ALL CONTINENTS PRESENT IN 1917 All continents present in 1917 – Contents Introduction 3 1. ARRIVAL OF THE CHINESE IN 1917 3 1.1 The facts 3 1.2 The Chinese in Poperinge 3 1.3 Places with Chinese connections in Flanders Fields 5 1.4 “China in Poperinge” events 6 2 THE CANADIANS AND THE BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE 6 2.1 The facts 6 2.2 Stories 8 2.3 Things to see related to the presence of the Canadians 9 3 AMERICA JOINS THE WAR 10 3.1 Declaration of war 10 3.2 American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Belgium 12 3.3 Stories 13 3.4 Things to see 20 3.5 Did you know? 23 4 THE AUSTRALIANS 25 4.1 The facts 25 4.2 The Battle of Messines 26 4.3 The Battle of Passchendaele 26 5 THE NEW ZEALANDERS 30 5.1 The facts 30 5.2 The Battle of Messines 31 5.3 The Battle of Passchendaele 31 6 MORE INFORMATION 36 6.1 Websites 36 6.2 Pictures 36 6.3 Interviews 36 6.4 Visit Flanders contacts 37 6.5 Sources 38 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Pagina 2 van 38 INTRODUCTION The great colonial powers dragged just about the whole world into the Great War. All five continents found themselves involved in an unprecedented bloodbath. From all directions, peoples and cultures were brought to the battlefields of Europe. People from all over the world were deployed as workers, as shock troops, and as cannon fodder. The British recruited troops from their Dominions. Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, and Indian troops were sent to the Western Front. It was soldiers from the first three of those, above all, that were deployed at the Ypres Salient. The French recruited from their colonies in West Africa. In Flanders Fields, Africans were mainly to be seen in the early years of the war. In 1917, the United States of America also became involved in the First World War. President Wilson had avoided being sucked into the conflict for as long as possible, but events in 1917 forced the US to take a stand. In this pack, we take a more detailed look at the significance of the different population groups present in 1917. 1. ARRIVAL OF THE CHINESE IN 1917 1.1 The facts In sending workers to the Western Front, the Chinese Republic, founded in 1911, had two objectives in mind. It hoped that its participation would convince the European powers that China was, once and for all, on its way to becoming a modern nation and that it would in future abide by the international rules of the game and could be a reliable partner. In addition, the Chinese authorities hoped to secure a place at the post-war peace conference, at which the future of the German concessions in China would be decided. China’s rival Japan had already, at the outbreak of the war, invoked its military alliance with the United Kingdom and occupied the strategically important German concessions on the northern Chinese peninsula of Shandong. As early as June 1915, the Chinese government had offered to send Chinese workers to Europe to help the Allies. The British government originally rejected the proposal, but changed its mind in the autumn of 1916, when the heavy losses at the Somme led to an acute shortage of labour. Practical considerations led the British to concentrate their recruiting for the Chinese Labour Corps in Weihaiwei and, later, Qingdao, two concessions on the northern peninsula of Shandong. The conditions were attractive enough to motivate many tens of thousands, most of them poor peasants, to travel to Europe. 1.2 The Chinese in Poperinge //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Pagina 3 van 38 In July 1917 the first Chinese arrived in Poperinge, the hub of the logistics sector, where they were housed in separate labour camps set up on the outskirts of the town. The Chinese were a specific group within the British Labour Corps. They were deployed for the loading of ammunition and goods trains in the sorting station, for the building of roads, and in ammunition depots. Their contracts were not terminated when the war came to an end: they would remain active in the Flanders Fields (Westhoek) district until 1919, helping to clear the battlefields, to dismantle railway lines, and to dig up and remove bodies. The arrival of the Chinese labourers was a culture shock for the inhabitants of Poperinge. The Chinese stayed in the camps but also came into town to do their shopping. The perception was negative. The Chinese were considered uncouth, dirty, and loud; they were seen as thieves and even murderers. The local accounts of the time were coloured by that perception: “The Chinks were nasty and dirty. You had to make sure to stay well away from them or the lice would jump onto you. They were full of lice, as big as peas, like pigs' lice. We were scared of the Chinks. When we mocked them, they chased us.” (André Room, a