Our latest “Document of the Week” was chosen by our Senior Curator, Mary Wills. It is a photograph from The Illustrated War News, published in January 1916, which shows recruits from Trinidad and Barbados being enrolled in the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR). During the First World War, thousands of men from the West Indies volunteered to support the British imperial war effort. The recruits are being sworn in before the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Charles Wakefield.
The history of the contribution of Black servicemen to the British Army can be traced back to the late eighteenth century. The West India Regiments (WIR) were infantry units of the British army stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927, which, over time, included free Blacks from the West Indian population, enslaved people purchased from plantations, and “volunteers” from Britain’s colonies in West Africa.
The BWIR was a distinct war-time unit of the British Army, formed in part due to the devastating losses suffered by the Allies at the beginning of the war. In total, 15,600 men served in 11 battalions. Most of Britain’s Caribbean colonies were represented among its ranks, but the majority of soldiers (two-thirds) were from Jamaica.
Three of the regiment’s battalions were sent to Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan to fight the Ottoman army. Other battalions served in France, Flanders, and Italy. Nearly 1,500 men of the BWIR were killed in action. The men experienced racist treatment from certain officers, and were barred from attending the 1919 Victory Parade in London. Regarded as heroes on their return home, many veterans went on to become leaders in the West Indies.
The colonies contributed gifts to the value of several thousand pounds to the war effort, including food, cotton, wood, aeroplanes, and ambulances. Beyond patriotic ideals, support for the war was also linked to West Indian agitation for political and constitutional reform. In a period of high unemployment and depressed wages, there were also economic advantages to enlisting.
Where to find this document
This photograph features in our collection, The Illustrated War News, 1914–1918 & 1939. Published weekly during the First World War, it re-appeared briefly throughout November 1939. Staunchly patriotic, its coverage focused on Britain’s war efforts and armed forces. Visit the collection page to learn more.