The Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) was a group of Chinese workers who were recruited and sent primarily to the Western Front during World War One.
Their role was to support the Allied forces, particularly the British and the French. They came predominantly from the poorer, rural regions of China, such as Shandong and other parts of Eastern and North Eastern China.
The French did their own recruitment of Chinese labourers. These people were not part of the CLC, a labour corps belonging to the British. However, the term CLC is commonly used to encompass both the British and the French groups.
As the high number of casualties continued to climb, France and Britain were facing issues with manpower. The idea was to free up troops from manual labour and noncombatant roles so they could go to the front line; so an alternative source of manpower was required.
It is thought that around 140,000 went to Europe to assist the Allies, mostly to France and the Western Front, although some were put to work at ports and in factories. Driven my political uncertainties and poverty, many people were eager to enrol.
Because of global political at the time, the Chinese were not put onto the front lines. Their roles behind the front lines were, however, very diverse. Their jobs included:
• Building and repairing roads and railways
• Carrying munitions and supplies to the front lines
• Cleaning and repairing military equipment and vehicles
• Clearing the battlefields
• Digging and maintaining trenches
• Handling supplies, including ammunition, food, and medical equipment
• Laying barbed wire and building fortifications
• Loading and unloading supply ships
• Mine clearance
• Operating horse-drawn transport carts
• Reburying the dead in war graves
• Repairing and refurbishing tanks
They were promised good wages, food, and the chance to support the war effort, although this sounded more appealing than the harsh reality of it all.
Despite being employed for non-combatant duties, many of them faced hazardous conditions and some even ended up in active conflict zones. One example is being ordered to repair a runway whilst it was being bombed as allied planes were expected to land at any moment. Clearing unexploded ordinance from battlefields was also something they were employed to do.
Like many in war, they lived in camps that were often poorly equipped and overcrowded. Many died from disease, malnutrition, and accidents. Several thousand died from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, and hundreds more getting from Asia to Europe.
They also faced racial discrimination from both their employers and soldiers.