The gravestone of a British-Chinese soldier Mr. Yeung (揚十月) 1919, soldier of the Chinese Labour Corps, at the Chinese Labour Corps Cemetery in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France
Can somebody suggest a reason why this man's surname Yeung ( 揚) is followed by the two Chinese characters for "10th month"( 十月 )? Is it likely to be a mix-up by the engraver carving the gravestone who copied a date ( October) ,which was perhaps scrawled on the old burial records ? I have not come across Chinese names of men born during the 19th Century being given or taking the given names of months.
Noyelles-Sur-Mer Chinese Cemetery Country Region France Somme Identified casualties from the First World War Around 20,000 perished Total identified casualties 838
==================
The Chinese Labour Corps during World War I comprised approximately 140,000 Chinese laborers recruited by Britain and France between 1916 and 1918.
They supported the Allied Powers as "labor in lieu of service," performing arduous tasks behind the lines in Western Europe, including digging trenches, building railways, and loading and unloading ammunition.
Around 20,000 perished from the fighting, disease, and post-war mine clearance. This history laid the foundation for China's status as a victorious nation.
Battlefield Contributions and Daily Life:
While not directly involved in combat, the Chinese laborers worked on the front lines or in dangerous areas.
Their work was extremely demanding (working 10 to 18 hours a day), and their responsibilities included:
battlefield logistics: digging trenches, building roads and railways, and constructing barracks;
military maintenance: repairing military vehicles and maintaining weapons in arsenals.
Post-war cleanup: After World War I, Chinese laborers remained in Europe for months to years, risking their lives to fill bomb craters, dismantle unexploded ordnance, and bury the remains of fallen soldiers.
Casualties and commemoration:
During their service, as many as 20,000 Chinese laborers died for various reasons. Besides German artillery fire and post-war mine-clearing accidents, the Spanish flu of 1918-1919 claimed many lives.
Many of the tombstones of Chinese laborers buried in Europe bear only numbers, and some even lack names. Currently, the largest Chinese laborers' cemetery is located in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France.
In the end, we will all be forgotten. If we had generations after us, it would just be a matter of time before no one talks about us anymore.
If we had made a difference in someone's life, more often than not, their grand children wouldn't even know we exist.
People who writes history also has different version of how events unfold and while some may be remembered because they would be taught in school, most will be forgotten right after the exam.
The First World War was a catastrophic geopolitical miscalculation, military blunders, and devastating human costs of the conflict. Driven by tangled alliances and imperial ambitions, global leaders blundered into 4 years of bloody attrition that destroyed four empires and set the stage for World War II
During the First World War, an average of 230 soldiers perished every hour of fighting, amounting to roughly 10 million military deaths total.
During World War I, the fierce fighting on the Western Front resulted in a shortage of manpower for all belligerent nations.
In order to free up more soldiers to fight on the front lines, both Britain and France recruited laborers from their colonies and neutral countries to perform low-skilled manual labor such as carrying, road construction, and digging.
By the end of World War I, in addition to China, Britain and France had recruited a total of about 441,000 laborers from their colonies, as well as India, Egypt, and South Africa.
Lennox Godfrey (L.G.) Bird and Arthur Turner, part of the prominent architectural firm Palmer and Turner (now P&T Group), designed the Chinese War Memorial (Memorial Arch) at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Erected in 1928, the monument is a classical Chinese granite pailou (archway) constructed to honor the Chinese who died serving with the British Commonwealth forces in World War I.
Here are a few additional details regarding the structure:
•Design & Architecture:
The arch features traditional Chinese structural elements integrated into a formal memorial setting. It is flanked by two pairs of uniquely designed male stone lions.
•Historical Alterations: Originally dedicated solely to WWI casualties, the monument was damaged during World War II. Following the war, the inscription was modified to additionally commemorate Chinese who sacrificed their lives for the Allies in both World Wars.
Comments
Even if you die, your spirit can still live (雖死猶生)
The gravestone of a British-Chinese soldier Mr. Yeung (揚十月), soldier of the Chinese Labour Corps, who die on 12 January 1919.
Buried at the Chinese Labour Corps Cemetery in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France.
The tomestone engraved a Chinese phase "雖死猶生" (Even if you die, your spirit can still live).
