Chinese Labor Corps remembered on Armistice Day

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Europe

‍For the first time, wreaths are being laid at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Chinese laborers who came to support the allied effort in World War One on Saturday, the Remembrance day.

In 1917, about 140,000 workers, known as "the forgotten of the forgotten," traveled from China to Europe to help Britain and its allies to victory. After 100 years, their contributions are being formally remembered in the UK.

Wreaths are being laid at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Day to commemorate Chinese Labor Corps. /CGTN photo

"The Chinese Labor Corps have been neglected from history," said Dr Tom Thorpe, trustee of the Western Front Association, which aims to educate the public about the First World War. He said there are several reasons for that, including a lack of written records.

"Their contribution is significant in terms of building logistic supplies," Thorpe said. "They prepared trenches. They did a lot of work which actually made the action on the West front possible."

There are over 60,000 memorials in the UK commemorating the First World War, but given the contributions they made and the price they paid, Chinese laborers are not mentioned at all.

"There is no one memorial in the whole of the UK that commemorates the Chinese Labor Corps. So this is an absolute honor. This is the first Chinese Labor Corps to be remembered," said Karen Soo, a descendant of Chinese Labor Corps. "There is campaign at the moment which I hope will be successful very soon, which is to erect a permanent memorial to the Chinese Labor Corps in England."

Many wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph in London on Armistice Day. /CGTN photo

To remember the contributions by the Chinese Labor Corps, various activities have been held across Britain to educate the public on this long neglected chapter of history.

Nearly 20,000 men of the Chinese Labor Corps died in the First World War. Most of them were buried in France and only a few graves can be found here in Britain. Now, more young people are getting to know their story and come here to remember their sacrifice.

Students from Kingsford Community School gathered recently in a local cemetery in London to pay their respects to the Chinese workers.

"Today, we have an opportunity to remember the fantastic contribution that was made towards having a more peaceful world by the Chinese," said Joan Deslandes, the school's head teacher. "I think it is so important that young people in Great Britain have this knowledge and awareness."

Andrei Anamaria-Stefania, 13, was among the students who read poems and held up names of workers who lost their lives. "It is great that it's targeted at young students because we can pass it on even further," she said. "Now we can tell our own kids and our own parents. It is passed on just like ripple in water. It is great to share this history."

The Chinese Labor Corps lost nearly 20,000 members during the First World War. /CGTN photo