Rare photos tell the incredible true story of the forgotten Chinese army which helped Britain win the First World War
Detailed in the rare photos are the lives of the Chinese workers who dug trenches, handled freight and carried munitions on the front lines of the Great War
AN incredible First World War story has been brought to life thanks to a series of photos which shed a whole new light on some of the conflict's unsung heroes.
Retired property manager John de Lucy came across some of his war-hero grandfather's old possessions when he was clearing out an old cupboard.
Although a neutral nation, China allowed the British Army to hire labourers to assist the war effort - with 100,000 workers making the three-month journey to Britain before being sent on to the front lines.
The labourers handled much of the heavy lifting which kept soldiers busy, freeing up British hands to take up arms directly against the Germans.
Detailed in these rare photos are the lives of the Chinese workers who dug trenches, handled freight and carried munitions on the front lines of the Great War.
These Chinese recruits spent most of the First World War - and its aftermath - living alongside these soldiers, helping to bring about a British victory with barely any recognition for their efforts.
Life wasn't easy for them, with the recruits of the Chinese Labour Corps often performing back-breaking labour throughout their 12-hour workdays, six days a week.
They did this as war raged from 1914 to 1918, with many staying on the front until 1921, clearing up bombs and debris across the ravaged French countryside.
These foreign recruits, also recruited by the French, formed their own communities on Europe's battlefields, where they originally weren't supposed to serve closer than 10 miles to the front.
But as they became increasingly crucial to the war effort, Chinese labourers inched ever closer to danger until they were serving just a mile from the action.
Even though the Labour Corps never took part in combat, they suffered at least 2,000 casualties throughout the bloody conflict.
A flu pandemic in 1918 claimed many of these lives, with the bodies of the labourers laid to rest in graveyards on the front lines.
Some historians argue that British and French records of Chinese casualties were wrong, estimating that as many as 20,000 Chinese labourers may have lost their lives as a result of shelling, landmines or flu.
But with their story barely told, not much is known about what the men of the Chinese Labour Corps really went through.
John, whose officer grandfather oversaw a branch of the Corps, said: "I knew there were some boxes from his time in China but had no idea that they were such an important part of history.
"I read the title 'Chinese Labour Corps' on the box but it meant nothing to me.
"Yet these men were involved in a crucial part of the war effort.
"Many of them paid with their lives and their story has seldom been told.
"It is time to recognise their efforts and you wonder what we would have done without them.
"They helped enormously."
There are now growing calls for these men to be honoured with a permanent memorial to help spread the truth about Chinese involvement in World War One.
Steve Lau, chair of the Ensuring We Remember campaign, told the Daily Express: "There are around 40,000 First World War memorials in the UK but none to the Chinese, who clearly made a significant contribution.
"The Chinese community has given huge support for a memorial. We want to rectify the injustice of the Chinese Labour Corps being forgotten.
"I don't think you can find any other group of 96,000 men who do not have a memorial."
Previously, we shared another true story from Britain's military history: that of the "Female Tommies" who fought on the front lines and battled for women's rights at home.
We also told the incredible survival tale of the Brit tank crew who were bombarded by Germans for three days before crawling to safety across No-Man's Land.