Labour Corps

[wesmo]

My grandfather was a corporal in 340, 301, 371 and 397 companies of the Labour Corps during 1917-18.

Lieutenant Colonel Starling very kindly provided me with some useful info about these units. Does anybody else know anything about them? I realise records and books on the Labour Corps are very few and far between but anything would be of interest.

Many thanks,

Wesmo

[Armoured Farmer]

This isn't much, but the parent site has this page: -

http://www.1914-1918.net/labour.htm

[Graham Stewart]

I'll be putting the cat among the pigeons here as none of those units appear in the Order of Battle for France & Flanders, November 1918, so is it possible they were all Home Service units?

For instance my sources show a 301st Depot Labour Company, which was formerly the Eastern Command Depot Labour Company.

340th(Home Service)Labour Company was one of 18 new Labour Companies formed from the Infantry Works Companies of the Middlesex Regt.

Unfortunately I have no record of 371st & 397th Labour Companies, but suspect they were also H.S. Companies, unless someone knows otherwise.

By the way what was his regimental number?

Graham.

[themonsstar]

Hi Wesmo

This may be the same as John give you,

301 Road Construction Coy R.E.: 19th May 1917 Tos 47Gp (Gp HQ at Proyart). 47Gp War Diary.

8th June 1917 Sos to 49Gp. 47Gp war Diary.

9th June 1917 Tos 49Gp (Gp HQ at Catlet). 49Gp War Diary.

301 PW Coy.: 30th Oct 1918, 12 PW Coys Formed 297-308 Coys. GHQ War Diary.

30th Nov 1918, Tos 3rd Army Albert from L.O.C. 3rd Army war Diary.

30th Nov 1918, 301 Coy was transferred to Lab Commd, Amiens when V Corps moved

forward, they will be admin by CO 53rd Gp. V Corps War Diary.

340 PW Coy: 24 Oct 1918= 10 PW Coys formed 339-348 Coys. GHQ War Diary.

371 PW Coy: Formed Nov 1918 28th Dec 1918, 371-372 PW Coys serving 62Gp. Anzac War Diary.

397 PW Coy: 30th April 1919, 396-397 PW Coys Tos, Boitry Notre Dame from UK. 1st Army Diary.

Hope this helps you

[wesmo]

Many thanks for the info. Yes, I think they were all Home Service units.

My grandfather Herbert Howard was 180819.

Wesmo

[Graham Stewart]

Wesmo,

Am I pleased about that. His number 180819 was one of a block of numbers issued to lads serving with 340th(Home Service)Labour Company, Labour Corps formed from the Infantry Labour Companies, Middlesex Regt in 1917. They were numbered 180641-180940.

Graham.

[wesmo]

Thanks for the reply Graham.

Herbert Howard joined up in Norwich April 3, 1917. Does his number give any clue as to where he might have gone as part of 340 Company?

Wes

[wesmo]

Most of the Labour Corps units my grandfather was part of were described as "labour" companies, but one (397) was an "employment company". Can anybody tell me the difference between these companies please?

Thanks,

Wes

[Graham Stewart]

Wes,

Sorry his number can't tell you anything about his movements, all of that sort of information will be on his service records, but considering he has remained with L.C. units his number would have gone with him. Now I know it's a long shot, but it may be worth having a trawl through the burnt and unburnt series of records at Kew, which would show dates of movement from one unit to another, if they've survived.

Also have to confess that I'm not sure about the differences but think a Labour Company was more manual i.e. road making, trench construction and so on. The 397th were probably a Home Service Area Employment Company, although what that entailed I couldn't say.

Graham.

[wesmo]

Thanks Graham, with the Labour Corps every snippet of information is valuable.

Wes