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Chinese Labour Corps – a Force Reference to These Men

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Chinese Labour Corps – a Force Reference to These Men Almost Forgotten As we commemorate the TIME TO REMEMBER centenary of the First World Despite there being over 40,000 War, almost forgotten stories First World War Memorials in The are emerging. The story of the Britian, not one includes any Chinese Labour Corps – a force reference to these men. Almost Chinese Labour Corps of 96,000 volunteers – is one forgotten, it is now time to such story. remember. 1916-1920 The contribution of these men Join us in our camaign for a has routinely been overlooked or national memorial to these Three weeks before the end of WWI the world’s largest painting opened relegated to a footnote in history. men. Visit our website or follow to the public in Paris. Called Panthéon de la Guerre, it was begun in us on Facebook or Twitter 1914, and depicted France victorious, surrounded by all her allies. But These men deserve better, and in 1917, with the painting almost complete, the United States entered our nation’s promise never to the war. forget should apply to them as to ww1clc any other. For the Americans to be included in the painting, the artists had no choice www.EnsuringWeRemember.org.uk but to paint over an existing scene. In what is to become an apt analogy A Startegc Partnership actively working with a diverse range of of their fete, the Chinese Labour Corps are painted out. But who were the organisations to inspire, to educate, and to ensure that the men of Chinese Labour Corps, and why were they in France? the Chinese Labour Corps are remembered once more. China at the outbreak of War the return Shandong after the torpedoed by a German unloaded ships and trains, built At the outbreak of War China war. submarine with a loss of 543 roads, laid railway tracks. They was in chaos. Over 2,000 years Chinese lives. The Chinese were kept on after the war to of Dynastic rule had been China Offers Labour government declares war with do some of the most dangerous overthrown by a revolution just The Chinese government, offers Germany on August 14, 1917. and gruesome work, namely three years previously, and a non-combatant labourers to recovering live ordnance and replacement system remained assist in the war effort.The French Contractual Terms exhuming the dead, moving the elusive. signed an agreement with the The Chinese workers were bodies and burying them in the Chinese government for 50,000 contracted for 3 years, and had numerous war cemeteries. The Shandong Issue labourers. to work 10 hours a day, 7 days Despite declaring its neutrality, a week. They would have 3 days The Ultimate Sacrifice China was dragged into the The British had an open-ended holiday a year - one for Chinese The number of Chinese who war when Britain’s ally, Japan, agreement, but final records show New Year, one for the Dragon were killed during the first world invaded and took German- that 94,574 Chinese volunteer Boat Festival and one for the war is a subject of debate. controlled Shandong province. labourers were recruited and Mid-Autumn Festival. When Buried or commemorated in transported to France. not working the labourers were Commonwealth War Graves are China Sides with the Allies It is the transportation of Chinese confined to camp. around 2,000. Some Chinese But in January 1915, China labourers to the Western Front sources put the figure at 20,000. decided it was in her interest which directly leads to China The work undertaken by the Almost certainly, both are likely to to assist the Allies, despite declaring war: on February 17, Chinese Labour Corps was be wrong by some margin, and widespread belief in China that 1917, the French ship Athos, extremely diverse. From digging the truth is, we will never know. Germany would win the war. In carrying 900 Chinese labourers trenches to repairing tanks. They doing so, Britain promises China recruited by the French, was Chinese Labour Corps at William Head Quarantine Station, Canada, en route to France, 28 March 1918. .
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