Group 70 Labour Corps. 1917 to 1919.

[ChrisJohnCoops]

maxD. Thanks for links. I do know from my grandfather's service record that he was still on active service in Fontinettes, Calais on the 17 October 1917 obviously by then in the 704 Coy. This was due unfortunately to him being reprimanded for being absent for 50 minutes between 8.30 and 9.20pm while on active service. His War Diary for his 5th Labour Battalion C Company had him in Fontinettes on railway construction and maintenance up until 31st July 1917. The search goes on but this shows a possible  continuing service at the same place.
jim1, I think there was a mixture of a few extra individuals into the 704. I found on the Saltairevillage  world heritage site Role of Honour a Leonard Jolly who was attested on 9th December 1915 ( not 20th August 1915 as was the 5th Battalion) and held on reserve until 16th December 1916 then joined the 704 on 21 August 1917. It is possible maybe that he was called to the 5th Battalion in 1916.
Chris

[MaxD]

Slip of the mouse yesterday, the No 2 Group diary for Feb 17 to end Oct 17 is WO 95/4173-1, sorry.

maxD

[ChrisJohnCoops]

maxD. I am the world's worst at posting errors. I put end of August for the war diaries a couple of posts ago instead of July for the final 5th Battalion entry. As you said you like to see records of 704 etc. I hopefully have added his service record page showing date he was in Fontinettes on 17 October 1917 when he must have been in the 704 Coy misbehaving in some way. Just as proof for you.
Chris

[judav]

Hello Chris
I have recently more or less going along the same lines as yourself.  I have a relative, Thomas Richard Clarke who was in 'A' Company, 5th Labour Battalion RE.  He was transferred to 704 Company, Labour Corps and his Regimental no. was 292030, very close to yours.
It may not help, but I can place mine in Le Treport on 22nd January 1918 as he was admitted to hospital there.
Judy   

[ChrisJohnCoops]

Hello Judy.
You must be psychic. Just today I finished remembering my grandad on the Lives of the First World War web site ready for it being archived by the IWM for future free use by anyone. I did a quick search for anything else about the 704 Company, Labour Corps and sadly found another member of those unsuspecting souls that gathered on Southampton Common in August 1915 to join the 5th Labour Battalion R.E. He was Pioneer C Murrell reg No. 116252 and later reg No. 292199 when amalgamated into the 704 Company Labour Corps. He was killed on the 4th of January 1918 and buried at Grevillers cemetery by the Australian Casualty Clearing Station. They were responsible for burying soldiers from the nearby battle zones so it means your relative, my grandfather and C Murrell were together there on the Somme and probably knew each other. It also means they could well have been there at the start of the second Somme Offensive that started on the 18th of March 1918 and who knows what they were involved in after it started. Some men from the Labour Corps were given rifles and put into the line such was the depleted numbers of men still standing. Keep in touch please.

[judav]

Hello Chris
I think we have much to thank Colonel Swayne for the expressive attention to detail he gave in the War Diary of 5th Labour Battalion.  I have read many diaries, but his I found account quite amazing.  I can't imagine what would have happened if the adjutant and colonel hadn't arrived in the first two days in Southampton. I was so pleased to read that Colonel Swayne was made Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the New Years Honours in 1917.  He deserved it, but I don't whether it was for his efforts during that time. 
As regards, my man, Thomas Richard Clarke.  I found him mentioned twice in the War Diary, quite unusually. The first time, on 24th June 1916, he and another pioneer found a large stone on the level crossing and they were later questioned about it.  The second time was on 5th August when it mentions he was wounded but remained on duty. 
I'm afraid his hospitalisation in Le Treport was the end of his service overseas.  He was sent back and was in hospital in Cedar Lawn Hospital in Hampstead, then discharged.
Happy hunting,
Judy

[ChrisJohnCoops]

Hello Judy.
True what you say about the war Diary, it also applies to the 8th Battalion that came with the download. Looking at the service record of Pioneer Charles Morrell the attached telegram shows he died of abdominal injuries and ends Proelicas which is the code for Battle Casualty. It also gives his unit as 704 Company Labour Corps. He must have been killed near Bapaume to be buried at Grevillers Cemetery on the 4.1.1918 so it means the 704 was either working near the battle zone or had been armed and in the line.
Your man who was hospitalised later would have been ambulances to Le Tréport. The nearest bed that could be found.

[judav]

Hello Chris
I think Thomas Richard Clarke was probably one of the 119 men who moved with one officer to Le Treport prior to 31st October, mentioned by MaxD in an earlier post.  I believe they were working on a railway there.  He fractured a rib, although there is a ? attached in his records. 
Judy

[ChrisJohnCoops]

Hello Judy.
Thanks for that information. MaxD has done a lot of research into army units and has helped me in the past with the 704. I missed the post you refer to. I have just found Frederick Stringer who died from bronchial pneumonia on the 5th of November 1918. He was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery but the telegram to his father ended with - Proelicas Ave - I know it means Battle Casualty but any idea what the Ave, stands for? I have assumed that he was with the 704 on or near a battlefield and was ambulanced to Etaples hospital where he died. Maybe the Ave means that.
Chris