Our congratulations to Jordan Paterson and the whole team behind the making of Tricks on the Dead for winning the Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Factual Series category at the Canadian Screen Awards 2016.
China and the Great War: A symposium.
A must for anyone interested in the birth of modern China, the Chinese Labour Corps and the profound legacy of the Great War. Don’t miss this one if you can possibly help it. CHINA AND THE GREAT WAR: A SYMPOSIUM a panel of leading international scholars, archivists, and community activists will address the ways in which …
Artefacts Donated to the Campaign
It seems timely to give a reminder of our policy on artefacts that are donated to the Campaign. Through a partnership with Durham University’s Oriental Museum we have found a wonderful place where any artefacts donated will not only be used for both exhibitions to the general public and as teaching resources for University courses, …
A correction, an apology and a thank you
In our previous blog, Remembering the 543 men of the SS Athos, we made the following assertion: 543 Chinese labourers recruited by the French lost their lives. At this point it was the practice of the French not to record names of their recruits. Following this disaster, at the demands of the Chinese government, names …
Remembering the 543 men of the SS Athos
It was on this day 1917 that a French registered ship, the SS Athos (pictured), was sunk by a German u-boat attack in the Mediterranean, tantalisingly close to their final port of call, Marseilles. 543 Chinese labourers recruited by the French lost their lives. At this point it was the practice of the French not …
Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party recognises and supports campaign
Our thanks to Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party for highlighting the need to recognise the contribution of the Chinese Labour Corps at a speech during an event to mark the Chinese New Year. Thanks too to Chinese for Labour, one of the Campaign’s Strategic Partners.
Our best wishes for the Chinese Year of the Monkey!
We pay tribute to the men of the Chinese Labour Corps this Chinese New Year with a clip from China Television’s New Year’s Eve Gala show – an army of 540 dancing robots! We hope this brings you a smile (don’t miss 1 minute and 26 seconds in!) and may we wish you a very happy …
A tribute to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
We owe so very much to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Commission) in relation to commemorating the fallen men of the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC), as a community, as a society and as a nation. For almost one hundred years the Commission carried the torch that ensured that the light that illuminated the CLC’s contribution was …
Forgotten Voices from The First World War: The Chinese Labour Corps
By Alex Calvo and Bao Qiaoni Global Research, December 26, 2015 The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 13, Issue. 49, No. 1 21 December 2015
I signed the petition because
I want people to remember that these people played a part in the war too. Our forgotten heroes. Jenny, London If you haven’t done so, please do sign the petition. Thank you.
The editing out of the Chinese Labour Corps began before they had even all left Europe – at the Paris Peace Conference. The consequences were profound.
Photograph of May 4th demonstrators, Beijing, 1919 [T]he meaning of the Versailles settlement [is reconfigured] by exploring its unintended consequences in stimulating movements of national liberation in Egypt, India, Korea, and China. Instead of telling us about the interplay of Great Power politics, he shows how non-Europeans invented their own version of Wilson in their search for a kind of self-determination …
I signed the petition because…
As a Chinese from the mainland I’m totally ignorant of this historical event back then but now that I know I feel so sorry for these men who made such a great contribution was totally forgotten by either their employers and their motherland people. It’s so sad. Dee,Coventry
A contemporaneous report of a Chinese Labour Corps camp under bombardment.
[Date of incident referred to is Saturday 29th September, 1917.] We had been in our tents a couple of hours, when Fritz returned once more, and drop bombs in a camp of Chinese Labour Corps, killing a few and wounding many. Some of the Chinese had the fighting spirit, and shook their fists at the …
A description of the Chinese Labourers
It is the destiny of all Coolie Labour Battalions, once landed in France, to be divided into I don’t know how many parts, and disbursed over a wide area of usefulness…some are marching by the harvested fields of the Somme country on the way to chalk pits to dig ballast for light railways; others are in …
A long train journey with men from Shandong
Steve Lau, Chair of the Ensuring We Remember Strategic Partnership Board, shares the story of an inspiring encounter with men from Shandong on a recent visit to China. Three hours before I was due to take off, my plans to fly from Jinan to Shenzhen were scuppered. I won’t explain why, not because it would …
Stanley Cemetery, Hong Kong
Stanley Cemetery sits on the southern side of Hong Kong Island and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The cemetery is not particularly large, but is immaculately maintained, as anyone familiar with the work of the CWGC would expect. Its entrance is dominated by …
Praise… of sorts!
