Gr iff ith s ' ▁command ▁led ▁to ▁min ing ▁being ▁made ▁a ▁separate ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁Engine er - in - Ch ief ' s ▁office ▁under ▁Major - General ▁S . R . ▁R ice , ▁and ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁an ▁' In spect or ▁of ▁M ines ' ▁at ▁the ▁G H Q ▁Saint - O mer ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Engine er - in - Ch ief . ▁A ▁second ▁group ▁of ▁t unn elling ▁companies ▁were ▁formed ▁from ▁Wel sh ▁min ers ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁and ▁ 3 rd ▁Batt al ions ▁of ▁the ▁Mon mouth shire ▁Regiment , ▁who ▁were ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁North umber land ▁Field ▁Company ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Engine ers , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁Territ orial ▁unit . ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁twelve ▁new ▁t unn elling ▁companies , ▁between ▁July ▁and ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁helped ▁to ▁bring ▁more ▁men ▁into ▁action ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Front . ▁ ▁Most ▁t unn elling ▁companies ▁were ▁formed ▁under ▁N orton - Gr iff ith s ' ▁leadership ▁during ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁and ▁one ▁more ▁was ▁added ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁sent ▁an ▁appeal ▁to ▁Canada , ▁South ▁Africa , ▁Australia ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁to ▁raise ▁t unn elling ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁Domin ions ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁September , ▁New