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The Labour Corps
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The Labour Corps was raised in 1915 and disbanded in 1921, today thier roles are undertaken by the Royal Logistics Corps.
The Corps grew to some 389,900 men (more than 10% of the total size of the Army) by the Armistice. Of this total, around 175,000 were working in the United Kingdom and the rest in the theatres of war. The Corps was manned by officers and other ranks who had been medically rated below the "A1" condition needed for front line service. Many were returned wounded. Labour Corps units were often deployed for work within range of the enemy guns, sometimes for lengthy periods. In April 1917, a number of Infantry Battalions were transferred to the Corps. The Labour Corps absorbed the 28 ASC Labour Companies between February and June 1917. Labour Corps Area Employment Companies were formed in 1917 for salvage work, absorbing the Divisional Salvage Companies. In the crises of March and April 1918 on the Western Front, Labour Corps Units were used as emergency infantry. It became the 18th -19th Labour Corps in May 1917. The Corps always suffered from its treatment as something of a second class organization: for example, the men who died are commemorated under their original Regiment, with Labour Corps being secondary. Researching men of the Corps is made extra difficult by this, as is the fact that few records remain of the daily activities and locations of Corps units.
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Those known to have served with The Labour Corps during The Great War
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
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Pte. James Page 12th (Service) Battalion Cheshire Regiment In researching my grandfather's WW1 career, we would like to know how much a private soldier was paid, and how he managed to send money to his wife and young baby. My grandfather enlisted in September 1914, was sent to Salonika in 1915 and was not discharged until 1919. In 1918 he suffered from malaria, stated to have 20% disability and was transferred to the Labour Corps. I should be grateful to know about his pay, as I can find nothing online on this subject. |
Sjt. Mjr. William Northcroft Johnson 6th Btn. Essex Regiment William Johnson was badly wounded at Gallipoli, having landed tehre on teh 11th of August 1915 with the 6th Essex. His name is listed amongst the wounded published in the Essex Chronicle on the 17th of Sept 1915. He was evacuated to Alexandria. He is mentioned in a letter from Sergt. Jack Brady of the 1/6th Essex Regiment, sent from Alexandria in 1916 “The ex-hospital men here (several of whom are Essex) are improving in health wonderfully, and some are quite well again. Sergt-Major Johnson, who did such good work on the Peninsula, where he was severely wounded, is looking well in the circumstances, and after the day's duties are finished he keeps the boys alive with a ventriloquial entertainment, and as a ventriloquist he is excellent.”
William later served as CSM with an employment company of the Northamptonshire Regiment and on the 30th of May 1917 he was commissioned as Temp. 2nd Lt. into the Labour Corps and commanded and Area Employment Company as Acting Captain on the 11th of May 1918. |
Pte. Herbert Messenger West Yorkshire Regiment Herbert served with the West Yorkshire Regiment, The Royal Engineers, The Labour Corps and the Scottish Rifles. |
Pte. Thomas Harold Bentley West Yorkshire Regiment Fantastic website! It has helped me research my maternal grandfather's Army service in WW1. He was Pvt Thomas Harold Bentley who served in the West Yorkshire Regiment, KOYLI, Labour Corps,RF. He served on the Western Front.
Also the site has helped me research my great uncle: Pvt George Eaddie, RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps). He served in Eqypt, Sulva Bay, Dardernelles, and the Western Front.
God Bless you both.
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A/Cpl Joseph Sefton South Lancashire Regiment I have done some research on my Grandfather Joseph Sefton
I have a record from Ancestry.co.uk stating he was regt no 2029 on attestation to the 1st Btn South Lancs in Oct 1886, but it mentions that he had served with the 4btn Liverpool Regiment (saying at the age of 18).
I also have several other Regt numbers appearing on his records. 124 (1901 record) 8109 (1905 record) and 267813 (1914 record).
He was discharged in Oct 1898, re joined in 1901 given Regt no 124.
He subsequently went to to Gibralter, Malta, Egypt and South Africa and was discharged in 1906.
He then joined up once more 1/10/1914 He lied about his age and said he was 44 when he was 46, he had six children
(one my mother) He was posted to South Lancs and also served in the Labour Corps (I think) and stayed in until
Feb 1919.
