapper E. Semmonds being awarded the Military Medal and Captain G. Rowan receiving the Military Cross.

Post-Armistice and Demobilization

The final diaries from late 1918 and early 1919 track the company's movement through Belgium and France following the Armistice. During this period, the focus shifted to searching railways and stations for enemy mines and the gradual demobilization of the unit, with the company's strength steadily declining until the final entries in May 1919.

No idea what the Pimple Raid in the summary was so a quick query :

what was the pimple raid

The Pimple Raid was a military operation conducted on the morning of 13 February 1917 in the Carency Sector. It was carried out by the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, with the 176th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers (RE) providing specialized support.

Objectives and Personnel

The primary goal for the tunnellers attached to the raid was to acquire information regarding enemy mining operations. Two parties were detailed for this task:

• Party A: Under Lieut. R. R. Frecheville, divided into two detachments to explore the area behind the crater line and near the Football, Broadbridge, and John craters.
• Party B: Led by 2nd Lieut. M. Gray, tasked with a detailed search of the enemy's front line system.

Key Discoveries and Actions

The tunnellers spent approximately 40 minutes in the enemy trenches and successfully located two enemy mine entrances:

• Entrance "X": Identified as the source of current German mining operations. It was equipped with wooden rails, a windlass, and a small trolley. During this search, the R.E. corporal in charge encountered a party of the enemy in a large dugout; he killed one with a Mills bomb, leading the remaining 14 occupants to surrender.
• Entrance "Z": Located northeast of Football Crater. This entrance showed signs of shock, with timbers considerably broken by bombardment.

Outcome and Aftermath

The tunnelling parties suffered no casualties during the operation. Following the raid, there was some administrative discussion regarding the destruction of the discovered shafts:

• Shaft "X" was destroyed by a Canadian NCO assisted by an NCO from the Tunnelling Company using two 30 lb. mobile charges.
• Shaft "Z" could not be entered because an explosion had already occurred, and the area was filled with dense fumes.

Later reports from the Inspector of Mines emphasized that in future raids, the Tunnelling Company should be entrusted with destroying shafts, as they could obtain more valuable technical information during the process.

does a soldier called Niland get mentioned?

Yes, a soldier named Niland is mentioned in the source documents, specifically in the context of the unit's casualties in Arras.

• Sapper J. Niland (No. 97796): He was killed in action on 28 March 1917. He was one of seven men killed (including 2nd Lt. P. J. Bates and five other sappers) when two enemy shells burst in the billet of "D" Section at 7:10 pm, just as the men had assembled for a pay parade.

Additionally, there is a reference to a soldier with a very similar name and a similar service number earlier in the war diary:

• Sapper Nylands (No. 95796): An entry on 23 August 1916 records that he "twisted his knee during relief" and was subsequently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Given the similarity in name and number, it is possible these entries refer to the same individual.

list the soldiers who have the number 95796 or similar and give details of the source page number the reference appears on

Based on the provided war diaries, there are two entries for soldiers with the service number 95796 or the very similar 97796, likely referring to the same individual:

• Sapper Nylands (No. 95796): He is mentioned in an entry dated 23 August 1916, which states he "twisted his knee during relief" and was subsequently sent to the hospital with pneumonia. This reference appears on page 7 of the War Diary for August 1916 in the source WO 95-244-8.pdf.
• Sapper J. Niland (No. 97796): He is listed among those killed on 28 March 1917 when two enemy shells burst in the billet of "D" Section in Arras during a pay parade. This reference appears on page 12 of the War Diary for March 1917 in the source WO 95-244-8.pdf.

One minor error in there - Joe didn't get sent to hospital with pneumonia; the officer on the next line down on the page did.

Very familar with the page re Joe's death on the 28th March 1917, (page 98 rather than 12) and the colleagues who died alongside him. Looks like there aren't any more references to Joe in the diary other than the 2 I knew about.

who was killed on 28 March 1917?

