British West Indies Regiment

[Mickster]

I watched a film clip from the British imperial war museum about various regiments on the Somme. It stated that the British West Indies Reg were not permitted to fight on the Western front but didn't explain why. It seems they were used in logistics, clearing trenches etc instead.

Does anyone have information about this please

Mickster

[MaureenE]

See this article from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies https://web.archive.org/web/20091025030912/http://commonwealth.sas.ac.uk:80/carib_web/wwi.htm which says "the War Office determined that Black colonial troops would not fight against Europeans"

Also available online

A Few Notes on the History of the British West Indies Regiment by Lt.-Col. C Wood-Hill. Undated, but written post Armistice about the problems of service during the First World War. westindiacommittee.org

Maureen

[Mickster]

10 minutes ago, MaureenE said:

See this article from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies https://web.archive.org/web/20091025030912/http://commonwealth.sas.ac.uk:80/carib_web/wwi.htm which says "the War Office determined that Black colonial troops would not fight against Europeans"

Also available online

A Few Notes on the History of the British West Indies Regiment by Lt.-Col. C Wood-Hill. Undated, but written post Armistice about the problems of service during the First World War. westindiacommittee.org

Maureen

Much appreciated Maureen, Very interesting articles. I suspected as much but I clung to the fact that the Indian Lancers etc fought on many fronts maybe I was wrong and some other reason just escaped me.

Mickster

[ilkley remembers]

Two excellent books about the contribution of the West Indies in WW1 are;

Richard Smith, Jamaican Volunteers in the First World War. Race, Masculinity and the Development of the National Conscientiousness

Glenford Howe, Race, War and Nationalism. A Social History of West Indians in the First World War.

This is a useful resource and supported by the CWGC and National Army Museum

https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/projects/

[Mickster]

10 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

Two excellent books about the contribution of the West Indies in WW1 are;

Richard Smith, Jamaican Volunteers in the First World War. Race, Masculinity and the Development of the National Conscientiousness

Glenford Howe, Race, War and Nationalism. A Social History of West Indians in the First World War.

This is a useful resource and supported by the CWGC and National Army Museum

https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/projects/

Much appreciated ilkley remembers.  Your link opens a wealth of information regarding my initial query. it further migrates to other topics like The Thames river police, gruesome murders etc. I spent a fair part of the day there. Free posters and educational packs,, What's not to like ! Thank you

Mickster