Labour Corps Companies 156 and 175

[MaxD]

I'd be most grateful if a kind soul could ident the whereabouts,( in Groups would suffice as I know real locations not easy) of:

156 Labour Company which I know was formed from 12 DCLI in May 1917 to March 19 and then 175 Labour Company Mar 19 to Sep 19..

 

Max

[michaeldr]

Max,

 

I can't help with locations, but looking through that section of Starling & Lee's 'No Labour, No Battle' which covers Honours & Awards (p. 338-349) the Labour Company 175 crops up a few times and citations (if you can find them) may give a clue as to where they were

 

Second Lieutenant William Collier MC

Sgt 104404 E. W. Dudley DCM

Cpl 104419 A. Gough DCM

Cpl 104434 J. Howard MM

Sgt 104408 W. W. Rowe MM

Pte 568941 A. Tyler MM

CQMS 104410 W. H. Walters MM

 

Good luck

Michael

[MaxD]

Michael

 

That's very helpful, nice lateral thinking, I'll give it a go.  Thanks indeed. Quick addendum, struck gold on the second one, location and date in the LG - thanks again!!

 

Max

[michaeldr]

3 minutes ago, MaxD said:

struck gold on the second one, location and date in the LG

 

Great to hear

 

regards

Michael

[themonsstar]

156 Coy Labour Corps

 