Unfortunatly I have been unable to gather any information regarding the following:
What(if any) medals would have been awarded for all or any of his service? Was he actually in the Liverpool Regiment? Are there any photgraphs of the South Lancs?
I Would love to find out more about him or the South lancs. Can anyone help? |
James Davies Yorks & Lancs Regt The above post card was sent to my Grandmother from her husband. His regiment was the Yorks and Lancs, number 1538 He finished his army career in the Labour corps due to shrapnel in his legs and came home after the war. I am sure that one of these is Grandad James Davies. |
Lt. Walter Beakley 5th Btn. Sherwood Forresters My grandfather Walter Beakley could not talk about the war I know he was wounded in the arm as he was not able to play the flute after the war I know he trained at Halton near Wendover Buckinghamshire. I believe he fought at the Somme with the 5th Sherwood Forresters and also served with 194 Coy, Chinese Labour Corps. |
Reuben Zinzendorf Bullock Sussex Regiment Reuben Bullock was my great-grandfather. He had been employed as a gardener at Penlynn Castle before the war, he continued this when posted to France. We have some of his records showing detailed accounts relating to the growing of various crops whilst serving in the Labour Corps. He was also with the Royal Sussex Regiment. Paperwork lists his role as a scout, which earned him a mention in dispatches. He was awarded a number of medals, which we are currently researching. |
Pte. Duncan Campbell Labour Corps (d.20th Oct 1918) Duncan Campbell was the youngest son. Two of his older brothers, Thomas and David, both also served in WWI but, although wounded, they survived. David was with the Canadian Army. I have been unable to find out in which unit Thomas served. Duncan is buried in Grevillers British Cemetery. |
Sjt. Althol Williamson 6th Btn. Highland Light Infantry My Grandfather Althol Williamson was honourably discharged on the 30th November 1917
He was so badly injured during one battle that his friend hitched him to a gun carriage by his kilt. He was taken back behind British Lines where he was laid out under a sheet as he was presumed dead. We have no further details on this as my grandfather died in 1965. He didn't really want to talk much about this.
My grandfather told me that whilst he was lying on the battlefield, someone or something was moving from the bodies lying on the field and when it came to him it told him he would be aright. He said it was a bright light in the form of a man.
He was sent home, and used to sleep between his mother and father owing to the severe shellshock
One day he went out in London where he then lived using his crutches, he got onto a bus and sat on one of the side seats, the conductor took his crutches and put them under the stairwell. A couple of stops later a woman got on the bus, she was wearing a hat with white feathers in it, she took one of the feathers and put it in my grandfathers lapel. He did nothing, when he got to his stop the conductor gave him his crutches, he looked at the woman, my grandfather said he would never forget her face. He kept the feather in an England's Glory matchbox for many years, and told me he wished he could find that woman to give her back the feather
He remembered waiting in the trenches with the german machine gun bullets pinging on the top of the trench. All waiting for the officer to blow the whistle knowing that as they climbed the ladder to the top of the trench some of them would be instantly killed, my grandfather told me that even with them knowing this no-one faltered and up that ladder they went.
He was 6' 6" tall and cut himself out a special place when they were in the trenches, one day when he came back from a sortie, someone was using my grandfathers special cutout, my grandfather commented to the other soldier but he stayed in my grandfathers cutout. As my grandfather moved along the trench a shell exploded above his cutout and the occupant was killed.
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Pte. George Palmer MSM. 30th Coy Labour Corps George Palmer was my grandfather who died in the year of my birth 1949.
As a child I was told that he won his medal saving the life of a fellow soldier who had fallen into a frozen river in 1917. I love to be able to confirm this but in any event would welcome any details as to where and if his battalion saw action during WW1.
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L/Cpl Albert Arthur Wykes 2nd Btn. Black Watch (d.18th Jun 1917) Albert Wykes was a 2nd Cousin of my wife. It would appear he served in the Royal Field Artillery No 99081 and also the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) No s/10238. He is shown as having died from his wounds. Can anybody explain why he would have served in 3 different Regiments? I understand that some men who had been wounded or were unfit for Front Line Duty transferred to the Labour Corps, but I am unable to work out in which order he served in the RFA and the Royal Highlanders and how would a cockney come to be in the Black Watch, any suggestions please.