“During the last big push by Germans, the Chinese labourers working behind the lines offered their services to help the wounded, who were streaming back from the front in all kinds of conveyances. When official permission was given, they gave their own cigarettes and food rations to the wounded men they were helping. The wounded …
Why I signed the petition…
Saddened that the Chinese contribution to the Allied effort in WW1 is so under represented. Tony, UK You can join Tony and sign the petition here.
Update on the Address to Members of Liverpool City Council.
Further to our previous post, An address to the Members of Liverpool City Council the following is an extract from the minutes of the Council meeting. Peter Foo and Steve Lau addressed the City Council in relation to the Chinese community within the City in the context of the Motion set out in Minute No. 15. and entitled …
Consultation on memorial design begins
As we move from preparatory stages of the memorial to the design and commissioning stage we are now starting consultation on the proposed memorial. At this point we have not secured a site for the memorial, but feel we should have a “proposed design option” in order to be able to fit within the timeframe. …
Significance of the Campaign
In the third of our Campaign insight’s marking the first anniversary of the Campaign we are releasing an extract from the Project Proposal, written back in the winter of 2013. It explores the potential significance of the Campaign on the British Chinese community. SIGNIFICANCE This project represents the largest coalition of Chinese community organisations in …
Our Objectives
In the second of our Campaign insights being released to mark one year since the launch of our Campaign we are taking a look at the Campaign objectives. This excerpt is taken from the introductory section to the Memorandum of Undersanding that each Strategic Partner signs. Ensuring We Remember, is a national campaign for a …
One Year Old Today!
The Campaign is one year old today. To mark this milestone we will be releasing some “insider” knowledge on the campaign today and over the coming week. Today we share some insights into the reach of our website. In the 365 days since launch we have reached almost 100,000 people, and served over a quarter …
The Chinese Labour Corps in Basra? Part 2
In a recent post, The Chinese Labour Corps in Basra? we explored the story of 227 unidentified Chinese buried in Basra, explaining our belief that records had been lost rather than the names of those Chinese having never been recorded. Our belief was based as much on cultural reasons as on anything else. Wherever possible the British paid respect to …
Victory over Japan Day
Most people in the UK would probably not attach much significance to the 15th August. Elsewhere it is a day of national significance, not least of all in China, as it is the day on which the Imperial Japanese army surrendered, and the Second World War truly came to an end. As we approach the …
An address to the Members of Liverpool City Council
Steve Lau, Chair of the Ensuring We Remember Campaign was invited to address a full meeting of Liverpool City Council on Wednesday 22nd July, 2015. His address is given below. Our thanks to the Members of Liverpool City Council for their support of the campaign. I am delighted to address the Council today as Chair …
The Chinese Labour Corps (1916-1920), Gregory James
The Chinese Labour Corps (1916-1920) Gregory James Bayview Educational (2013) In this important and wide ranging contribution to military history, Gregory James draws on an extensive array of public and unofficial sources to chronicle the saga of a wartime cross-cultural encounter whose legacy remains in the narrative of contemporary Sino-Western relations today. For your copy contact: …
The affect of an air raid on Chinese Labourers, a contemporaneous account
To add to the drivers’ difficulties, numbers of Chinese ran screaming about the place, many of them crazy with fear. One girl was asked to keep a Chinaman in her car while the men went to fetch more patients, but though quite a little man, she had to invite a passing soldier to come and …
Volunteer Chinese Social Media Facilitator
We are looking for a volunteer(s) to maximise our exposure on Chinese social media. This will include the establishment of Campaign accounts on China-friendly platforms. This role requires that you be literate in Chinese and with basic IT skills. For further details, please get in touch via our Contact Form.
Seeking Volunteers for a Collaborative Translation Project.
我们正在寻找致力于合作翻译项目的志愿者. We are seeking volunteers who are able to read Chinese and to translate into English. Both native English or native Chinese speakers are welcome with the aim of participating in an exciting collaborative translation project, taking an original historical Chinese text which has not, to date, been translated into English. Please contact us using …
Why I signed the petition…
To correct a historical omission in our rememberance process of WW1 Patrick, Nelson.