	Formed as 12th Labour Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
2 Mar 17	37 Bn RF (107 & 108 Coys) and 12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – mentioned – 4th Army Diary
4 Apr 17	12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – location PLATEAU – XV Corps Diary
15 Apr 17	12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – move from LE FOREST – HQ & 2 coys to MANACOURT, 1 coy to ROCQUIGNY and 1 coy to MOISLAINS – CRO – XV Corps Diary
28 Apr 17	12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – 34 ORs tos – XV Corps Diary
1 May 17	B Coy 12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – (2 & 236) move from ROCQUIGNY to FINS – CRO – XV Corps Diary D Coy 12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – (2 & 236) move from MOISLAINS to HEUDICOURT – CRO
1 May 17	B Coy 12 Bn DCLI (156 & 157 Coys) – move from ROCQUINGY to FINS (48 Gp) and D Coy move from MOISLAINS to HEUDICOURT – roads – XIV Corps Diary
12 May 17	12 Bn DCLI broken up – 156 Coy – MANACOURT – XIV Corps Diary                                         157 Coy – HEUDICOURT
14 May 17	12 Bn DCLI ceases to exist: – XV Corps Diary 156 Coy – MANANCOURT
14 May 17	Det serving at MANABCOURT – road repairs to DROMORE CORNER – 48 Gp Diary
24 May 17	½ coy located MARQUIX (49 Gp XV Corps) – 48 Gp Diary
14 Jun 17	156 Coy – ETRICOURT  - 4th Army Diary
6 Jul 17	Coy complete at MARQUAIX (49 Gp) – roadwork – 49 Gp Diary
10 Jul 17	Sos 48 Gp (2 pls remain as a works party) – 48 Gp Diary
8 Aug 17	156 (49 Gp) Coy mentioned – III Corps Diary
10 Oct 17	Coy moves to ROISEL (49 Gp) – 49 Gp Diary
18 Dec 17	69 Gp – 34?, 44, 88, 156, 175, 199 & 200 Coys – VII Corps Diary
18 Dec 17	156 Coy – ROISEL  CE roads sos to 5th Army – 3rd Army Diary
1 Dec 17	156 Coy  - 49 Gp ROISEL – VII Corps Diary
28 Feb 18	Cavalry Corps. (7 ¼ white, 8 Indian, 2 Area) – 5th Army Diary 49 Gp (LA CATELET) – 39, 156, 162, 187 & 715 Coys and 281 Area
9 Mar 18	Units taken over: – XIX Corps Diary 67 Gp – 33, 34, 74, 156, 171, 187, 708 & 715 Coys and 281 Area Coy and 70 (Kumaon) Ind Coy
21 Mar 18	156 Coy – moves from ROISEL to BRUSLE – XIX Corps Diary
22 Mar 18	Military situation deteriorated further and all units to be withdrawn West of the SOMME river.  Following units to move since they are East of the River – XIX Corps Diary 156 Coy – LE MESNIL Move to be made by Lt rail since few lorries are available
18 Apr 18	156 Coy - moves to BOVES – III Corps Diary
26 Apr 18	67 Gp (34, 59, 90, 103, 156, 166? & 193 Coys and 281 Area Coy) – sos to III Corps – ANZAC Corps Diary
27 Apr 18	114 & 156 Coys - sos to Australian Corps – III Corps Diary
31 Apr 18	156 Coy – moves to 47 Gp – ANZAC Corps Diary
6 May 18	Tos III Corps – III Corps Diary
6 May 18	Units 72, 107, 156 & ? Coys – III Corps Diary
9 May 18	156 Coy – sos to III Corps – ANZAC Corps Diary
18 Jun 18	Fighting platoon formed of 104 NCOs & men – III Corps Diary
10 Jul 18	74 & 156 Coys – (III Corps) – building new RE depot CONTEY – GHQ Diary
12 Jul 18	8 Gp (Col (Hon Brig) J B Edwards DSO)  take over 6 Companies (72, 88, 103, 156, 709 & 713 Coys) from 35 Gp – III Corps Diary
8 Aug 18	Offensive starts – III Corps Diary 156 Coy - waterpoint duties
28 Sep 18	105 & 156 Coys and 146 Coy CLC  – sos to 4th Army Area – ANZAC Corps Diary
21 Oct 18	Units sos to IX Corps: - ANZAC Corps Diary 47 & 63 Gps - 28, 44, 65, 67, 74, 85, 150, 156, 160, 167, 187, 191, 199, 708, 713, 722, 724 & 729 Coys and ½ 8 Coy CLC and 37, 143, 216 & 260 PW Coys
2 Dec 18	156 Coy – tos ST SOUPLET from 4th Army – 3rd Army Diary
15 Mar 19	2, 12, 27, 115, 136, 150, 156, 200, 700 & 712 Coys – to cadre (3rd Army) – GHQ Diary     175 Coy Labour Corps     Formed as 10th Infantry Labour Company Devonshire Regiment 22 Mar 17 Arrived France 5 officers & 495 ORs 26 Mar 17 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – tos BRAY – XV Corps Diary 3 Apr 17 1 pl 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – move to BELLAIR – XV Corps Diary 12 Apr 17 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – (1 & 50) move from BRAY to PC JEAN – working on FEUILLERES Bargehead – XV Corps Diary 13 Apr 17 1 pl 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – move from BELLAIRS to BRAY-TOUBIERES – XV Corps Diary 15 Apr 17 1 pl 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – move from BRAY-TOUBIERES to QUINCONCE, PERONNE – railhead work – XV Corps