Chinese labourers loading meat on to a truck, 1917 circa (lantern slide)

Chinese labourers loading meat on to a truck, 1917 circa. Lantern slide, World War One, Western Front (1914-1918), 1917 circa. The British and Imperial forces on the Western Front required a vast amount of ammunition, food and equipment. The Army Service Corps, assisted by thousands of Chinese, African and Arab labourers, was responsible for moving this material from the Channel ports where it was collected in base depots. From there it was moved by train to a regulating station from where it was entrained to either a railhead or advanced supply depot. At this point supplies would be moved by horse or motor transport to the quartermaster staff of front line units. From a box of 80 lantern slides.