[Terra Nova]

I had listed my spare badge of this type on Ebay a little while ago. As my description was still partly tentative, in spite of the several useful contributions from within this Forum, the listing elicited a most welcome input, and caused me to end the listing early as it was clearly incomplete.

With his permission to mention his intervention, I was contacted by Mr. Chris Brooker, who as many will know, could be described as the "Doyen of Canadian Military Badges." He very generously validated the correctness of the badge and it's authenticity. With his permission, below follows a pre-publication DRAFT regarding the Canadian Forestry Corps Overseas operations. The place where the 32nd Company, Canadian Forestry Corps, South African Labour Contingent badge illustration would go, is immediately above the bold text of that unit name. Here is the text from his draft:

QUOTE BEGINS:

CANADIAN FORESTRY CORPS OVERSEAS
ATTACHED LABORERS CANADIAN FORESTRY CORPS
Each Canadian Forestry Company consisted of six officers 14 Sergeants and 171 other ranks with 12 attached personnel from other branches of the Services and in addition 150 unskilled or semi-skilled attached laborers. By September of 1917 in Great Britain the Canadian Forestry Corps was able to get first call on up to 2000 Portuguese and 2000 Finns as well as many Prisoners of War who could be provided. (The use of POWs for work was allowed under the Geneva Convention.) For many POWs the chance to work in the Forests was far more attractive than being locked up in a Camp. In addition due to the hard manual work all members of the CFC received superior rations to those generally available. In addition surplus sailors were also employed. The Finns and POWs worked out well but most of the Portuguese were transferred to other duties.

The British Government employed many foreign laborers under contract for service in France during WWI. These were drawn from both the Colonies and from Foreign powers. Over the course of the war 195 Companies of Chinese Laborers were hired in China transported across the Pacific to Vancouver sent across Canada by rail then on across the Atlantic to France. Some of these Chinese Labor Companies worked with Canadian Forestry Corps Companies in France. A special unit was created in Canada, the Canadian Railway Guards, to accompany the Chinese Laborers from Vancouver to their port of embarkation in Canada.

An interesting entry in the War Diary of the Canadian Reserve Artillery, Risborough Barracks, Shorncliffe July 18th 1917. Reads in part “12 Officers proceeded overseas as reinforcements to C.F.A. 2nd Heavy Battery and Chinese Labour Battalion.”. This would indicate that Chinese Personnel also performed tasks for the artillery.

No. 32 FORESTRY COMPANY, SOUTH AFRICAN LABOR CONTINGENT

No. 32 Canadian Forestry Company worked under Central Group and was located at Dreux from June 1917 to October 1918 and then at La Trappe from October 1918 until January 1919.

In France the Canadian Forestry Corps served in four widely separated areas named for the regions in which they worked by the time of the armistice three of these ‘Groups’ were each split into two districts. Central Group comprised of District No.1 and No.2 with the following Canadian Forestry Companies 14, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24, 30, 32, 34, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54 and 78. Jura Group comprised of Districts No.5 and No.6 with the following Canadian Forestry Companies 21, 22, 28, 36, 39, 40,47,50, 51, 52, 56, 57,58, 69, 70 and 77. The Bordeaux Group comprised Districts No.4 and No.12 with the following Canadian Forestry Companies 15, 27, 45, 46, 48, 49, 53, 55, 57, 59, 60, 71, 72, 73, 74, 78, 79, and 80. No.9 District operated independently with the following Canadian Forestry Companies 1, 2, (Please see below), 25, 26, 27, 29, 35 and 37. The Marne Group consisted of District No.10 6 with the following Canadian Forestry Companies 31, 33, 51, 55, 69, 75, and 76. The Marne Group comprised a single District, No.10 6. In the summer of 1917 forestry operations started in the Bordeaux area of France and a District Headquarters (No.12) was set up at Bordeaux. A second district Headquarters (No.4) was set up on December 29th 1917. As the number of Forestry Companies increased the 12th District Headquarters was relocated from Bordeaux to Facture, in the Gironde where a depot was established combining headquarters of No.4 and No.12 Districts into the Bordeaux Group for administration purposes.

By the time of the Armistice there were 60 Companies working in France and 41 in Great Britain. Depending on the area from which they were drawn in Canada Forestry companies specialized in cutting different types of forests including soft and hard woods. Some Companies in France cutting Spruce exclusively for aeroplane production. In addition to lumber production other companies worked cutting stone in quarries and constructing air fields.

QUOTE ENDS

Hoping that this helps shed light in this relatively unknown unit and it's insignia. With acknowledgement and appreciation to Chris Brooker for his most welcome contribution.