neil5856 Posted 10 July , 2008 Share Posted 10 July , 2008 Hello, I'm doing some research for a friend. His wife's grandfather was Sam Spencer, No. 30192 with the West Yorkshire Regiment, assigned to the Labour Corps No. 10637. Research shows that the 22nd (Labour) Battalion was formed April 1916 at Millington, went to France in May 1916, and were attached to Fifth Army. (The 22nd Became 18th and 19th Labour Corps in May 1917). My friend has found that they may have been based at Querrieux. Can anybody shed any more light on this? Is a War Diary available? (And if he was with the Labour Corps, would he have been likely to have ridden a motorcycle?) Thanks, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Lee Posted 11 July , 2008 Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Neil His LC number means he was in 18 Company. There is a War Diary until the brecame a Labour Corps company in May 1917 - the National Archives reference is WO/95/571 Motorbikes were not standard issue to Labour companies. I cannot think of any references to them using them - horse and cart, lorries and cycles Ivor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 11 July , 2008 Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Neil I am having a conflict with your facts ! I suggest that you search the National Archives Catalogue by entering LABOUR CORPS on top line and WO95 on the bottom line. There is a file for Labour Companies generally in WO95/5494,this lists the companies 1-38, when formed from 1914-1916,them and their deployment. These companies were transferred to a Labour Corps later (1917 ?) but there are few refs in the WO95 to the new units,certainly 18 and 19 weren't seen by me last night. I just found notes I made about this file 5494 on a visit to Kew over 2 years ago ! It refers to all sorts of units and their deployment. Sotonmate EDIT. Sorry,Ivor ! Yours wasn't there when I picked this up from last night ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 11 July , 2008 Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Hello Neil I am afraid that there are very few files for Labour Companies at Kew: those for the Labour Corps which have survived are for Labour Group HQs, into which the companies were allocated on a temporary basis. Querrieux was the HQ of Fourth Army for quite a time, so if you look at the War Diary for the Asst Director of Labour for Fourth Army (WO95/454) you may find some useful info. There are a number of miscellaneous files at the end of the WO95 run but, from memory, they will not tell you which Lab Cos were in which Lab Groups. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5856 Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Thanks everyone - I'll check it out. While we're on the subject, can anyone throw any light on my own grandfather's assignments? He was with the RFA, Driver No. 4504. He was later an Acting Bombadier. He went to France, Qualifying Date 22/08/1915. I have notions that he was in the Battle of Albert, and then the Somme, but I don't know. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5856 Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Thanks everyone - I'll check it out. While we're on the subject, can anyone throw any light on my own grandfather's assignments? He was with the RFA, Driver No. 4504. He was later an Acting Bombadier. He went to France, Qualifying Date 22/08/1915. I have a notion that he was in the Battle of Albert, and then the Somme, but I don't know. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5856 Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Thanks everyone - I'll check it out. While we're on the subject, can anyone throw any light on my own grandfather's assignments? He was with the RFA, Driver No. 4504. He was later an Acting Bombadier. He went to France, Qualifying Date 22/08/1915. I have a notion that he was in the Battle of Albert, and then the Somme, but I don't know. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5856 Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Thanks everyone - I'll check it out. While we're on the subject, can anyone throw any light on my own grandfather's assignments? He was with the RFA, Driver No. 4504. He was later an Acting Bombadier. He went to France, Qualifying Date 22/08/1915. I have a notion that he was in the Battle of Albert, and then the Somme, but I don't know. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5856 Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Thanks everyone - I'll check it out. While we're on the subject, can anyone throw any light on my own grandfather's assignments? He was with the RFA, Driver No. 4504. He was later an Acting Bombadier. He went to France, Qualifying Date 22/08/1915. I have a notion that he was in the Battle of Albert, and then the Somme, but I don't know. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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