Labour corps

[suefy]

Does anyone have any info as to what the Labour Corps was and where I could find records?

Regards, S

[Peter Woodger]

S

Suggest you purchase the recent book No Labour, No Battle by Starling and Lee.

Peter

[Ron Clifton]

The Labour Corps was formed in April 1917 from men who were not fully fit for front-line service but could serve abroad in rear ares. They would mostly have been conscripts of 1916 who had originally been posted to labour battalions of infantry regiments.

Their duties included digging and construction work, and loading and unloading of stores at the base ports and major rail centres. Divisions were given an Employment Company of LC men to assist in "housekeeping" in the front areas, and there were also Area Employment Companies at Corps HQ and in major bases such as Amiens.

Ron

[stephen p nunn]

The Labour Corps was formed in April 1917 from men who were not fully fit for front-line service but could serve abroad in rear ares. They would mostly have been conscripts of 1916 who had originally been posted to labour battalions of infantry regiments.

Their duties included digging and construction work, and loading and unloading of stores at the base ports and major rail centres. Divisions were given an Employment Company of LC men to assist in "housekeeping" in the front areas, and there were also Area Employment Companies at Corps HQ and in major bases such as Amiens.

Ron

How about this one Ron:

Dudley William DINES was born in Maldon in 1881, the son of William Dines (builder) and Emily Dines of 50 Wantz Road, Maldon. Dudley was married and was a regular with long service (20 years and 7 months by the time of his death). He served in the Buffs (5957) but was a Sergeant (13239) with the King's Royal Rifle Corps at the outbreak of war. and then......he "transferred" as Company Sergeant Major with the 999th Company of the LABOUR CORPS. What was that all about?

Just to complete the story he was awarded the DCM (LG 11/3/16) and "died of asphyxia" on the way home from Russia on 18/12/1919 aged 39.

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

[Ivor Lee]

Ron's description of the Labour Corps is not strictly accurate.

Firstly, the Labour Corps was not merely employed overseas -almost 200,000 also served in UK based units.

Secondly, although not a combatant unit they did not only serve in rear areas. Indeed during the last 100 days there were instances of the Labour Corps working in front of the combatant troops

Can I suggest you have a look at my website

Regards

Ivor

[stephen p nunn]

Ron's description of the Labour Corps is not strictly accurate.

Firstly, the Labour Corps was not merely employed overseas -almost 200,000 also served in UK based units.

Secondly, although not a combatant unit they did not only serve in rear areas. Indeed during the last 100 days there were instances of the Labour Corps working in front of the combatant troops

Can I suggest you have a look at my website

Regards

Ivor

Great site Ivor and congratulations on the book. What do you think about my Maldon man in the 999th?

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

[truthergw]

This is very much Ivor's territory but until he gets here. When the Labour Corps was founded, it required many Officers and NCOs so many able bodied, experienced men were transferred to the corps. Specialist tradesmen were also employed in the corps even when perfectly fit. 

[Ivor Lee]

Maldon

999 was a Divisional Employment Company that served in Salonika. They did not keep a War Diary and I have very little about them.

What I do know is that with the end of the war they moved into Turkeyto support the troops in Istanbul. CSM Dimes is one of two members of 999 Company buried in Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul.

Apart from his age the likelihood is that he was medically dowgraded and transferred to the Labour Corps. A very high number of men in Salonika suffered ill health and were transferred to the LC.

hope this helps a little

Ivor

[stephen p nunn]

Maldon

999 was a Divisional Employment Company that served in Salonika. They did not keep a War Diary and I have very little about them.

What I do know is that with the end of the war they moved into Turkeyto support the troops in Istanbul. CSM Dimes is one of two members of 999 Company buried in Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul.

Apart from his age the likelihood is that he was medically dowgraded and transferred to the Labour Corps. A very high number of men in Salonika suffered ill health and were transferred to the LC.

hope this helps a little

Ivor

Thanks Ivor - kind of you to reply. I often think of CSM Dines and the odd circumstances surrounding his death.

On another matter I bought a few medals recently and a couple of sets have Labour Corps links:

Private Henry BECKWITH of Danbury (Essex) was 251158 Essex Regiment but was then 548284 Labour Corps.

Private Arthur HODGE of Waltham Cross was in the West Riding Regiment (26172) and the Guards MGC (2021) but was also Labour Corps - 26th Batt. RF (33594) and 105 (as 62673).

Keep up the good work.

Best regards.

