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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The Labour Corps In The Uk


Ivor Lee

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Can I put out a plea for help?

I am anxious to identify the work undertaken in the UK by any of the Home Service Companies of the Labour Corps.

Although I know where each Company was stationed there are no records about the tasks individual companies undertook. So apart from the Agricultural Companies I can only be specific on the work of about 5 out of 200+ companies!

So if anyone, whist undertaking their own reseach comes across any information of this nature please let me know.

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  • 3 weeks later...

For Ivor Lee.

This may be of some interest to you.

Sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster - Labour Corps. soldiers identified.

The R. M. S. Leinster belonged to the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, and carried passengers and mail between Kingstown and Holyhead in Wales. During WW I the Irish Sea was the scene of much U-boat activity and the Germans had made several attempts to sink boats of the mail service before this incident. The mail boats were relatively fast vessels and relied on speed rather than convoy protection to carry them safely across the Irish Sea.

On the 10th October 1918 at approximately 09.45am, the Leinster under the command of Captain William Birch was under way from Dublin to Holyhead Wales, when just outside Dublin Bay and off the Kish Bank, she was attacked by the German submarine UB 123.

The ship was carrying over 700 passengers, about 300 of this number would have been soldiers bound for England and or the Western Front. The ship was torpedoed twice, three minutes apart. The first torpedo struck the Post Office quarters, killing all but one of the Post Office staff.

According to the history of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, 451 lives were lost and only 237 persons were rescued, most of the survivors being taken to hospital in Kingstown.

Labour Corps men on the R.M.S. Leinster who previously served in the R.M.F.

Canavan

Pte. James (50). Reg. No. 498714. Labour Corps. Formerly Reg. No. 4612, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Catherine, 2 John St. Tralee, Co. Kerry. Son of Thomas & Mary, Convent St. Listowel, Co. Kerry. Served in Boer War, India and Gallipoli.

Born Listowel, Co. Kerry. Enlisted Tralee. Commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial.

Coyne

Pte. John (40). Reg. No. 638667. Labour Corps. Formerly Reg. No. 7139, Royal Munster Fusiliers. Bridget O'Farrell (formerly Coyne), Raheen Rd., Tuamgraney, Co. Clare. Born. Carran, Co. Galway. Enlisted. Ennis. Residence at time of enlistment Tuamgraney, Co. Clare. Commemeorated on the Hollybrook Memorial.

Hampton

Pte. Arthur. Reg. No. 336084.

659th H.S. Employment Company, Labour Corps.

Formerly Reg. No. G/156 Royal Munster Fusiliers Born & enlisted Worcester. Buried in Grangegorman cemetery: CE New Plot 757.

I would be interested in learning of other military persons, who lost their lives in this tragedy and not listed on my web page. Thank you in advance.

James O'Sullivan.

My Leinster Web Page.

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Sullivan

Soldiers Died in the Great War lists 208 men died at sea on the date you mention, I suspect many of the men you seek are amongst them.

Officers Died lists Assistant Adminitrator Mary Westwell QMAAC as Died at Sea - Enemy Action on that date. She is buried in Grangegorman cemetery and would seem very likely to have been one of the casualties.

Terr Reeves

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James

You could ask CWGC to produce a print-out of all casualties dying on the Leinster.

Casualties from this incident are listed as dying on the Leinster in their main database (different from that available on the Internet) making it possible to produce such information.

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James

Thank you for your response.

For your information I have managed to identify about 14 other members of the Labour Corps who lost their lives when the Leinster was sunk.

Are you interested in the details of other members of the R Munster Fusiliers who died whilst serving in the Labour Corps? If so let me have your email address and I will send the details to you.

Many thanks

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  • 6 years later...
Can I put out a plea for help?

I am anxious to identify the work undertaken in the UK by any of the Home Service Companies of the Labour Corps.

Although I know where each Company was stationed there are no records about the tasks individual companies undertook. So apart from the Agricultural Companies I can only be specific on the work of about 5 out of 200+ companies!

So if anyone, whist undertaking their own reseach comes across any information of this nature please let me know.

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