SACU 50th Anniversary Celebrations
Practitioners Panel 2 at SACU’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations: Understanding China – the whats, the whys and the hows Speakers (Left to Right): Graham Perry, former SACU vice chair; Steve Lau, Chair, Ensuring We Remember Campaign;Prof. Jude Howell, LSE; Prof. Kerry Brown, University of Sydney; Glyn Ford, former Labour MEP; Dr. Sam Beatson (Chair), Lau China …
In memory of John “Jack” Johnstone
Private M1/5741 John “Jack” Johnstone, committed suicide on the 7th July 1916. Why it is hard to even guess a reason. Perhaps it was because of the date, he killed himself soon after the opening of the Battle of the Somme. Jack was only 21 he had his life in front of him. He was …
Volunteer BSL Signer
We understand how language can often be a barrier to access, which is why we made our website available in four languages. Our main video is available in five languages (English, French, Dutch, Mandarin and Cantonese). Nonetheless, we are conscious that we have more to do and are committed to making our video accessible to …
Book Reviewers
We are looking to offer a range of volunteering opportunities. We have a number of books for which we would like independent reviews. Example titles include: V.K. Wellington Koo and the Emergence of Modern China Stephen G. Craft No Labour, No Battle: Military Labour during the First World War John Starling China’s Great Convulsion 1894-1924 …
« Les travailleurs chinois en France pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale »
« Les travailleurs chinois pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale » Lieu : Institut Confucius, 22 allée François Mitterrand, 49100 Angers Dates : du 28 mai au 30 octobre 2015. Horaires : le lundi de 14h à 18h, du mardi au vendredi de 10h à 12h et de 14h à 18h. Entrée libre. Renseignements : 02 41 95 53 52 …
What should we remember?
An interesting question was posed in a report by Austrian researchers into commemoration. But what should we remember if existence and memory are no longer part of what we remember? It’s a great little sound-bite, but what does it mean? Ultimately, if we do not remember existence or memory, then what can we remember? Reflecting on the …
A message from France
I had never heard anything of these Chinese who came during the First World War. Through Mr Léo Lapointe’s book* I now know a little about the terrible conditions that they experienced. Nathalie, France * Most likely refers to the novel, Le planqué des huttes by Léo Lapointe’s
The difficulty of assessing China’s war loses
It is difficult to clearly evaluate China’s war losses during World War I (WWI). Firstly, defining the time period in question is a complex matter: China passed through a period of neutrality (August 1914 – March 1917), a period of severance of diplomatic relations (March 1917 – August 1917), and a period of declaration of …
2007 Article from the South China Morning Post
BEHIND THE NEWS Oct 08, 2007 A bronze plaque on the wall of a Paris railway building and a modest monument in a small park are the only reminders of a remarkable but forgotten story of the first world war – 150,000 Chinese volunteers who cleared mines, removed the dead and made munitions, and became …
Artistic License
https://youtu.be/as1436gxKvA This ten minute blockbuster treatment of the Chinese Labour Corps by the Hong Kong film industry will certainly raise a few eyebrows among historians as artistic license has been taken in abundance. Of course this is a commercial film and not an historic documentary; and commercial films are essentially produced to make money. Donnie …
Surely we should invite our Chinese friends to the Cenotaph
The following article, by Professor Michhael Wood, appeared in the April 2015 edition of BBC History Magazine. Our thanks to historyextra.com and the editorial team’s kind permission for us to reproduce the article. We’ve been filming in China on and off for many months now, and still enjoying every minute. It’s nearly 30 years since …
A comment on the campaign
It has taken a century for the truth to be acknowledged. Mark O’Neil, Chinese in Britain plan monument to World War One workers
A message from New Zealand
My father Frederick James Hall was injured at the Battle of the Somme and after his recouperation in the UK was promoted to Corporal and transferred to the Chinese Labour Corp of the Devon Regiment. By the end of the war he spoke mandarin fluently. He spoke most highly of “those wonderful Chinese chaps.” He …
Why I signed the petition…
I have just read an academic paper on the search for the bodies of soldiers during and after the war and there was not one mention of the Chinese Labour Corps. I was alerted to its existence by a small mention in the novel “Wake” by Anna Hope. 96,000 men should be properly remembered. John, …
A contemporaneous report on the Chinese Labour Corps
