On 1 August, with French and British divisions advancing on German positions on the Marne, the French selected some men from the Siamese detachment to form the first Siamese labour volunteer detachment. They received brief training and arrived at the front on 4 August 1918 during the Second Battle of the Marne. Phya Bhijai Janriddhi served as observer during the battle. This was the first Siamese contingent to see the front line trenches. This was followed by the ground forces actively proceeding to the fighting front in mid-September.