On 28 March 1917, at 7:10 pm, two enemy shells burst in the billet of "D" Section in Arras. The shells struck just after the men had assembled for a pay parade, resulting in the deaths of the following soldiers:

• 2/Lt. P. J. Bates, Royal Engineers
• No. 102909 Sapper G. Chapman
• No. 79056 Sapper W. Graham
• No. 132908 Sapper F. Speed
• No. 137579 Sapper J. P. Rowan
• No. 97796 Sapper J. Niland
• No. 132829 Sapper A. Mudway

In addition to these deaths, 38 other ranks were wounded during the same incident. Notably, this list includes Sapper J. Niland, whom you had asked about previously.

create a list of all the soldiers mentioned in the source documents. Sort the list by their service number and giving their names and rank plus the details of the source page they appear on

• 91957 2/Cpl E. Bailey: (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf p. 255)
• 94282 Spr Page J.: (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf p. 215)
• 94732 Spr Thick W.: (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf p. 222)
• 95796 Spr Nylands: (WO-95-244-8.pdf p. 11)
• 95912 Spr Martin B.: (WO-95-244-8.pdf p. 12)
• 95938 Spr G. Smith: (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf p. 255)
• 97062 Spr Phipps W.: (WO-95-244-7_2.pdf p. 194)
• 97796 Spr J. Niland: (History)
• 10030 Pte Woodcock A.: (WO-95-244-7_1.pdf p. 93)
• 10063 Pte Moore S.: (WO-95-244-7_1.pdf p. 93)
• 102215 Spr Briggs J.: (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf p. 202)
• 102235 Cpl J. Carson: (WO-95-244-9_2.pdf p. 300)

That request seems to have worked well. The list above is just a small selection. I could copy the complete list to a spreadsheet for further work. This is handy for checking to see numbers close together showing if soldiers enlisted together or transferred into a unit together. If you have a date from a service record of one soldier you can, in theory, work out the dates for soldiers with similar number who don't have surviving service records.

It worked out that officers don't have service numbers and listed them seperately in surname order.

• McAlister, A. G. (2nd Lieut): (WO-95-244-9_1.pdf pp. 219, 228, 241; WO-95-244-9_2.pdf pp. 264, 282, 283)
• McDougall, P. (Capt RAMC): (WO-95-244-8.pdf pp. 50, 54, 75)
• McKay, A. M. (2nd Lieut/Lieut): (WO-95-244-8.pdf pp. 7, 35, 41; WO-95-244-7_2.pdf p. 157; WO-95-244-9_1.pdf pp. 218, 219, 228, 252, 255, 257)
• Melville, G. P. (2nd Lieut): (WO-95-244-7_1.pdf p. 114)
• Morgan, A. M. (2nd Lieut): (WO-95-244-8.pdf pp. 8, 11; WO-95-244-7_2.pdf pp. 172, 198)
• Nightingale, E. (Lieut): (WO-95-244-9_2.pdf p. 290)
• Noble, J. (2nd Lieut): (WO-95-244-8.pdf p. 11)
• Norton Griffiths (Major): (WO-95-244-7_1.pdf pp. 81, 93, 118)

create an alphabetic list of all soldiers mentioned in the source documents, giving their surname, forename, ranks and service numberas well as details of the source document pages they appear on.

Based on the war diaries and technical reports of the 179th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, here is an alphabetical list of all soldiers mentioned in the source documents. The list includes their surnames, forenames (or initials), ranks, service numbers (where available), and the passage indices/page details where they are cited.

A

• Adams, G. C. (Sapper, No. 86913):
• Adlington, W. H. (Acting L/Cpl, No. 19073):
• Ainsworth, E. (2nd Corporal, No. 79850):
• Alabaster, E. O. (Captain):
• Allan, J. C. (2nd Lieut/Lieut):
• Allason (General):
• Allen, J. (Sapper, No. 147841):
• Allison, J. (Sapper, No. 137555):
• Anderson (Corporal, No. 8187):
• Archibald, T. (Sapper, No. 147743):
• Arundel (Sapper, No. 79253):

Not exactly what I hoped for - I was looking for a text reference to the page number and the document name. Changing the query text a little gace a better result

create a list of all the soldiers mentioned in the source documents. Sort the list by their surname and giving their names, service number and rank plus the details of the source page they appear on

Based on the war diaries and technical reports of the 179th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, here is an alphabetical list of all soldiers mentioned in the provided source documents. The list includes surnames, names/initials, service numbers, ranks, and the specific source page details where they are cited.

