Home > Army Organisation > Infantry > The provision of manual labour and the Labour Corps
 

Although the Armies were able to use some railways, steam engines and tracked vehicles for haulage, the immense effort of building and maintaining roads, railways, buildings, telegraph and telephone systems, etc and also for moving stores relied on horse and human. In August 1914 there was no formed body of troops specifically designed for this task. In common with the rest of the Army, the labour units expanded hugely and became increasingly well-organised. However, despite adding large numbers of men from India, Egypt, China and elsewhere, there were never enough men to do all the labouring work required even though the totals men engaged at the end of the war approximated 700,000 in the labour units alone. In many cases the men of the infantry, artillery, Army Service Corps and other units were forced to give up time to hard effort when perhaps training or rest might have been a more effective option.

 

According to the Official History: "..although some labour units were raised and eventually labourers from various parts of the Empire and China were brought to France, the numbers were never at any period sufficient for the demands of a great army operating in a friendly country".

 

Transport and the lines of communication were the largest areas in which labour was needed. For example at the date of the Armistice, 41,000 men were engaged in labour on the roads behind the Western Front, 29,000 were on railway construction, 11,000 in the docks and 8,000 on other duties associated with transportation, making 89,000 men in all.

   
ASC Labour Companies In France and Flanders, it was soon discovered that the local authorities could not supply men for labouring duties such as helping the BEF disembark it's stores and equipment from ships. The War Office sent 300 labourers for these duties. More followed, and by the end of December 1914 they had been formed into 5 Labour Companies of the ASC; each consisting of 6 officers and 530 other ranks. Numbers 1 and 2 Labour Companies were formed at Aldershot on 24-25 August 1914. A number of Foremen and Gangers were recruited in the early weeks, to act as NCOs. Approximately 21,000 skilled labourers and dock workers had joined by the end of 1915. However, the Companies were not destined to remain for long: 28 were absorbed into the newly-created Labour Corps between February and June 1917; 8 Companies were disbanded between January 1915 and June 1917, with personnel from 3 Companies being transferred to the Royal Marines.
   
ASC Railway Labour Companies The first specialised railway labour company was formed in January 1915, doubling to two in October 1915. They eventually took the numbers 33 and 34 Railway Labour Companies. Detachments were based at Le Havre, Bailleul, Steenwerck, Caestre and Strazeele.
   
RE Labour Battalions The Royal Engineers raised 11 battalions consisting of navvies and tradesmen and semi-skilled men who could be released from munitions production work, for use in construction of rear lines of defence and other works. The first of these units began to arrive in France in August 1915. 30th Labour Battalion RE was allotted permanently to transport work; it was eventually converted into 3 railway construction companies and 1 wagon erecting company.
Pioneer Battalions An early solution to the vast demand for labour was to create in each infantry Division a battalion that would be trained and capable of fighting as infantry, but that would normally be engaged on labouring work. They were given the name of Pioneers. They differed from normal infantry in that they would be composed of a mixture of men who were experienced with picks and shovels (i.e. miners, road men, etc) and some who had skilled trades (smiths, carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, masons, tinsmiths, engine drivers and fitters). A Pioneer battalion would also carry a range of technical stores that infantry would not. This type of battalion came into being with an Army Order in December 1914.
   
Infantry Labour Battalions In early 1916, a number of infantry battalions composed of men who were medically graded unfit for the fighting were formed for labouring work. They had only 2 officers per battalion. 12 such battalions existed in June 1916.
Non-Combatant Companies After the passing of the Military Service Act in March 1916, it was decided to form a Non-Combatant corps of conscientious objectors for work on roads, hutments, timber work, quarrying, sanitary duties, and handling supplies. 8 Companies existed by the middle of June 1916.
Indian, Chinese and other labour from overseas

With the shortage of manpower for labouring work continuing, Sir Douglas Haig requested an increase in the force of an additional 21,000 men. This demand was filled by importing men from China (where the British followed a French lead and signed an agreement with the Chinese for a supply of men), India, South Africa, Egypt and other places within the British Empire. Demand continued and by the wars end a total of approximately 300,000 such workers had been engaged, of which 193,500 were in France and Flanders. By the end of 1917 there were 50,000 Chinese workers in France, rising to 96,000 by August 1918 (with another 30,000 working for the French). 100,000 Egyptians were working in France and the Middle East, alongside 21,000 Indians and 20,000 South Africans, who were also in East Africa. They were kept on lines of communication and other work well behind the fighting line, and as a force were rather immobile due to the decisions to segregate them - many of these workers were black - and provide special camps. Indian labourers were more often used closer to the front lines, on fortification work. Many Indians were also used in Divisional Ammunition Column work, as drivers as well as in the manual tasks.

The South African Native Labour Corps came to France early in 1917, and eestablished a base at Arques-la-Bataille.
Women's Auxiliary Army Corps Formed in March 1917, after a proposal by the Army Council was welcomed by Sir Douglas Haig. Women would be used on the Lines of Communication and at GHQ, on tasks that did not require heavy labour. Initially called the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs), they eventually took the formal title of Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps. The women enlisted for a year or duration, whichever was longer. They were used on a wide variety of tasks, principally in clerical, canteen, motor transport, storehouses and telephone and postal roles. Approximately 10,000 WAACs saw service, most in France and Flanders.
Labour Corps Formed in January 1917, the Corps grew hugely and by the end of the war numbered some 389,900 men (more than 10% of the total size of the Army). Of this total, around 175,000 were working in the United Kingdom and the rest in the theatres of war. Labour Corps units were often deployed for work within range of the enemy guns, sometimes for lengthy periods. In April 1917, a number of infantry battalions were transferred to the Corps. The Labour Corps absorbed 28 ASC Labour Companies then in existence between February and June 1917. In the crises of March and April 1918 on the Western Front, Labour Corps units were used as emergency infantry. The Corps always suffered from lack of transport, many inexperienced officers and troops of low physical grade.
Entrenching Battalions Formed from the small surplus of men left after the break-up of many infantry battalions in early 1918, and the re-allocation of their strength to bring other units up to establishment. Men were all regarded as fit and ready to replace losses in fighting units at any time.
POW Companies Until mid-1916, German prisoners were sent to England. From this time onward, prisoners were initially sent to Abbeville. Men with useful skills, notably forestry and engineering, were drafted into companies of about 100 men each, for use in POW Forestry Companies and ASC and RE workshops, respectively. 47 such POW labour companies were attached to the Labour Corps when it was formed.
Employment Companies Formed in 1917 for salvage work, absorbing the Divisional Salvage Companies.