Editor's Note: As Albert's record on CWGC shows him as being with the Black Watch, and transferred to the 13th Coy Labour Corps, it is reasonably safe to assume that he was with the Artillery as his first unit. It is quite common for men to serve with more than one unit, if injured and taken out of the front line for treatment, their place in the regiment would have to be filled by another man to maintain unit strength. On returning to duty they would be assigned to which ever unit required additional personne, so the regional identity of the regiments soon became muddled. Or a man with specialist skills might be transferred from one unit to another if there was a shortage of skilled men in another unit. The Labour Corps was largely made up of men who were not fully fit for front line fighting, so it is possible that Albert was injured or taken ill whilst with the Black Watch and transferred to the Labour Corps for a period of recovery. |
Pte. William Cannadine The Labour Corps William Cannadine was my grandfather and he served in The Labour Corps during the First World War. Sadly he died in 1946 aged 50, after a very long illness, never having met any of his grandchildren. We know very little about him and even though 2 of his children are still alive we have never even seen a photo of him. We would love to find out some information about him if possible. |
Gnr. William Hardy 1st Lowland Battery Royal Garrison Artillery William was my Granddad. He died before I was born but had survived the War. He joined up in August 1914 serving with the 1st Lowland Battery and suffered a shrapnel wound to his right leg on 28/3/1918 which shattered bone.
On his discharge from hospital William was transferred to Unit 185 Labour Company where he remained until the end of the war. He "proceeded to Purfleet for Demob" on 12.01.1919 (Long Service). His date of transfer to reserve is listed as 17.02.1919
This is about as much as I could glean from Grandad's service records. Most of the records were held at the War Office Building at Arnside Street in London which was destroyed by fire resulting from a German air raid in 1940. Well over half the records there were lost and many that did survive were damaged by smoke and water (as with my grandad's). Happily, part of his record had been copied to the Pensions Office - I obtained copies of the burnt and unburnt records via Ancestry.co.uk.
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Pte. William Frederick Sinclair Welsh Regiment Enlisted 10th March 1911 Entered Theatre of War France 16th Jan 1915, discharged due to wounds 21 August 1919.
He was married with one son also named William Frederick Sinclair,born 1911. After the War he never returned home and joined the Fleetwood Fishing Fleet serving on the MV 'Rachel' registered at Fleetwood.
He complained of constant 'Gas' attacks to the crew, unfortunately whilst docked at Milford Haven on the 25 August 1924 other crew members heard him complain of a 'Gas' attack he went up top and was being sick when they heard a splash and he disappeared believed having fallen over board.
After a search his body was found the next day.
An inquest was held on the 4th September 1924 and a decision of accidental death was recorded with the War being a contributing factor.
A very sad and familiar story of a regular Soldier stationed in India before the War who went to war and suffered as a result of 'the Gas'unfortunately his son (my father) never knew his father and I never knew my grandfather.
It took many years to even trace who he was and where he went, I am still unable to trace where he was buried.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British war medal,Victory Medal
I have never seen a photograph of him BUT through the search to trace him I have seen Photo's of his Grandfather. |
Pte. Walter Underwood 4th Btn Hampshire Regiment Before the war Walter worked as a Carter for the Urban Borough Council. He was married to Violet and had 9 children. He joined the army on 14/7/1916, joining the Hampshire Regiment before being transferred to the Labour Corps. He served in France from 14/8/1917 until 12/3/1919 |
Pte. Thomas Henry Humpherys West Yorkshire Regiment (d.11th Jul 1918) Thomas Humpherys is the invisible man, son of Thomas Henry Humpherys and Mary R. Thomas Henry Humphreys was born in the year 1897, South East Holbeck Leeds West Yorkshire. There seems to be no death certificate or place of death given or cause. I have tried all avenues but noone seems to know anything.