A

• Adams, G. C. (Sapper, No. 86913): WO-95-244-7_1 p. 142 (31/12/15).
• Adlington, W. H. (Acting L/Cpl, No. 19073): WO-95-244-7_2 p. 7 (12/7/16).
• Ainsworth, E. (2nd Corporal, No. 79850): WO 95-244-8 p. 143 (25/7/17).
• Alabaster, E. O. (Captain): WO-95-244-7_1 p. 22 (26/8/15), p. 24 (29/8/15), p. 38 (16/9/15).
• Allan, J. C. (2nd Lieut/Lieut): WO-95-244-7_1 p. 21 (26/8/15), WO-95-244-7_2 p. 7 (16/5/16).
• Allason (General): WO-95-244-7_1 p. 31 (8-9-15).
• Allen, J. (Sapper, No. 147841): WO 95-244-8 p. 143 (25/7/17).

Entering a similar query for men awarded the Military MEdal

create a list of all the soldiers mentioned in the source documents who were awarded the Military Medal. Sort the list by the date of their award and show their names, service number and rank plus the details of the source page they appear on

Based on the source documents, the following soldiers of the 179th Tunnelling Company were recorded as being awarded the Military Medal (M.M.). The list is sorted by the date of the award or its presentation as noted in the war diaries.

16 September 1916

Awarded for bravery in recovering bodies from the open in front of the trenches before Thiepval.

• Crago, S. (Acting/W Corporal, No. 151650)
• Thompson, A. (Corporal, No. 16422)
• Gascoyne, J. (Private, No. 17550)

December 1916

Awarded in December 1916 and presented by the G.O.C. on February 1, 1917.

• Davidson, T. (Sergeant, No. 137566)
• Ferral (Sergeant)
• Henderson (Sergeant)
• Hodge (Sergeant, No. 137635)
• McLaren (Sergeant, No. 9553)
• Price, S. (Sergeant, No. 137629)
• Denmark (Corporal)
• Muircroft, Hope (Lance Corporal)

misses the page number so more experimenting with the query needed.

A query suggested by Notebook LM was

Which officers received high honors like the Military Cross?

Based on the war diaries and historical records of the 179th Tunnelling Company, the following officers were recorded as receiving high military honors:

Military Cross (M.C.)

Several officers were awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in the field:

• Captain G. Rowan: Awarded the Military Cross on January 21, 1917.
• Captain G. G. Sale: Awarded the Military Cross on May 13, 1918.
• Lieutenant E. Whitehouse: Awarded the Military Cross on April 13, 1918.
• Captain C. Woodward: Recorded as having received the M.C. in an "Honours and Awards" summary dated December 23, 1918.
• Lieutenant W. B. Creswick: Awarded the Military Cross as announced in the London Gazette on January 14, 1916.
• Lieutenant H. R. Kerr: Awarded the Military Cross as announced in the London Gazette on January 14, 1916.
• Lieutenant E. W. Mackay-White: Awarded the Military Cross as announced in the London Gazette on January 14, 1916.
• Temporary Lieutenant J. Johnston: Awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in the field on December 19, 1918.

Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.)

The D.S.O. was awarded to senior officers for distinguished leadership and service:

• Major Henry Malkin Hance: Frequently cited as Major H. M. Hance, D.S.O., M.C..
• Lieutenant H. A. B. Fyers: Recorded as having been awarded the D.S.O. in the summary dated December 23, 1918.

Mentioned in Despatches

While not a medal, being Mentioned in Despatches was a significant recognition of service:

• Captain H. R. Kerr: Mentioned in despatches in the New Year's list, January 21, 1917.
• Captain J. Young: Mentioned in despatches in the New Year's list, January 21, 1917.

Additionally, Sergeant J. Richardson (No. 148474) was presented with the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society by Brigadier General Compton on March 24, 1916, for life-saving work at La Boisselle in September 1915.

Similarly, Notebook LM suggested

Who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.)?

Based on the source documents, the following members of the 179th Tunnelling Company were awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.):

• Sapper (later Sergeant) P. Dewhurst (No. 79294): He was awarded the D.C.M. on October 15, 1917. The medal was presented to him in the field by Lieutenant Colonel Danford, the Controller of Mines for the 5th Army, during a company parade on October 18, 1917.
• Sergeant F. Lees (No. 139197): His D.C.M. is recorded in a summary of "Honours and Awards" dated December 23, 1918.
• Sergeant J. Edgar (No. 136291): His award is also listed in the December 23, 1918, honours summary.
• Sergeant W. Johnson (No. 175732): He appears in the same honours list from December 23, 1918, as a recipient of the D.C.M..
• Sergeant H. Finney (No. 79285): He was also recorded as being awarded the D.C.M. in the summary dated December 23, 1918.

which soldiers were killed?

