By Kirklees Armed Forces TV –

Ahead of VE Day, Journalist Liam Blackburn looks at the history of the West Indian Regiments and Soldiers of World War 2

On the 3rd September 1939, the British army found themselves at war with Nazi Germany. Black West Indians believed it was their duty to go on the front line as they thought they were just as British as everyone else. This was found comical by the people who lived in Britain, as they didn’t want them to be any part of the empire, some hadn’t even heard of the colonies that were part of the British empire.

One West Indian recollected: “I held England in great esteem… All our geography in school was based entirely on England. Whilst one knew very little about West Indian history, one’s brain was full of knowledge where English history was concerned. We were always told – and we always had this thing in the back of our minds – that England was the Mother Country.”

A Region in Ruin

In this part of black British military history, the economic state was in decline, and the so-called wealthy sugar islands were renamed the “slums of the empire”. Anyone on the islands who thought they would be rewarded for service in the First World War would be disappointed.

The Caribbean was in crisis with riots and strikes in the 1920s and 30s, with some thirty people being killed. Only one in 40 was allowed to vote, that one usually being someone who was white.

Empty Promises and Dismissal

Black veterans still believed that from the past war they were entitled to something, but it only got worse as many didn’t have a job, home or land, and many widows and orphans of people who died at war didn’t receive any pension.

These settlements were almost defenceless, but they were still determined to fight for the British Empire despite neglect and being unwanted by the British army. In 1927, the West Indian Regiment was disbanded, reducing the garrison to a single white battalion stretched between Jamaica and Bermuda.

Shut Out From Service

When war broke out in 1939, originally the War Office contemplated setting up a West Indian pioneer or labour unit to assist the British army in France, but this was soon scrapped as they deemed Greeks and Arabs more capable of supporting them, saying that they were the ‘most effective coloured labour’.

A letter from the Colonial Office in May 1941 confirmed that there would be no role for black West Indians in helping defend the British Isles, expressing that the experience was undesirable to use them for combatant units.

Even when the British army was on the bad side of it all, the army officials still refused to accept any offer from black West Indians for help as they were considered useless at being fighting troops.

They opted in favour of white Canadians being dispatched to Jamaica and Bermuda to guard against black unrest. The West Indians’ role according to the army was to produce food and other supplies, while still being rejected by the army officials for serving on the front line.

Churchill’s Unsuccessful Plea

Winston Churchill, who was the British Prime Minister during the war, interrupted all claims of rejection of the black West Indians by the Colonial Office and called for a revival of the West Indian Regiment, to be formed of three battalions. This request was quickly shut down.

Lord Moyne in 1941 came back to Churchill’s request, saying that it was difficult to believe there was no use for people who were so keen to help, but again and again, requests were turned down by continuous objections.

The following year, Churchill tried a different idea, saying that the WIR (West Indian Regiment) could serve in Japan and Singapore. This was amid claims that the West Indians would create racial tension with the Indian, Malay and Chinese troops.

A Breakthrough in the Skies

After many rejections, there was possible hope for black West Indians serving the British Empire when the RAF colour bar against Black people was dropped. By 1945 over 6000 black West Indians were serving in the Royal Air Force, around 400 as officers, 200 black and mixed-race West Indians were in the Royal Navy and 1100 found roles in the British Army.

Black and mixed-race women made a historical moment as thanks to a clerical error they were the first to breach the army’s race barrier, being enlisted in administrative roles. Another 600 West Indian women were serving in the army by the end of the war. Nearly all of them were black or mixed-race, from middle-class and very well-educated backgrounds.

Exploited Forestry Labour

While the rejection of black West Indians from the British army was going on, the government recruited black forestry workers from British Honduras for service in Britain in 1941. This was a huge part of the Honduran economy, some said they were the best lumberjacks around.

The Honduran forestry unit was then founded, and 500 of them arrived in the UK, but many were turned away, though. It was well organised; men wore uniforms and were subject to a military-style discipline just like the army. However good they were, they were sent to the Scottish Highlands and left in horrible conditions, for example, they carried logs with no gloves. Many fell ill, resulting in managers not wanting to pay people who were too weak to work.

At Last: The Caribbean Regiment

It took until January 3rd 1944, for the War Cabinet to get rid of their concerns over the black West Indians, and on that day, he made a request for a new unit. The ministers finally approved it, and they demanded that they wanted them in the Mediterranean by spring, Churchill wrote on the decision “I favour this”.

Battalion Caribbean Regiment (1st/ CR) was the newest infantry unit to be formed, to much delight of the West Indian nations, including 54 officers and 1159 men. Formed from 19 different colonies, the commander in Bermuda, Brigadier General H.D. Maconochie, stated that: “The whole white population will lose prestige with the coloured people after the war if they are not allowed to fight”

There was jubilation and a momentous occasion as flags and bunting decorated the Trinidadian capital of Port of Spain as the soldiers set sail to America for training. The troops arrived in Chesapeake Bay to a warm welcome from the US Army band and Red Cross workers who distributed refreshments as the troops got ready for training in Fort Eugis, Virginia.

Lieutenant Colonel H. Wilkin, the regular officer in command of the 1st Caribbean Regiment, was worried about the reception the West Indians would receive. The troops were told and reminded that they were ‘guests of the southern states’, being instructed not to use public transport and public facilities that were reserved for whites.

If they were to be in these situations, they were told to keep quiet and leave as quickly as possible. White women and men were also people that the troops were told not to approach or make friendships with, even if they wanted to. However, relations were more amicable than expected, and the Americans arranged buses for the visiting troops to historic monuments and sporting events. Training was going well by the 24th May 1944, but they were deemed to only have basic skills as they set off to the Mediterranean in June.

A Regiment With No Role

The position changed, and the Mediterranean command headquarters said it would employ the 1st/ CR as an army command unit raiding Italian or Balkan territory. The troops ended up heading to Italy, but it didn’t last long, as they were soon not wanted and not deemed fit enough or strong enough by officers. They were then shortly sent to the Middle East, but not only to a sparsely populated area of Gaza, where their presence would not offend the feelings of anyone the British cared about.

The Caribbean regiment was soon sent to Egypt to continue with training, to which morale amongst the troops was positive as they practised with tank and artillery units. Although it wasn’t all plain sailing as they were told by leading officers that they were still not fit enough to lead the line, to London’s disappointment, leading to panic mode. The panic was because it was spring 1945, and they were struggling to get the 1st/CR into action on the front line before the last shot was made.

Bittersweet End to a Long Fight

From the spring of 1945 to December, the West Indians spent the days doing chores and menial activities due to the London officers struggling to find a role for them. Thirty-three officers and 1159 other ranks handed in their weapons and went to sea, where they spent Christmas on the boat with a traditional dinner, and each man got a bottle of beer.

When returning to the Caribbean, the West Indians were disappointed that they didn’t get the opportunity to shoot on the firing line, but some were pleased and grateful for the opportunity to meet overseas people and experience places they had never been to before.