The main entrance of the Chinese Labour Corps Cemetery in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France.
https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-detail…
Unusual Chinese given names on the tombstone
Can somebody suggest a reason why this man's surname Yeung ( 揚) is followed by the two Chinese characters for "10th month"( 十月 )? Is it likely to be a mix-up by the engraver carving the gravestone who copied a date ( October) ,which was perhaps scrawled on the old burial records ? I have not come across Chinese names of men born during the 19th Century being given or taking the given names of months.
The Chinese Labour Corps during World War I
Noyelles-Sur-Mer Chinese Cemetery
Country Region France Somme
Identified casualties from the First World War
Around 20,000 perished
Total identified casualties 838
==================
The Chinese Labour Corps during World War I comprised approximately 140,000 Chinese laborers recruited by Britain and France between 1916 and 1918.
They supported the Allied Powers as "labor in lieu of service," performing arduous tasks behind the lines in Western Europe, including digging trenches, building railways, and loading and unloading ammunition.
Around 20,000 perished from the fighting, disease, and post-war mine clearance. This history laid the foundation for China's status as a victorious nation.
Battlefield Contributions and Daily Life:
While not directly involved in combat, the Chinese laborers worked on the front lines or in dangerous areas.
Their work was extremely demanding (working 10 to 18 hours a day), and their responsibilities included:
battlefield logistics: digging trenches, building roads and railways, and constructing barracks;
military maintenance: repairing military vehicles and maintaining weapons in arsenals.
Post-war cleanup: After World War I, Chinese laborers remained in Europe for months to years, risking their lives to fill bomb craters, dismantle unexploded ordnance, and bury the remains of fallen soldiers.
Casualties and commemoration:
During their service, as many as 20,000 Chinese laborers died for various reasons. Besides German artillery fire and post-war mine-clearing accidents, the Spanish flu of 1918-1919 claimed many lives.
Many of the tombstones of Chinese laborers buried in Europe bear only numbers, and some even lack names. Currently, the largest Chinese laborers' cemetery is located in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France.
Human troxity, all but forgotten
In the end, we will all be forgotten. If we had generations after us, it would just be a matter of time before no one talks about us anymore.
If we had made a difference in someone's life, more often than not, their grand children wouldn't even know we exist.
People who writes history also has different version of how events unfold and while some may be remembered because they would be taught in school, most will be forgotten right after the exam.
441,000 people from their colonies participated in 1st World War
The First World War was a catastrophic geopolitical miscalculation, military blunders, and devastating human costs of the conflict. Driven by tangled alliances and imperial ambitions, global leaders blundered into 4 years of bloody attrition that destroyed four empires and set the stage for World War II
During the First World War, an average of 230 soldiers perished every hour of fighting, amounting to roughly 10 million military deaths total.
During World War I, the fierce fighting on the Western Front resulted in a shortage of manpower for all belligerent nations.
In order to free up more soldiers to fight on the front lines, both Britain and France recruited laborers from their colonies and neutral countries to perform low-skilled manual labor such as carrying, road construction, and digging.
By the end of World War I, in addition to China, Britain and France had recruited a total of about 441,000 laborers from their colonies, as well as India, Egypt, and South Africa.
Re: War Memorial Arch
The Arch in Noyelles-sur-Mer, France is similar to the War Memorial Arch in the Botanical Gardens. See: https://gwulo.com/node/14712/photos
Chinese War Memorial (Memorial Arch) designed by P&T
Thank you master Moddsey !
Lennox Godfrey (L.G.) Bird and Arthur Turner, part of the prominent architectural firm Palmer and Turner (now P&T Group), designed the Chinese War Memorial (Memorial Arch) at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Erected in 1928, the monument is a classical Chinese granite pailou (archway) constructed to honor the Chinese who died serving with the British Commonwealth forces in World War I.
Here are a few additional details regarding the structure:
•Design & Architecture:
The arch features traditional Chinese structural elements integrated into a formal memorial setting. It is flanked by two pairs of uniquely designed male stone lions.
•Historical Alterations: Originally dedicated solely to WWI casualties, the monument was damaged during World War II. Following the war, the inscription was modified to additionally commemorate Chinese who sacrificed their lives for the Allies in both World Wars.