The World's Forgotten Army


Genre: History


Duration: 1x60


Year of Production: 2017


Production Company: Transparent TV


Broadcaster: Channel 4


Definition: HD


This documentary explores the untold and secret history of the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC): One hundred and fourty thousand workers shipped across from China to France and Belgium in 1916 & 17 to form the backbone of the Allied war effort, ultimately helping them win the Great War. The film tells the story of how and why the CLC were recruited by Britain and France, politically betrayed and then how their remarkable contribution was literally painted out of history.

We follow various narrative threads to tell the story of the CLC’s essential contribution to the Allied victory in WW1 including the journeys of two living British Chinese descendants - whose forbears were labourers - as they try to piece together what happened to their respective ancestors in the war: 

Series 1: 1x60 | HD | 2017