SPN

Maldon.

[suefy]

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen.

I feel a bit better informed now. Ivor - excellent website. I will have a look for your book.

Regards, S

[Carol Stewart]

QUOTE (Ron Clifton @ Nov 29 2009, 09:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Labour Corps was formed in April 1917 from men who were not fully fit for front-line service but could serve abroad in rear ares. They would mostly have been conscripts of 1916 who had originally been posted to labour battalions of infantry regiments.

Their duties included digging and construction work, and loading and unloading of stores at the base ports and major rail centres. Divisions were given an Employment Company of LC men to assist in "housekeeping" in the front areas, and there were also Area Employment Companies at Corps HQ and in major bases such as Amiens.

Ron

How about this one Ron:

Dudley William DINES was born in Maldon in 1881, the son of William Dines (builder) and Emily Dines of 50 Wantz Road, Maldon. Dudley was married and was a regular with long service (20 years and 7 months by the time of his death). He served in the Buffs (5957) but was a Sergeant (13239) with the King's Royal Rifle Corps at the outbreak of war. and then......he "transferred" as Company Sergeant Major with the 999th Company of the LABOUR CORPS. What was that all about?

Just to complete the story he was awarded the DCM (LG 11/3/16) and "died of asphyxia" on the way home from Russia on 18/12/1919 aged 39.

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

Well, there's nothing quite like arriving late to a party and in this case, I've arrived almost 7 years late for this one!

I'm a genealogy fan and have been researching the other side of my son's family tree recently. Currently I'm looking at his late grandmother's branch of the tree, who were mostly from Essex and Sussex.

The man you refer to in your post - Dudley Dines - was the husband of my former mother-in-law's great aunt Caroline Roof. I discovered that they had only been married in 1918 - the year before he died. In looking at the various pieces of information about him, I was intrigued that he had died in Russia - although I had not uncovered any specific cause of death. I see you have his cause of death noted as "died of asphyxia" on the way home. May I ask how you found this out?

I had arrived at the conclusion that as he was probably in South Russia as part of the British Military Mission in support of the White Army during the Russian Civil War, that he might have fallen victim to the Red Army. Highly speculative I know... but not necessarily impossible.

If you happen to know anything more about Dudley Dines, I'd be very grateful if you would share.

Thank you.

[stephen p nunn]

Hi Carol. Thanks for your post. Back in 2009 I published a book on the Maldon and Heybridge casualties of the Great War and Dudley is number 32 of 248. The asphyxia reference probably came from a contemporary newspaper - Essex Chronicle/Essex Weekly News. Dudley is on the main Town War Memorial and has a tree dedicated to him in the Avenue of remembrance on Maldon's Promenade (tree number 15). Do you have a photograph of Dudley please?

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

[Carol Stewart]

Hi Carol. Thanks for your post. Back in 2009 I published a book on the Maldon and Heybridge casualties of the Great War and Dudley is number 32 of 248. The asphyxia reference probably came from a contemporary newspaper - Essex Chronicle/Essex Weekly News. Dudley is on the main Town War Memorial and has a tree dedicated to him in the Avenue of remembrance on Maldon's Promenade (tree number 15). Do you have a photograph of Dudley please?

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

Hello again,

Thanks for replying. Re the asphyxia, I had wondered if you had unearthed something which shed some specific light on the circumstances surrounding his death. It just seems like a bit of an odd way of expressing it. There are any number of ways in which death can occur by asphyxiation, but I suppose that back then they might have been a little more circumspect in the degree of detail that they would publish in a newspaper, so perhaps that was deemed to be an appropriate explanation. I just can't help feeling that there was potentially something more to it than simple asphyxiation.

Unfortunately, I do not have a photograph of him. I have only recently begin to delve into my son's other family tree and it's a bit like ploughing through treacle. Dudley is not a direct ancestor of my son - he's related through marriage only. I don't really have anyone to consult or share information with, so I am reliant on anything I find out on t'internet!

Finding your thread by googling Dudley Dines's name and the term "Labour Corps" was a lucky break and entirely unexpected. Rest assured that if I do come across any fresh information about him, I shall gladly pass it along to you.

Thanks again,

Carol

[Tomo.T]

I recently read an account of three soldiers on a troop train, who were so cold they pinched a small lit stove, intended to keep a track side water feed tank from freezing. They were in an enclosed truck and all three were found dead of asphyxiation on arrival. I was reminded of the story whilst reading the above.

 

Tomo