17th Labour Corps.

[gratuation]

Can someone help me with this my grandfather was transferred to the 17th Labour coprs on the 4/10/1915 . Does anyone know where they were  based. He was later transfered the the 11th labour corps would this have been the same base as the 17th labour corps

many thanks
G

[MaxD]

I think we need to look a bit more closely at the record.  The Labour Corps as such was not formed until 1917 although there were units with "Labour" in the title before that.  If his record is on line, perhaps you could give a link to it or his name and number?
maxD

[gratuation]

Hello Max hope you are well

I'll email you his service number and details .
G

[MaxD]

OK got it, back soon!

maxD

[newburychap]

Odds are that he was in the  17th Labour Company from  4/10/1915 and then moved, probably with the company, into the Labour Corps in 1917 (11th Labour Company).

Before the creation of the Labour Corps individual regiments had labour companies or labour battalions (seems to have been up to the regiment). There cannot have been many 17th companies - few regiments had that many. The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) are the only ones mentioned in the Army Order creating the Labour Corps.

The 11th Company, Labour Corps was formerly the 3rd Labour Company, Royal Scots Fusiliers - so it doesn't look like he was with a 17th Company when the move to the Labour Corps took place.

[MaxD]

Sorry Newburychap, I should have re-posted.  The poster and I are acquainted from before and I have been looking at this for her direct.

The units were the very early ASC Labour units employed at the docks (in this case at Boulogne) to unload ships and deal with supplies.  They were, in sequence, 4, 17 and 11 Companies with which he stayed from 1914 to Oct 1915 when he went off to become an infantryman in the KRRC (starting a family tradition of service in that regiment).

Best

maxD

[newburychap]

No worries Max.

I have been researching a chap who served in the 81st Coy, Labour Corps and previously in the King's Liverpool Regt - whose 17th Labour Coy became the 81st Coy, Labour Corps. However he seems to have died while serving with the 1st Bn, King's. As a conscript it seems odd that he would go from a role generally reserved for the less fit to a front line unit.

[Liam0]

Hi, apologies for joining this discussion so late. I have a medal engraved "17th Company The Labour Corps, France Belgium Germany, Dieu et mon droit" dated 1916 to 1919. I hope this helps, it has been difficult for me to find any info on this medal and from what i understand Labour Corps medals are unheard of & this may be a rare only known one in existence. Any info regarding this medal & 17th Company would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[MaxD]

It has the look of a local/unofficial medallion struck by the company themselves as a memento of their service.  It is not an official medal.

The dates produce a difficulty.  The Labour Corps was not formed as such until early 1917 onward so the exact title 17 Company Labour Corps didn't exist until then.  Prior to that date as Newbury chap has mentioned there was 17th Infantry Labour Corps Company King's Liverpool which became 81st Company Labour Corps and 17th Infantry Labour Company Queens which became 125th Company Labour Corps.  17th Company Labour Corps from May 1917 came out of 12th Infantry Labour Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.  So either before or after May 1917 the dates don't entirely fit.  There is no war diary for a unit with that name.  The company that started this thread was an ASC Labour Company not Labour Corps.

That said, as a memento, the designer was at liberty to put whatever dates he wanted to commemorate comrades who laboured together.

Hopefully someone will recognise the medallion.  You may wish to contact the Royal Logistic Corps museum who may have such an artefact, 
https://www.royallogisticcorps.co.uk/museum/

MaxD