WAR WORK OF CHINESE VOLUNTEER BATTALION. DUTY BEHIND THE LINES. ACCOUNT BY DR. STUCKEY. The fine work done behind the lines in France by the Chinese Voluntary Labour Battalion was described by Dr. E. J. Stuckey, O.B.E., of the Union Medical College, Pekin, in an interview yesterday. Dr. Stuckey, who is at present touring New Zealand …
The Long Shadow
[T]he Chinese dimension of the Great War rarely figures in British-centred narratives despite its importance in understanding our own day. David Reynolds The Long Shadow: The Great War and the Twentieth Century, p432 ISBN-13: 978-0857206350
英国殖民大臣专电英属威海卫租借地行政长官骆克哈特
值此停战大喜之日，我向威海卫人民祝贺战争胜利，并感谢你们的帮助，从威海卫招募的华工军团对战争发挥了巨大作用，非常感谢华人社团对政府的衷心支持。 1919年11月11日 青少年爱国主义网
The `coolie’ killing fields
By Danny Buckland in The Independent, 28 June, 1997 Britain has made much of human rights in the run-up to the hand- over of Hong Kong to the Chinese, but who are we to point fingers? As Danny Buckland reports, thousands of Chinese labourers died at our hands from mistreatment, malnutrition and bullets during the turmoil …
The Labour Auxilaries
The Great War revived, to a degree that few dream of, methods of very old campaigns, when the hero had his attendant myrmidons and the Spartan foot soldier his helots. Study a “ration strength” return of the B.E.F., France, 1918, and discover how the actual fighting men in trench or gun-pit had to be …
Celebrating Chinese New Year 1918 on an old biscuit tin
Members of the Chinese Labour Corps use an old biscuit tin for a drum and a pair of old helmets for cymbals to celebrate Chinese New Year on 11th February 1918.
How the Chinese Labour Corps became the Forgotten of the Forgotten of the First World War, and its significance.
A free public talk will be given by Steve Lau, Chair of the Ensuring We Remember Campaign’s Strategic Partnership Board. To mark the start of the First Word War centenary, the BBC screened a two part series by historian David Olusoga entitield The World’s War – Forgotten Soldiers of Empire. In referring to the Chinese Labour …
Sinking of SS Athos with the loss of 543 Chinese lives
The SS Athos was a French merchant ship that was sunk by a German Submarine ( U-65 commanded by Hermann von Fischel) on 17th February 1917, 180 nautical miles off the coast of Malta. On board were about 1,000 Chinese labourers who had been recruited by the French, and had almost completed their journey to France, with …
Misleading statement corrected.
At the launch of the campaign the Chair of the Strategic Partnership Board, Steve Lau, delivered a speech in which he said, Over 6,000,000 medals were awarded after the war. Let’s forget that the Chinese received bronze rather than the silver medals everyone else got. All of those 6,000,000 medals had the name of the recipient …
Tweets on the Chinese Labour Corp
Air of humble, obedient sacrifice in Chinese Labour Corps is a stern reminder of what we overlook of spectacular things done for us. SpeakUpMan 31 January 2015
Asia House Event: From Peking to Paris: China and the First World War
Tuesday, 3 February 2015 from 18:30 to 20:00 (GMT) Asia House 63 New Cavendish St W1G 7LP London United Kingdom Tickets £10, concessions £8, members £6. During the First World War, 95,000 Chinese farm labourers volunteered to leave their remote villages and work for Britain. They were labelled “the forgotten of the forgotten”, as their …
Why I signed the petition…
I only recently learned about the role of the CLC and I am appalled their contributions have been forgotten for so long. Olivia, Newcastle Sign the petition here.
Chinese sacrifice
“On the 7th September, 1918, the tanker “British Sovereign” caught fire in Calais west dock, strewing a sheet of flame across the surface of the water, into which leapt the Chinese crew or dockers to escape the inferno. Every one of these poor wretches was horribly badly burned, and some died before they could reach …
Why I signed the petition…
As we remember the events of WW1 it would be most appropriate for the UK government to support the establishment of a suitable memorial for the Chinese Labour Corps. Edwin, London Sign the petition here
The Chinese Labour Corps creates a voice for Britain’s Chinese community
This time last year the campaign was little more than a simple concept – a memorial to the 96,000 volunteers of the Chinese Labour Corps. That hasn’t changed, but how we envisage that concept has. It has changed a great deal. Back in August of 2013 Steve Lau, Chair of the Chinese in Britain Forum …
I signed the petition because…
I am British of of chinese descent so am interested from that angle but more importantly this will widen the number of british citizens to have a more personal connection to the various remembrance celebrations that are held each year. I have always supported and attended services but in the context of general respect but …
I signed the petition because…
It is a shame and a disgrace that so many people have been erased from history and ignored. Bad enough they were exploited in their lifetimes. Nick, Cardiff Sign the petition here.