Based on the war diaries of the 179th Tunnelling Company, many soldiers and officers were killed in action or died of wounds between 1915 and 1918. The following is a list of named individuals whose deaths are recorded in the documents, categorized by their rank and the year of the event.

Officers

• 2nd Lieut. C. F. Calvert: Gassed while attempting to rescue another soldier on 14 September 1915; he never recovered consciousness and was buried near the Bray-Albert Road.
• Lieut. R. Hawtrey: Killed by enemy shellfire on 3 September 1916.
• 2nd Lieut. G. Thompson: Killed by enemy shellfire on 3 September 1916.
• 2nd Lieut. P. J. Bates: Killed on 28 March 1917 when two enemy shells burst in the company billet in Arras during a pay parade.
• 2nd Lieut. G. H. Foster: Killed in Arras by hostile shellfire on 21 March 1918.
• Lieut. A. M. McKay: Severely gassed on 12 May 1918 and died of wounds on 18 May 1918.

Other Ranks (Named)

1915

• Pte. H. Mason (No. 1976): Killed on 31 August 1915 after being gassed and falling down a shaft.
• Pte. J. Cross (No. 4966) and Pte. A. Woodcock (No. 10030): Killed by trench mortars on 5 September 1915.
• Pte. Kirshaw (No. 12559): Killed when the enemy fired a mine on 14 September 1915.
• Lance Corporal R. Parker (No. 1857): Gassed and killed while attempting a rescue on 14 September 1915.
• Pte. J. Gaunt and Sapper W. Elliott: Killed on 13 September 1915.
• Lance Corporal J. Conn (No. 79054) and Sapper H. Grice (No. 112724): Killed when the enemy fired a mine on 18 December 1915.
• Pte. F. C. Frances (No. 14707) and Pte. W. A. Sherwood (No. 17467): Killed on 18 December 1915.

1916

• Lance Corporal J. Hynes (No. 137545) and Sapper T. Farrington (No. 139196): Killed by a trench mortar burst on 13 March 1916.
• Sapper D. Young (No. 137563): Died of wounds at a dressing station on 13 March 1916.
• Pte. H. Brittle (No. 15883): Killed by a rifle grenade on 4 June 1916.
• Corporal A. Sime (No. 79061): Killed by enemy shrapnel on 4 July 1916.
• Sapper D. Bryce (No. 79576): Accidentally killed by falling down a shaft on 4 July 1916.
• Sapper W. Wills (No. 144829) and Pte. J. Jones (No. 13890): Killed by shrapnel on 10 July 1916.
• Sapper F. Webb (No. 155779): Killed by enemy shrapnel while returning from relief on 18 July 1916.
• Sapper B. Martin (No. 95912): Killed in action on 26 August 1916.
• Pte. Woodburn (No. 21338): Killed by an enemy shell in Mametz Wood on 15 September 1916.
• Pte. J. Smith (No. 14917): Killed by an enemy shell on 2 October 1916.
• Cpl. W. Braddock (No. 4744), L/Cpl. C. Leach (No. 151639), and Pte. A. Clelland (No. 25270): Killed by shrapnel near Thiepval on 16 October 1916.
• Cpl. J. Humphrys (No. 79255): Killed by an enemy shell while reconnoitring near Eaucourt L’Abbey on 9 November 1916.
• Sapper H. Schilfield (No. 139146): Killed while carrying timber on 16 November 1916.
• Pte. Holland (No. 16390): Died of wounds on 1 December 1916.

1917

• The Arras Pay Parade Incident (28 March 1917): In addition to Lieut. Bates, the following Sappers were killed by two enemy shells: G. Chapman (No. 102909), W. Graham (No. 79056), F. Speed (No. 132908), J. P. Rowan (No. 137579), J. Niland (No. 97796), and A. Mudway (No. 132829).
• Sapper T. Wilkinson (No. 175611) and Sapper Cook: Killed by an enemy shell in Arras on 6 April 1917.
• Sapper Gott (No. 79254): Killed in action on 4 June 1917.
• Sapper H. C. C. Hounslow (No. 132731), Pte. Hulme (No. 14067), and Pte. Allsopp (No. 12390): Killed in action on 8 July 1917.
• Pte. D. Pugh (No. 266616): Killed on 13 July 1917.
• Pte. G. Doubleday (No. 19240): Killed in action on 20 July 1917.
• Sapper F. Wallace (No. 102697): Killed on 23 July 1917.
• Sapper W. Deas (No. 137549) and 2nd Corporal F. Edden (No. 136075): Killed on 3 September 1917.
• Pte. W. Rankin (No. 1621): Killed in action on 20 September 1917.
• Sapper R. Norris (No. 132756) and Sapper E. Davidson (No. 148476): Killed in action in early October 1917.
• Sapper A. Sutherland (No. 132782): Killed in action on 12 October 1917.
• Sapper J. Page (No. 94282): Killed in action on 17 October 1917.
• Sapper T. Archibald (No. 147743): Killed on 14 November 1917.

