Current Information:

Age-39

31, Coin Street, Waterloo

St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France

The Labour Corps was formed in February, 1917 and brought under its command the existing labour and pioneer battalions. They operated in many different areas; some units remaining in the United Kingdom, others employed at the various channel ports where all supplies were landed and some worked close to the front line

Their ranks were made up from labourers and skilled and semi-skilled workers and although they were trained to fight as infantrymen, their role was one of trench construction, road making and building. However this did not mean that they were not in danger. Their work often brought them within range of the German artillery and when their division was under extreme pressure, they could be used as fighting battalions as a result of which there were a number of casualties among their ranks. They were not obliged to keep unit diaries so it is often very difficult to trace their movements and activities.

John Joyce died from unspecified causes on 11th September, 1917, after having been sent to a base hospital in Rouen.