Military Labour During The First

Dominion Units

ANZACs

ANZAC troops were paid more than their British counterparts. Because of this only a small number of ANZACs served as labour troops mainly in Australian and New Zealand Employment Companies that supported their Corps.

Bermuda RGA

The Bermuda RGA comprised of black part-time soldiers commanded by white officer. They served in France from June 1916 primarily at ammunition dumps supplying the heavy field guns and howitzers.

They quickly earned a reputation as good workers and as a well-disciplined force. They remained in France serving on the Somme, at Vimy and in the Ypres Salient until they returned to Bermuda in July 1919.

British West Indies Regiment

Initially formed in May 1915 the first contingent arrived in the U.K. in October 1915. In April 1916 three Battalions of the BWIR were moved to Egypt where they were initially used on the lines of communications and not used as fighting troops until July 1917.

BWIR Cap Badge

In August 1916 two Battalions were moved from Egypt to France to be used as labour troops, a further three Battalions arriving during the spring of 1917.

The health of men from the Caribbean suffered during the cold, wet winters and they were moved to Taranto and Faenza in Italy.

In December 1918 a mutiny occurred amongst the BWIR at Taranto and 49 men were arrested an tried, one being sentenced to death before being commuted to twenty years imprisonment.

Canadian

The Canadians formed four Infantry Labour Battalions during the latter part of 1916. In November 1917 two of these Battalions became Canadian Railway Troops and two remained as Labour Troops.

Canadian 4th Labour

4th Canadian Labour Battalion Shoulder Title

In March 1918 the Labour Battalions were renamed Infantry Works Battalions and in September reformed into four Works Companies.

The Canadians also formed nine Employment Companies to support their Corps.

Mention must be made of the Canadian Forestry Corps. Although not a Labour unit and comprising men who were skilled forestry workers the Corps, which operated in both the U.K. and France, was a major employer of both British and foreign labour.

Cape Coloured Labour Battalion

Unlike the South African Native Labour Corps these men were enlisted soldiers. The Battalion, commanded by white South African officers, arrived in France in September 1916.

As enlisted men they remained after the Armistice on general salvage work and horse demobilisation and were not repatriated to July 1919.

Fiji Labour Corps

The Fiji Labour Corps, consisting of 2 officers, 5 N.C.O.s and 96 other ranks arrived in France in July 1917. They were to be excellent workers and in July 1918 became a Corps in their own right. Initially the natives in the Fiji Labour Corps were, like other native labourers, awarded Bronze British War medals but in1922 these were changed to the Silver medal awarded to white soldiers.

Indian Labour Corps

Indian Labour was employed in Mesopotamia from 1916 onwards. When insufficient men volunteered the Indian Government recruited men serving sentences in prisons and created the Indian Jail Labour Corps. Indians continued to be employed in Mesopotamia until the early 1920s.

Men were recruited in India to serve in the Indian Labour Corps in France with the first men arriving in June 1917. Each Indian state recruited their own units so on arrival the British found there were varying restrictions on how they could be used. The length of their contracts also varied, some being for twelve months and some the duration of the war.

There were also problems with officers who had little or no military experience and who had held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, which meant they were too senior to command a labour company.

Almost 50,000 Indians served in France in the ILC although as labour units they were hampered by illness caused by the cold weather and confusion about their terms of their contract.

Maltese Labour Corps

The first contingent of Maltese served in Gallipoli from September to December 1915 where they gained a reputation as good workers.

In September 1916 it was decided to raise a battalion of Maltese to serve in Salonika. Made up of labourers and stevedores it arrived in October serving in Salonika and on the Lines of Communications. A second Battalion arrived in December 1917 and two Employment Companies during 1918. Following the Armistice one of the Employment Companies served in Turkey in Istanbul and in the Black Sea area.

The Maltese Labour Corps also served in Italy. Detachments served at the Taranto docks and Mining Company was used for tunnelling work in the north of the country.

Mauritius Labour Corps

Almost 2,000 men from Mauritius served in Mesopotamia from 1917 onwards. There were a high number of skilled tradesmen amongst their numbers and the Director of Works and the Inland Water Transport department used their skills. They remained in Mesopotamia until November 1919.

South African Native Labour Corps

The SANLC comprised of Black labourers commanded by White South African officers and N.C.O.s. Their contract was for twelve months but this included time training in Africa and on the journey to France. The first contingents arrived in France in November 1916 and were repatriated by the end of 1917.

The South African Government insisted that the men were segregated from other troops and civilians. The men were allowed outside their compounds when accompanied by a white officers or N.C.O.

Over 20,000 natives served in the SANLC in France, over 1,100 dying whilst in service. 607 natives were drowned when their ship the SS Mendi sank in the English Channel in February 1917.

On the insistence of their government natives from South Africa were not awarded medals.

Seychelles Labour Battalion

Formed in 1916 for service in East Africa the men were contracted to work for twelve months. They were badly affected by illness with 341 of the 791 men dying from disease. Only 52 of the casualties are buried in known graves.