1918

• Sapper C. F. Deakin (No. 132978): Killed in action on 17 March 1918.
• Sapper J. R. Williams (No. 155059): Wounded in action on 17 March 1918 and died of wounds on the 19th.
• Sgt. A. Barclay (No. 137559), Sapper W. Smith (No. 157700), and Sapper T. Male (No. 175465): Killed in action on 25 April 1918.

The sources also record numerous unnamed casualties, including infantrymen from attached units like the 10th Essex, Black Watch, and Seaforth Highlanders. Additionally, Sapper S. Farnell (No. 112652) and Pte. H. Bull died of medical causes while on strength.

does High Wood get mentioned?

Yes, High Wood is mentioned frequently in the source documents, primarily within the War Diary entries for August through November 1916. The 179th Tunnelling Company was engaged in various engineering and defensive tasks in and around the wood during this period.

Key mentions and activities include:

• Communication Trenches: In late August 1915, the company began "pipe-pushing operations" to create a communication trench south of High Wood. By September 1st, they were using a "Sentinel Jack pipe-pusher" for this work.
• Infrastructure and Shelters: The diaries record the construction of deep shelters, store recesses, and ammunition stores within High Wood. For example, on September 14, 1916, "recesses for stores in HIGH WOOD mine gallery" were completed.
• Survey Work: The company established survey posts at points east and south of the wood to support artillery and general operations. A survey post at "S.4.d (HIGH WOOD)" was officially completed on November 4, 1916.
• Casualties: The hazards of working in this area are noted in several entries:
  • On September 11, 1916, L/Cpl. W. Saunders was wounded by shrapnel while leading a party carrying stores to High Wood.
  • On September 20, 1916, Pte. W. Dawber was wounded in the shoulder and neck by enemy shellfire while in High Wood.

These operations in High Wood often occurred simultaneously with work in other nearby areas like Mametz Wood, Bazentin-le-Petit, and the Thiepval sector.

what raids, incidents or battles are mentioned?

Raids and Specialized Operations

• The Pimple Raid (13 February 1917): This operation in the Carency Sector involved the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade supported by the 176th Tunnelling Company. The objective was to acquire technical information on German mining. During the raid, an RE corporal discovered an enemy party in a dugout and, after killing one with a Mills bomb, captured 14 prisoners.
• La Boisselle (July 1916): A detailed report exists regarding the destruction of the enemy mine system at La Boisselle following the capture of German workings. This followed extensive underground warfare in the sector throughout 1915 and early 1916.

Major Battles and Offensives

• The Somme Offensive (1 July 1916): The diaries record the massive mining effort for the opening of the Battle of the Somme. At 7:28 AM, the company successfully fired four large mines, including 40,000 lbs of Ammonal at "Y Sap" and another 40,000 lbs at the end of the Lochnagar drive. These mines caused "considerable damage to enemy field works" and his underground system.
• Assault on Messines Ridge (7 June 1917): The diary briefly notes the general assault on the ridge.
• Third Battle of Ypres (20 September 1917): An entry notes the resumption of this battle, recording that the "1st Corps captured all its objectives".
• General Offensive of 4th Army (15 September 1916): The diary notes the resumption of the offensive and records that Pte. Woodburn (No. 21338) was killed by an enemy shell in Mametz Wood that night.

Significant Mining Incidents

• Enemy Mine at E3 (14 September 1915): The enemy fired a "very heavy mine" in Sub-Sector E3 at 1:30 AM. The explosion wrecked the British "W" shaft and galleries, killing a corporal and five sappers of the 179th Company, along with seven men of the 10th Essex Regt. Rescuers encountered high concentrations of poisonous gas (CO), which killed rescue canaries within one minute.
• Mine at S1 (19 December 1915): The company successfully fired a 3,000 lb. mine (Ammonal) at S1, reporting that enemy workings were damaged with no British casualties.
• Head of D2 Blown In (5 September 1915): Hostile trench mortars blew in the head of the D2 shaft, resulting in the deaths of Pte. Cross and Pte. Woodcock.

