ASC / Labour Corps

[Keith D]

Hi. I'm a newbie here, so please excuse me if I have posted to the wrong forum!

I recently found out that my Gt. Grandfather ( he was in the Boer war, before leaving the army around the time of my Granmothers birth in 1901 - or thereabouts ) re enlisted about 1915 in the Enniskillen Fusiliers. The family in Canada who new him ( He emigrated there in 1927, after re marrying in 1907, and went on to have a smaller second family ) say that although he didn't talk much about the war, he did say that he was a cook. Being that he was other ranks, not much detail about him is available, but I have managed to find that he had 3 service numbers, the first being the Fusiliers, then the ASC then the Labour Corps. Although I have no evidence to support my theory, I get the feeling that he may have stayed on in the army beyond the end of the war, which brings me to my question, when were the ASC and the Labour Corps formed? Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[ralphjd]

Keith, I think I am correct in the fact that the Labour Corps was a War raised unit ie 1914-1918 and the ASC formed well before. Ralph.

[Keith D]

Hi Ralph. many thanks for the info. Its something I have no idea about, and doesn't seem to get much of a mention anywhere! Thanks!

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Keith

The Army Service Corps (ASC) was formed late in the 19th Century but its predecessors such as the Royal Waggon Train go back much earlier. Its role was to provide supply and transport services.

The Labour Corps was formed in April 1917, mainly from men of lower medical categories, to work mainly in the rear areas, but some labour companies ASC were formed earlier than that, for the same duties, and I suspect that this is what happened to your man, possibly after being wounded.

Incidentally, although Enniskillen is the name of the town in Ireland where they were raised, the regiment was actually called the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

You will find more information to help you on The Long, Long Trail website. There is a link from the top left corner of this page.

Ron

[Keith D]

Hi Ron. Many thanks for the info. It does sound like some medical condition may indeed have been in play here. Unfortunately, even his grandchildren ( now in their 70's themselves ) don't have a lot of information on his role, save that they remember him saying he was a cook. man I'd love to have had 15mins of a chat with him! Many thanks!

[truthergw]

The Labour Corps guru on the forum is Ivor Lee. When the Corps was formed in 1917, it was based on what had been Labour Battalions from the infantry regiments. There was also a large number of tradesmen and skilled men transferred from service corps and infantry to provide the necessary skills and NCOs.

[Ivor Lee]

Keith

Just back from holiday and slowly catching up.

It may be posible to identify his Company from his regimental numbers so it would be helpful if you could add them to the posting.

Ivor

[delta]

Can you let us have his details and three service numbers

Stephen

[Keith D]

Hi all. Sorry for the delay in replying (in the middle of moving!) I will indeed post his numbers as soon as I can find them. I am HOPING that they aren't packed and shipped already, but as soon as I find them I'll post them. Many thanks!

[Keith D]

Hi again.

I have consulted the C/O (AKA The Wife!) and I have been told that the info has been packed and shipped Sadly, it will probably be the best part of 2 months now until I get access to it, but some info to be going on with is that his name was William James Kirk. Now, I have seen a picture ( although I don't know who in the family has the item) of his identity bracelet. I know that it is a UVF ID bracelet, and have been told that bracelets were issued in the earlier stages of the war before being replaced by the more familiar neck tags, but I stand to be corrected on this. Working on memory, I believe he was initially, at least, in the 9th Inniskillen Fusiliers, but as I said, this is only what I can remember from the info I gathered. Not much for you to read, but a little something to be going on with until I get access the info again!

[Ivor Lee]

Keith

From you information it looks like he was

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11207

Army Service Corps 660878

Labour Corps 498771

His Labour Corps number is in a group of men from Irish regiments transferred to the Labour Corps

It suggests he was transferred to the Corps around December 1917 and into a UK based company. I cannot be 100% certain but think it likely he was, initially at least, in 468 Company. 468 was an Employment Company stationed at Blairgowrie in Perthshire. Blairgowrie was the location of the Scottish Command of the Labour Corps so he could have been in this Company to help service the Command centre or in it before being sent to another Company.

The problem is the UK based companies did not keep Diaries and there are no surviving records of transfers to other companies.

Ivor

[Keith D]

Hi Ivor.

You are bang on the money with the serial numbers. You are right in what you say about lack of info / Diaries. I visited the fusiliers museum a couple of years back to try and glean some info, but the best that I could find was a copy of the regimental diary. As I don't believe him to have been wounded, and given that he was "Other ranks" there is little more that I am able to find out about him in detail, and sadly (like most of these old fellows) he rarely ever talked about the war to his family, now it seems that any info there was, has been taken by him! Many thanks!

[Keith D]

If this is attached correctly, this should be a copy of W J Kirks service record. Maybe anyone who knows about such things can glean more info from the numbers written on it.