- £150.00
China. (Chinese Labour Force in World War One). 1915/16. Stamp-less picture post card of 'La Rue Alsace-Lorraine, Toulouse' addressed to Finistre endorsed '4th Groupement Travailleurs Colonaux Indochinois/ Toulouse' with circular 4th Groupement des Indo-Chinois/ De La Poudrerie de Toulouse/ Le Commandant/ Superieur de Groupements' in blue on face. Scarce item from the Regiment of Indo-Chinese in France during WW1.
One of the darkest aspects of World War One was the plight of 12,000 Chinese workers who were recruited by the British Army from the north of China in 1916 to serve on the battle front in France as labourers, trench diggers, munitions carriers, mine disarmers and corpse bearers under often inhumane conditions. A large number were also struck down by the devastating Spanish flue epidemic of 1918.