Thomas was a Private Soldier in the 1914-18 War serving in the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own). Regimental number 49025. He also served in a secondary Regiment called the Labour Corps, number 545169. This Labour Corps was formed in the year 1916 in Millington, France. Thomas died whilst on active service in France on the 11th of July 1918. Casualty type. Commonwealth War Dead General Number 6817. It is possible he died in Ireland in the Mater Hospital. He is the son of Thomas Henry Humphrey's and Mary Rebecca Humphreys nee Atkinson. He is in Grave Number 6817 General Inscription Grave Holbeck Cemetery, Leeds, West Yorkshire.I have gone through the French B M D,+ Leeds B M D,to no avail can anyone help me close this? Did he die from the Flu epademic?
Leeds Holbeck Cemetery. This Cemetery’s locality is in Leeds, West Yorkshire within the United Kingdom. The Historical information highlights the use it was put to during the Great War in 1914-18.
The major hospitals in Leeds were the 2nd Northern General with 1,800 beds and the East Leeds War Hospital with 1900. Leeds was also one of the Principal hospital centres in Yorkshire during the Second World War. Leeds (Holbeck) Cemetery contains 65 First World War burials and 21 from the Second World War, all scattered. A Cross of Sacrifice stands by the cemetery entrance. The number of Identified Casualties is 86.
The figures quoted include Foreign and Non World War Graves in CWGC care.
During the two World Wars, the United Kingdom became an island fortress used for training troops and launching land, sea, and air operations around the Globe. There are more than 170,000 Commonwealth war graves in the United Kingdom, many being those of service men and women killed on active service, or who later succumbed to wounds. Others died in training accidents, or because of sickness or disease. The graves many of them privately owned and marked by private memorials, will be found in more than 120,000 cemeteries and churchyards.
I have searched for 3 months. Nce Aspera Terrent.(Nor do difficuties deter) |
Pioneer George Joseph "Joseph" Messenger 7 Labour Battalion George Joseph Messenger was my great grandfather.
He enlisted on 8th September 1915 and gave his age as 46. Later in his war papers he also gave his wife's name as Kate New and date of marriage as 16/07/1876. I have a copy of his marriage certificate which confirms this. I also have a copy of his birth certificate showing he was born on 24/12/1852
Therefore he must have been at least 62 years of age at enlistment and "pulled the wool" over the enlisting officers eyes.
He embarked to France on 17th September 1915 and was returned home on 24/04/1916. He was discharged 02/06/1916 as no longer fit for active service - hardly surprising given his age.
He was awarded 1914 -15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal
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Pte. Herbert McKenzie 10th Btn. Royal West Surrey Regiment (d.8th Oct 1917) My Great-Grandfather Herbert McKenzie was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1885. He enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment 10th Battalion in 1916. He was transferred at some point to the 10th Queens' (Royal West Kents) and in October 1917 he was in the 118th Coy, Labour Corps.
He was killed by enemy artillery fire, south of Ypres on the 8th of Oct 1917 and is buried in Poperinghe New Military Cemetery.
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Sgt. William Riding South Lancashire Regiment So far I have found out, with the help of my dad, about my great grandfather, William Riding. On the 8th Jan 1890 he had a medical at Warrington & was pronounced fit for service in the South Lancashire Regiment at the age of 20. Regiment number 2990. Prior to this he had spent 83 days with the Liverpool Regiment 3rd Battalion .
He was appointed L/corporal on 28.4.1891, Corporal 13.4.1892, Lance Sergeant 3.9.1895 and Sergeant on 6.2.1896. During this time he served in Gibralter, Malta, Egypt, India & South Africa. He was then transferred to the reserve 7.11.1897 being recalled on 13.11.1899 for the 2nd Boar War.
He sailed on R.M.S Canada on the 1.12.1899 arriving at the Cape around the 20.12.1899 with the 1st Batt South Lancashire Regiment. With them was the 2nd Royal Lancaster, 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers & 1st York & Lancaster Regiment. They formed the 11th Brigade under Major General Woodgate & where part of the 5th Division under Lt General Sir Charles Warren. In 1902 he was discharged on completion of 12 years service.
On the 7th September 1914 he had a medical at Southport & again passed fit for service in the South Lancashire Regiment, Regiment number 627154.