Other Notable Incidents

• Arras Pay Parade Incident (28 March 1917): At 7:10 PM, two enemy shells burst in the billet of "D" Section in Arras just as the men had assembled for a pay parade. The explosion killed 2nd Lt. P. J. Bates and six sappers (including J. Niland and A. Mudway) and wounded 38 others.
• Runaway Horse Team Incident (19 January 1917): The Army Commander recorded an "act of courage" at the entrance to Albert Station, where Cpl. W. Merrin and Spr. H. Wilkins pulled up two runaway horse teams with wagons, averting a serious accident.
• Hostile Air Raid on Boulogne (21 January 1918): Pte. Copeland (No. 18161) was wounded during an enemy air raid while at Boulogne.
• Rescue at G6 (4 September 1915): Enemy bombardment blew in the head of the G6 shaft, partially burying four men. One man, John Forest (No. 2013), was eventually extracted with a broken leg.

One final query.

how did 179 Tunnelling Company work with the MGC?

The 179th Tunnelling Company worked extensively with the Machine Gun Corps (MGC), specifically the Heavy Branch (the predecessor to the Tank Corps), during 1917 and 1918. Their collaboration involved large-scale infrastructure projects, the preparation of tactical routes for tanks, and the construction of defensive machine gun positions.

Attachment to the Heavy Branch MGC (May–July 1917)

In May 1917, the company moved to the 2nd Anzac Corps area and was attached for work to the 2nd Brigade, Heavy Branch M.G.C.. Their efforts were so well-regarded that Hugh Elles, the commanding officer of the Heavy Branch, wrote to the Inspector of Mines praising the "particularly good work done by Hance's Company" and suggesting recommendations for Military Medals for the men.

The work during this period was divided into three main classes:

• Camp Construction and Infrastructure: The company established and improved several major camps, including Giles Camp, Courage Camp, and Ouderdom Camp. This involved:
  • Constructing stance areas for hundreds of lorries and light cars.
  • Building bridges and stream crossings (notably over the Douve River, Harringhebeek, and Bollardbeek).
  • Erecting Nissen, Armstrong, and "Elephant" shelters, as well as cookhouses and incinerators.
  • Laying railway level crossings and corduroy platforms.
• Preparation of Tank Routes: To facilitate the movement of tanks to the front lines, the sappers:
  • Filled in numerous trenches and shell holes and leveled the ground for tank parks.
  • Created ramps and revetments for 12 trenches to allow tank passage.
  • Cleared brushwood and obstacles from routes and camouflaged tank standings and tents.
  • Obliterated existing tank tracks to prevent enemy aerial detection.
• "Unditching" Tanks: Following the assault on Messines Ridge (7 June 1917), the company was tasked with recovering tanks that had become stuck in the mud or trenches. Between June and July, the company personally unditched 11 tanks and assisted with four others.

Defensive Machine Gun Positions (1917–1918)

Throughout late 1916 and into 1918, the company was continuously engaged in building defensive infrastructure for machine gun teams across different sectors:

• Dugouts and Emplacements: They constructed numerous M.G. dugouts and "nests" in the Corps Intermediate Line, Rear Zone Defence Line, and Army Line near Arras and Albert.
• Concealed Positions: Specialized "concealed M.G. dugouts" were built in the Red Line systems to provide hidden firing positions.
• Crew Shelters: In the St. Julien sector in early 1918, "D" Section worked on five machine gun posts and built dedicated shelters to accommodate the gun crews.
• Caves: In the MERCATEL and SOUASTRE areas, the company explored and converted existing caves for use as machine gun positions and command posts.

My Conclusion

Overall, very happy with the experience of using a hard to read document like this in Notebook LM even though there were a few issues with queries and some minor errors. The speed of queries was excellent in most instances.

I don't think I would go through a PDF like this manually transcribing the names, awards, deaths etc of the soldiers. Notebook LM has made that a lot easier to create those lists. I have now copied some of them to Google Sheets where more data checking and analysis can be done :

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VKWIM7eqvoLQ-oyJdsuc6cx6XnxdntdsMfsLVWDLdWk/edit?usp=sharing