29th Middlesex & Labour Corps

[Taters]

Hi All

I have a great uncle who was conscripted aged 37 into 29th Middlesex (Works Btn?) in March 1917, which soon became 6th Labour Corps (he may have slipped into 33rd Middleses which became 5th Labour Corps).

I've read the web pages on the Labour Corps and have a reasonable idea of what they would have got up to in France etc.

But from what I can make out from his service records he never left England, indeed might not even have left London (where he lived).

So what would the 5th or 6th Labour Corps have been doing in England, possibly in London, from March 1917 to August 1919?

My first thought was shifting and organising stores, etc - but surely the Army Service Corps did this?

How would he have spent his two and half years?

Also I can't find a MIC for him - but reading the criteria for medals it appears that if he stayed in England for the war he didnt get any medals? (Which seems a bit rough!)

Many thanks

[Ivor Lee]

Taters

It would depend on whether he was in one of the Works, Employment or Agricultural Companies or at a Command Centre.

Basically -

Works - building and labouring work for the military (possibly likely as he was in the Middlesex Works Battalion)

Employment - work at army bases & in military hospitals

Agricultural - working on farms

Command Centre - supporting the base where men went to when first put in Labour Corps.

What is needed is his Company number - the 5th & 6th Battalions only existed for about a month or so before men were sent to Companies and the battalions disbanded. Mind you Home Service companies did not keep War Diaries so very little on them still remains.

Ivor