Middlesex Regiment Aliens

[silaswall]

The 1st Infantry Labour Corps of this regiment appears to  have been formed on 6th March 1917. The unit seems to have left for France about that time. On 17th January 1918 it is recorded in Hansard that a question was raised in the House of Commons about the dreadful conditions these men were enduring in France. Does anyone know the movements of the corps? What tasks were they were carrying out? What were the dreadful conditions that marked them out from what other troops were experiencing?

Also, the man we are researching who transferred into this corps received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. As he was born in Danzig he was classed as an alien. Therefore his medal card does not mention a Theatre of War. So, does anyone know how he may have qualified for the Victory Medal?
Thank you

[jim1]

The 1st Infantry Labour Corps of this regiment appears to  have been formed on 6th March 1917

Where has this come from?
Do you mean he was in the Mddx. Regt. (possibly 1st. Batt.) & transferred to the Labour Corps 1917.
Or he was in the 1st. Pioneer Batt. formed 1915.
Or he may have originally been in the 29th. or 33rd. Batts. (formed 1916) Mddx. Regt.  both of which transferred to the Labour Corps in 1917 & formed the 5th. & 6th. Batt. Labour Corps resp.
If he received the BW & Victory Medals he served in a theatre of war but not necessarily France.
The Labour Corps was made up mainly of men who were not A1 fit. Many may have been originally but deemed unfit for further front line service because of injury or illness & as such the Labour Corps was considered (unfairly) as being a second class Corps. In addition many men of the LB were from the Empire, Indian, Chinese, African etc. which sadly is another reason + conscientious objectors.
The best billets,food & medical attention went to front line soldiers.
What's his name & service no. ?

[silaswall]

According to the Long Long Trail the 1st Infantry Labour Company (Alien) was attached to the Middlesex Regiment. Originally he was in the Middlesex Regiment. Does not seem to be a question of fitness more his origins. At the time he had adopted his wife's surname of Waldie his being Schultz. His medal card says Walter L Waldie, Middlesex Regiment, A/Cpl G/45450. A document on Ancestry gives details of him joining the 1st Infantry Labour Company.

[jim1]

Some info. about the Pioneer Batts. as they were known (pre Labour Corps)
http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/history_main1.htm

[jim1]

Ok I can see what you mean now.
So he was a soldier in the Mddx. Regt. & transferred into the 1st. Labour Coy. (not Corps) because he had German parentage.
According to the info. he went to France March 1917.
The prefix "G" indicates he joined for the "duration of the War"
War-time only enlistments in the 11th - 15th service battalions, the 20th - 22nd Battalions, the 28th - 32nd Battalions and the 1st Garrison (Home Service) Battalion had their numbers prefixed with the letter G/ (or GS/ in some cases).
Looking at other "G" prefixed numbers he appears to have joined in early 1916.
G43141 joined Nov. 1915.

[silaswall]

Thank you. The information about his number is very useful. Sorry I mixed  company and corps.

[jim1]

Looking at others he may have gone in conscripted, probably 32 Batt.

[silaswall]

Thank you