This article looks at the war-raised labour companies of the British Army which became companies of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps shortly after their creation. This is one of a number of guides I have written to help you research Second World War soldiers:

• Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served with the British Army

I offer a Second World War Soldier Research Service.

Labour Companies of the British Army in the Second World War

Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, the British Army quickly formed over fifty labour companies for work with the British Expeditionary Force in France. During the First World War, the Labour Corps had been created to provide manual and skilled labour but this had been disbanded not long afterwards. To form these new labour companies, the army initially used reservists, mostly from the infantry and cavalry. These were men who had completed a period of full-time service in the army before being transferred to the reserve. Thousands of these reservists found themselves serving in France with a labour company by the end of September. There was no set war establishment for these new companies and most had a strength of between 250 and 500. Each was given a designation consisting of a number followed by its proposed role, e.g. the No.10 Docks Labour Company and No.1 Railway Labour Company. However, you’ll need to consult the relevant war diary, listed below, to find out its actual role in France. Labour companies were transferred to the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps in October 1939.

The formation of the No.3 Ordnance Labour Company is typical of those companies raised in September. On 1 September, Lieutenant R. O. Betts arrived at the Infantry Training Centre of the Welch Regiment at Cardiff. This was the Regiment’s Depot. The next day two more officers arrived, including Major G. S. Moorhouse who would command the Company. On the 5^th, 150 other ranks from the Welch Regiment, 75 from the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, and 100 other ranks from the Royal Welch Fusiliers joined. Another twenty-five soldiers from the South Wales Borderers and sixty from the Gloucestershire Regiment arrived the next day. All these soldiers were reservists from infantry regiments. Only a single soldier joined on the 7^th, a Driver from the Royal Army Service Corps. On this date, the Company had a strength of three officers and 410 other ranks. A small number of soldiers left the Company to return to their units while it remained at Cardiff, while others joined. On 11 September, the Company left Cardiff for Southampton. After an uneventful crossing, the No.3 Ordnance Labour Company landed at Cherbourg on the 12^th, less than ten days after Britain declared war. The Company was redesignated as the 21^st Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps later in the year.

Soldiers of the 33rd Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps enjoying their Christmas dinner at Rennes in 1939. This Company was raised as the No.11 Works Labour Company and landed in France in October. When formed, this Company had contained a lot of soldiers from the East Yorkshire Regiment, whose cap badge can be seen above the blackboard, on which its abbreviated title was written.

Researching Labour Companies

The only way to research labour companies is to view their war diaries held at the National Archives in London. A war diary was written by one of the company’s officers and recorded its location and activities. All bar one of the labour companies’ war diaries can be found as part of the war diary of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps company it was converted into. For example, the No.3 Ordnance Labour Company’s war diary can be found within the war diary of the 21st Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. You can find out which war diary you’ll need by consulting the table below. Labour company war diaries will either begin following their formation or once they embark for France. The only labour company which has its own war diary is the No.4 Ordnance Labour Company.