Poperinge local, in the book De Allerlaatste Getuigen, Philip Vanoutrive, 2010) “They are strange and very childish, no better than our 10- or 11-year-old boys. Their favourite activity is to stare at the shop windows, preferably sweet and fruit shops, and when they see something they like, they go into the shop, at least ten of them at the same time, ask the price of everything, and if they feel like buying something, they are very suspicious that they might be taken advantage of.” (Van Walleghem diary, August 1917) “The Chinese came after the war, to collect everything and to dismantle the railway. We called them the Chinks. When they had to lift a rail, they were all packed very closely together. Shouting. Making noise. You could hear them a mile away. They went through the region to collect anything they could get. There was a big Chink camp at the Busseboom. There was even a bloody female with them. They didn't know. A female who came along to be with her bloke, maybe. They still found her.” (Theofiel Boudry in Volksboek, p. 316) The Chinese Labour Corps counted 140,000 people. The last repatriation was in September 1920. In all, 1,834 Chinese died on the Western Front and 279 died during the sea crossing, while 32 Chinese were listed as missing. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Pagina 4 van 38 In René Matton’s studio, photographs were taken of workers who were based in Proven. Here, Matton’s son Maurice is portrayed in a playful way. It is not clear what the text in front of Maurice means. The board to the right, in semi-literary Chinese, identifies the man as No. 19693 Song Xiufeng.. @ René Matton 1.3 Places with Chinese connections in Flanders Fields 1.3.1 Chinese graves A total of 85 Chinese workers are buried in the WWI Commonwealth cemeteries in Flanders. The largest concentration of Chinese graves in Flanders is at Lijssenthoek cemetery, where 35 members of the Chinese Labour Corps are buried. The cemetery was situated next to the hospital at Remy Siding. Chinese workers were also treated in this hospital. Their numbers increased in the spring of 1919 and at certain times the numbers of Chinese patients peaked at 150, most of whom were suffering from the Spanish flu. www.lijssenthoek.be Other cemeteries where Chinese labourers were buried are: Reninghelst New Military Cemetery: 7 graves Mendighem Military Cemetery: 8 graves Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery: 4 graves Gwalia Cemetery: 4 graves Poperinge New Military Cemetery: 1 grave Poperinge Old Military Cemetery: 1 grave 1.3.2 The thirteen of Busseboom memorial On 15 November 1917, thirteen Chinese labourers lost their lives in a direct shell hit on the camp in Busseboom (Poperinge). They were buried near the Roobaertbeek stream; later, their bodies were exhumed and transferred to Bailleul. Research into those thirteen Chinese workers has yielded not only their names, but also contact with the families in China. On 15 November 2017, a memorial will be unveiled at Busseboom to remember the fallen labourers. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Pagina 5 van 38 Location: at the corner of St-Jansstraat and Visserijmolenstraat 1.4 “China in Poperinge” events 1.4.1 Exhibition: “Hail to the work” China in Poperinge’ tells the story of the Chinese presence in Poperinge from 1917 onwards, recounting how the presence of the Chinese was met with prejudice and revealing how people interacted with a foreign culture. In 2017, the world has become globalised – but has our perception changed? Contemporary artists (Stephan Vanfleteren, Sanne Dewilde, Lieselotte Vandamme) try to find an answer to this question. A special app takes you to several places that feature a Chinese tale. www.poperinge14-18.be Location: the Hospital Chapel, Poperinge Dates: 1 July 2017 – 17 September 2017 1.4.2 “China Back in Town” Festival In the first weekend of September 2017, Poperinge will be completely immersed in a Chinese atmosphere. “China Back in Town” is a festival that encourages a positive perception: dragons in the streets of Poperinge, a real Chinese buffet, lanterns and tea houses, music, song and dance, calligraphy workshops, and more. Poperinge is cooperating on this programme with the Bruges-based Howest Confuciusinstituut, Centre for Chinese Language and Culture. 2 THE CANADIANS AND THE BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE 2.1 The facts 2.1.1 Canada as a British Dominion On 1 July 1867, the British Parliament approved the Canadian Confederation. As a result, Canada became a Dominion of the British Commonwealth. Newfoundland became a British Dominion in 1907. Dominions independently managed all their domestic affairs. For matters involving foreign affairs and defence, they remained dependent on the British motherland.