He joined as a Private but on the same day he was promoted to Corporal then Sergeant. He was posted to Seaford near Brighton with the 10th Battalion. He was posted to France on the 1.12.1914. He was then transferred to the Chinese Labour Corps 5.12.1918 & discharged from active service on 22.3.1919 as no longer physically fit from Stoke on Trent Military Hospital. He was 49 years old when he finally finished military service having served over 16 years. |
Driver Hugh Quigley 9th Divisional Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery Dedicated to my great grandfather, Hugh Quigley, born in Govan, Lanarkshire on 29th September 1883 and died in Glasgow on 29th October 1955.
On the 23rd June 1915 Hugh enlisted with Royal Field Artillery - Regimental Number: 96527 - Rank: Driver.
On the 20th November 1915 Hugh was sent with the British Expeditionary Forces to France.
On the 21st March 1918 Hugh suffers mild gunshot wound to face and is taken to hospital in Le Treport then to a hospital in Havre.
On the 28th May 1918 Hugh is transferred to the Labour Corps - Regimentall Number: 580865 - Rank: Driver.
On the 18th April 1919 Hugh is demobilized with a Class 5 Pension. Disability: Gunshot Wound to Face and Neurasthenia (shell shock).
Before enlisting Hugh was employed as an Iron Forge Furnaceman and also a Dock Labourer, when he left the Army one of his first jobs was a Ship Stoker onboard SS Nortonian at Vercruz in Mexico the ship belonged to the Leyland Steamship Company. |
Sgt. Joseph Edward Goode MM. 6th Battalion London Regiment My grandfather, Joseph Goode enlisted in "The Cast Iron" Sixth (also known as the Printers Pals) on the 6th September 1914 at the age of 34.
From the 3/6th (Reserve Batt) he was absorbed into the 1/6th as an Acting Sergeant on the 19th April 1916. Within 3 weeks he was a full Sergeant and by November he was Acting Quarter Master Sgt (A/QMS) in "D" Company. He relinquished the "cushy" post in January 1917 and reverted to Sgt.
The verbal family history is that he won the Military Medal for capturing six drunk Germans. In fact his was one of 14 MM's that were awarded for the most successful raid in the whole of WW1. A total of 24 medals were awarded for the capture of 1 Officer, 117 ORs and 5 machine guns, and the destuction of 3 mine shafts and the opposing trenches south of Hill 60 in the Ypres Salient. The Battalion suffered 76 casualties including 14 killed and 2 missing. As the action took place on the 20th Feb 1917 and weeks were spent practicing behind the lines it would seem that Grandad gave up the A/QMS role to be in on the raid.
He stayed with the 1/6th until they were disbanded in February 1918 and spread around other Battalions. He was posted to the the 2/6th and was with them when the Germans launched their last ditch attack on the 21st March. On the 4th April the Battalion was in support of the Australian outside Villiers Bretonneux and were called forward to fill a gap in the line and it was during this action that Granddad Goode got his "Blighty wound" a shrapnel injury to his left hand, right arm and head. On the 16th he was back in England at No. 1 War Hospital, Reading from where he was discharged on the 1st June.
He was then passed fit and returned to the Reserve Battalion but not for front line infantry service and in November was transferred to 358 Coy. Labour Corp escorting prisoners of war. Because of his meritous service he was allowed to keep his infantry rate of pay. He was demob'ed on the 14th Feb 1919 and was awarded 6s-6d (65p) a week for 52 weeks for his injuries.
He died in 1947 when I was 8 years old and as the eldest son of the eldest son I should have inherited his medals but the story goes he gave them away to one of his drinking mates. I do however have his Gold half-hunter watch that was presented to him by his employer for winning the Military Medal.
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No Labour, No Battle: The Labour Corps in the First World War John Starling & Ivor Lee
From 1917 British Soldiers who were unfit or too old for front line service were to serve unarmed and within the range of German guns for weeks or even months at a time undertaking labouring tasks. The vital, yet largely unreported role played by these brave soldiers was crucial to achieving victory in 1918. For this book John Starling and Ivor Lee have brought together extensive research from both primary and secondary sources. It traces how Military Labour developed from non-existent in 1914, to a Corps in November 1918 some 350,000 strong, supported by Dominion and foreign labour of more than a million men. The majority of the Labour Corps did not keep war diaries, therefore this work provides vital information for those wishing to acquire information about an ancestor who served in the Corps.
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