Diary 16 Apr 17 Det 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – 30 men to handle 2000 tons in 3 weeks at FROISSY Bargehead – XV Corps Diary 20 Apr 17 Det 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – (1 & 54) move from PC JEAN and (2 & 176) move from BRAY TOUBIERE to QUINCONCE – railhead to – XV Corps Diary 24 Apr 17 1 pl 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – move from BRAY TOUBIERE to QUINCONCE – railhead – XV Corps Diary 25 Apr 17 Det 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – (1 & 50) move from QUINCONCHE to LONGAVESNES – 52 Sqn RFC – XV Corps Diary 2 May 17 10 Coy Devons (175 Coy) – PERONNE railhead – 4th Army Diary 6 May 17 10 Coy Devon (175 Coy) – 30 ORs move from QUINCONCE to NURLU – ammo – XV Corps Diary 6 May 17 Det 10 Devon Coy (175 Coy) 50 Gp – 30 ORs move from QUINCONCE to NURLU –  ammo – XIV Corps Diary 21 May 17 175 Coy – 50 Gp 31 ORs rejoin HQ at QUINCONCE from 51st Airline MOISLAINS Det 175 Coy – 20 ORs move from QUINCONCE to MANANCOURT – 238 AT Coy on water points – XV Corps Diary 21 May 17 Det 175 Coy – 21 ORs join HQ at QUINCONCE from MOISLAINS Det 175 Coy – 20 ORs move from QUINCONCE to MANANCOURT  - working on water points  – XIV Corps Diary 23 May 17 14 Coy serving (47 Gp),  42 Coy (48 Gp) railhead work,  175 Coy (47 Gp) mentioned – III Corps Diary 2 Jun 17 Det 175 Coy – move NURLU to QUINCONCE – 4th Army Diary 6 Jun 17 Det 175 Coy – move QUINCONCE to LA CHAPELLETTE – railhead – 4th Army Diary 9 Jun 17 Tos FINO (48 Gp) with dets at HEUDICOURT & METZ – Lt rail & roads 26 Jun 17 1 (UP) Ind Coy - serving QUINCONCE - smallpox outbreak – III Corps Diary 175 Coy - to replace the Indians on the railhead 1 Jul 17 3 pls move to QUINCONE – 48 Gp Diary 26 Jun 17 Replaces 1 (UP) Ind Coy at QUINCONCE railhead because of a Small PoX outbreak - III Corps Diary 9 Jul 17 Tos 47 Gp – 47 Gp Diary 13 Aug 17 Sos to 69 Gp – 47 Gp Diary 21 Sep 17 Tos HAUTE ALLAINS (47 Gp) from 69 Gp.  Dets at NURLU, HEDECOURT, TINCOURT & VILLERS FAUCON – Hutting & CE roads – 47 Gp Diary 1 Oct 17 Tos HAMEL (49 Gp).  HQ & 1 ½ pls on ammo railhead and dets at NURLU on Hutting and VILLERS FAUCON & HEUDECOURT on water pipes – 49 Gp Diary 17 Oct 18 175 Coy – pipework and water supply – XIII Corps Diary 19 Oct 17 89 ORs – tos from Depot 27 Oct 17 Location HAMEL closed and moved to ROISEL railhead – 29 Gp Diary 2 Dec 17 175 Coy – 49 Gp HAMEL ammo dump.  Men do not appear to be pulling their weight – this requires immediate attention. – VII Corps Diary 18 Dec 17 69 Gp – 34?, 44, 88, 156, 175, 199 & 200 Coys – VII Corps Diary 18 Dec 17 175 Coy – ROISEL  railheads sos to 5th Army – 3rd Army Diary 31 Dec 17 VII Corps.  (11 white, 4 Indian, 2 Area) – 5th Army Diary 53 Gp (TEMPLEUX-LA-FOSSE) – 15, 44, 58, 88, 163, 175 & 734 Coys 26 Jan 18 175 Coy – move from NURLU to VILLERS FANCON – VII Corps Diary 31 Jan 18 VII Corps.  (11 white, 3 Indian, 1 Area) – 5th Army Diary 53 Gp (TEMPLEUX-LA-FOSSE) – 15, 49, 175 & 734 Coys                                     21 (UP), 31 (Bihar) & 73 (Kumaons) Ind Coys 28 Feb 18 VII Corps.  (19 white, 2 Indian, 1 Area) - 5th Army Diary 53 Gp (TEMPLEUX-LA-FOSSE) – 15, 44, 49, 85, 105, 171 & 175 Coys                                                          734 Area Coy 6 Apr 18 Following tos from VII Corps: – ANZAC Corps Diary 53 Gp – 15, 44, 85, 105 & 175 Coys and 743 Area Coy 23 Apr 18 5 Gp – tos to relieve 53 Gp (15, 44, 85, 105 & 175 Coys and 743 Area Coy) – ANZAC Corps Diary 11 May 18 Tos 35 Gp (III Corps) – defences – III Corps Diary 175 & 713 Coys tos for defence work 13 May 18 175 Coy – sos to III Corps – ANZAC Corps Diary 18 Jun 18 Fighting platoon of 104 NCOs & men  formed – III Corps Diary 29 Jul 18 XIII Corps: (13 white, 1 CLC, 1 Area) – 5th Army Diary 69 Gp (BOIS DE MARQUET) – 17, 71, 79, 162, 175 & 186 Coys and 71 Coy CLC 24 Sep 18 175 Coy – tos 63 Gp – ANZAC Corps Diary 28 Nov 18 Tos MAUROIS from 4th Army – 3rd Army Diary

 

[MaxD]

Sir

 

I was hoping against hope that you would be able to help as I had seen your replies to similar queries. I am very grateful indeed and shall lose no time in passing this comprehensive detail on to the gentleman whose relative served in both these companies following his first stint in 12 Bn DCLI..

 

Thank you for taking the time to lay this all out, I am truly grateful.

 

Max

[themonsstar]

No Problem Max glad to help