End of year update.
Many plans are in the process of being developed, not least of all the hunt for a suitable site for our memorial – the is not an easy task. We continue to work with our friends at Durham University’s Oriental Museum for a major exhibition in 2017, plans which are increasingly taking an international dimension, …
Une Immigration Oubiliée
An article in French by Philippe Divelier on Chinese labourers during the First World War.
Campaign gets its first mention in Parliament.
Liberal Democrat MP Martin Harwood has specifically mentioned our campaign for a UK memorial to the 96,000 men of the Chinese Labour Corps. Mr Harwood stated, We have undervalued contributions such as that of the 96,000 members of the Chinese Labour Corps during the first world war. And went on to say, “They behaved with …
Why I signed the petition…
I am a British soldier and you are free today because of these men and women who assisted Britain in WW1. Russ, Chorley Sign the petition here.
Nobody Of Any Importance: A Foot Soldier’s Memoir Of World War I
By kind permission of Phil Sutcliffe, an excerpt from Nobody Of Any Importance: A Foot Soldier’s Memoir Of World War I By Sam Sutcliffe Available from philsutcliffe47@gmail.com £10 + P&P. Website: www.footsoldiersam.co.uk Twitter: @FootSoldierSam A POW from March 28 (the battle near Arras) until Armistice, my father, starved and dysentery-wracked, walked back west from his POW …
Why we don’t have a design for the memorial
We are asked about the design for the memorial fairly regularly. The simple truth is, we don’t have one. However, there is a reason, and it is as follows. In order to build a memorial we will need two things as a starting point. The first is a site. The second a design. Why we …
Why I signed the petition…
I have only recently discovered that the Chinese contributed to the war, and am disappointed how we have just been wiped away and forgotten after the war… Christine, London Sign the petition here
What we will do with artefacts donated to the Campaign
Donations to the campaign will given to the Oriental Museum of Durham University. Potential donors are always made aware of this. Why? The Campaign organisers recognise that objects of historical significance not only need specialist care but also should be made as widely available as possible. This is a fine balancing act. We have no …
Message of Support from Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We are delighted to receive the following message of support from the Right Honourable Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Message of Support from Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
We are delighted to have received the following message from the Right Honourable Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Why I signed the petition
It’s an injustice that these people have never been recognised as to their support in the Great War. James, Liverpool Sign the petition here
Message of Support from Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party
We are delighted to have received the message of support below from the Right Honourable Ed Miliband MP, leader of the Labour Party.
The incredible story of Colonel AA Kennedy
The words of Andrew Denison, grandson of Colonel AA Kennedy, on the presentation of the banner (shown above) given to Colonel Kennedy by members of the Chinese Labour Corps. I thought I would tell you a little about my grandfather, Col. AA Kennedy, and how the magnificent banner that you are about to see came …
Fundraising Dinner, Tuesday 11th November, 2014
Last night we had our first fundraising event, a dinner held in the heart of London’s Chinatown at the Imperial China Restaurant. With one hundred guests, great food and ample wine courtesy of See Woo supermarket the evening was a huge success. A moving speech by Martin Horwood MP highlighted the ramifications for both the recruited …
Why I signed the petition
The government should be ashamed of the way they treated the Chinese who helped us in both World Wars Alan, Liverpool Sign the petition here.
Fundraising Dinner Menu
This is a traditional Chinese banquet, and therefore not likely to be a great hit with vegetarians. However, we are able to provide vegetarian alternatives, just let us know of your dietary preferences. Priced at £55 a head, includes one bottle each of white and red per table of ten. Cash bar available throughout the …
Why I signed the Petition…
I was surprised to see Chinese graves in the British Cemetery at Bellicourt near St Quentain. Now I know why they are there. These men desrve our respect and gratitude. John, Ickenham
Why I Signed the Petition
I believe that it is imperative that we recognize, appreciate, and commemorate the enormous personal contributions and sacrifices made by so many ordinary people in this terrible conflict. The story of the Chinese Labour Corps is an absolutely extraordinary one, and I applaud the Ensuring We Remember Campaign for their efforts to establish this woefully …