World War I Chinese laborers thanked


2018 being the centenary of the end of the first World War, the British veterans association, the Royal British Legion, created a "Thank You" campaign to show gratitude to all those who served in the war. The Hong Kong & China Branch of the Legion, which works in Hong Kong to provide welfare assistance to any ex-serviceman and his family that is in need, decided to play its part in the campaign by sending a party to Europe to thank and commemorate the men of the Chinese Labor Corps who died in the war. Over one week in early August, the party visited 17 of the 44 cemeteries in Belgium, France and England where Chinese laborers are buried. At each, a wreath or flowers was laid, with a card from the Branch in both Chinese and English saying "Thank You". At all of the cemeteries, a minute's silence was observed.