? Labour Corps

[JulianB]

I've just received information about a soldier who enlisted in the HAC but seems to have transferred to

'685th (H.S.) Emp Co. Lab Co No 2666'

Could some kind soul tell me what sort of unit this was.

thanks

Julian

[eltoro1960]

The Labour Corps is basically a logistical corps responsible for the fetching and carrying of any material required to keep the Army in the field. They also undertook general labouring for any task they me allocated. The ranks of the Labour Corps contained may men transferred from other units who were not deemed fit enough to do 'Frontline Soldiering' , but strikes me as strange they then had them doing hard manual graft. Here is a 1916 quote

The pressure for an ever-increasing supply of labour resulted in 1916 in the reclassification of men who had been medically graded as unfit for active service in the Front Line. These men were drafted into Infantry Labour Battalions. Additionally, following the promulgation of the Military Service Act in March 1916, Conscientious Objectors were inducted into Non-combatant Companies for deployment as general labour in military establishments.

[mhifle]

I think it stands for 685th (Home Service) Employment Company, Labour Corps.

Mark

I've just received information about a soldier who enlisted in the HAC but seems to have transferred to

'685th (H.S.) Emp Co. Lab Co No 2666'

Could some kind soul tell me what sort of unit this was.

thanks

Julian

[mhifle]

I think they would have been a home based (UK) farm labouring unit.

Mark

I think it stands for 685th (Home Service) Employment Company, Labour Corps.

Mark

[JulianB]

Thank you asll very much. Home service certainly makes sense as the chap does not appear on the MIC.

Incidentally his number was 209469, would this be a Lab C number or HAC - into which he had apparently enlisted. He was obviously transferred from them to the LC at some tiome foir an as yet unspecified reason - sickness, infiormity - he was only 18 in 1916 !!?

Julian