[
    {
        "id": 213629,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1995",
        "page_number": 225,
        "title": "RAS-1995",
        "content_text": "199\n\n# THE CHINESE LABOUR CORPS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR LABOURERS BURIED IN FRANCE\n\nDAN WATERS\n\nThis article complements the piece by Keith Stevens (RAS Journal No. 29), about Chinese Labour Corps members buried in England during or just after the First World War (1914-18).'\n\nBy 1916 there was a shortage of manpower in Britain. Conscription was introduced into the armed services and more men were recruited from various parts of the British Empire. These included Chinese who actually mostly came from Shan Tung (Shandong), but some were recruited from Honan (Hunan) Province. Together with British missionary and sinologue officers, many labourers were shipped from Weihaiwei (now called Weihai). This was British Territory and served as a naval base from 1898 until the Union Flag was lowered in 1930.3\n\nServing under British military discipline, in the region of 100,000 Chinese were shipped to France to dig trenches and construct fortifications for the allies. About 2,000 died from illness, wounds, or injuries sustained during or just after the war. Some were blown up by mines as they cleared battlefields after hostilities had ceased. Others succumbed to the influenza epidemic that swept Europe in 1919. A handful were shot dead in a mutiny near Boulogne. Those that did not return to China lie far from their native soil, in such places as Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, Albert French National Cemetery, Arques-La-Bataille British Cemetery, Asco Communal Cemetery, and Ayette British Cemetery, in France. The largest and most decorative is the Noyelles-sur-Mer Cemetery, which has a portico built in Chinese style.\n\nOne September morning in 1995, my son, Barry, and I drove from Brussels to Foncquevillers, a village situated in the fertile, undulating French countryside between the Arras-Doullens and the Arras-Amiens roads. There are a total of 645 graves in this military cemetery, which is bounded by a brick wall and a hornbeam hedge. It is planted with catalpa and other trees. Many of the graves here are seldom or never visited by outsiders. In this well-cared-for tranquil spot, there are two graves of Chinese Labour Corps labourers, one of a French civilian.\n\nPage 225\nPage 226",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1995.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/95941j25g",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 215037,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-2000",
        "page_number": 133,
        "title": "RAS-2000",
        "content_text": "Abbeville Communal Extension, Somme\n\nAlbert French National, Somme Arques-La-Bataille British, Seine-Maritime Ascq Communal, Nord\n\nAuberchicourt British, Nord\n\n*\n\nAyette British, Pas de Calais\n\nAyette Indian and Chinese, Pas de Calais\n\nBagneux British, Gezaincourt, Somme Bailleul Communal Extension, Nord\n\n  \n    1\n    71\n  \n  \n    4\n    3\n  \n  \n    I\n    34\n  \n  \n    2\n    31\n  \n\nBeaulencourt British, Ligny-Thilloy, Pas de Calais 14 Bellicourt British, Aisne\n\nBlargies Communal Extension, Oise Bourlon Wood, Pas de Calais\n\nCaudry British, Nord\n\nCharmes Military, Essegney, Vosges\n\nChocques Military, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    7\n    3\n  \n  \n    21\n    1\n  \n  \n    3\n    19\n  \n  \n    4\n    1\n  \n  \n    16\n  \n\nCroisilles British, Pas de Calais\n\nCross Roads, Nord\n\n  \n    2\n    2\n  \n\nDaours Communal Extension, Somme\n\nDernancourt Communal Extension, Somme\n\n  \n    6\n    3\n  \n\nDon Communal, Annoeullin, Nord\n\n  \n    2\n  \n\nDouai British, Cuincy, Nord\n\n  \n    3\n  \n\nDoullens Communal Extension No2, Somme\n\n  \n    1\n  \n\nDuisans British, Etrun, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    2\n  \n\nEbblinghem Military, Nord\n\n  \n    1\n  \n\nEtaples Military, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    1\n    4\n  \n\nFoncquevillers Military, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    2\n  \n\nHazebrouck Communal, Nord\n\nFosse No 10 Communal Extension, Sains-en-Gohelle, Pas de Calais\n\nGezaincourt Communal Extension, Somme Haute-Avesnes British, Pas de Calais\n\nHuby-St Leu British, Pas de Calais Lapugnoy Military, Pas de Calais Le Fermont Military, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    49\n  \n  \n    4\n  \n  \n    12\n  \n  \n    1\n  \n  \n    5\n  \n  \n    2\n  \n\nLe Portel Communal, Pas de Calais\n\n  \n    1\n  \n\nLe Quesnoy Communal Extension, Nord\n\n  \n    2\n  \n\nLes Baraques Military, Sangatte, Pas de Calais 197\n\n  \n    4\n  \n\nLes Rues-des-Vignes Communal, Nord\n\n  \n    1\n  \n\nLille Southern, Nord\n\n  \n    2\n    2\n  \n\n89",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-2000.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/nk328168n",
        "rank": 0
    }
]