West Indians in the First World War

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): IWM Photograph Archive - Subject List 276

Title: West Indians in the First World War

Date(s): 1915 - 1918

Level of description: Sub fond

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 21 photographs (b & w)

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: The West Indies played a small yet important part in the First World War. Recruiting was opened throughout the Caribbean in May 1915, and in the autumn of that year a Corps, known as the British West Indies Regiment, was formed from West Indian contingents. It served in practically every theatre of war with the exception of Gallipoli. The people of the West Indies also gave generously, contributing nearly £2 million to the British government and to war funds and charities in the UK. They also provided sugar, rum, fruit and fuel oil, together with aircraft which were presented to the RAF and RFC.

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CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: Subject List 276 within the Imperial War Museum Photograph Archive lists 21 items, each showing group and individual images of servicemen recruited from Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada and the Bahamas to serve with the British West Indies Regiment during the First World War. The list has been divided into 5 sections, each providing details of photograph negative numbers and image contents.

JAMAICA:

• Q 52442 - The departure of the first merchants contingent of West Indian troops, Kingston, Jamaica, 8 November 1915.
• Q 54215 - A contingent of West Indian troops marching through Kingston, Jamaica on the way to the harbour, 1916.
• Q 52429 - The second contingent of Jamaican troops undergoing physical drill, Kingston, Jamaica.
• Q 5242 - An inspection of the second contingent of West Indian troops prior to their departure, Kingston, Jamaica, January 1916.
• Q 52422 - The band which headed the second contingent of Jamaican troops, Kingston, January 1916.

TRINIDAD:

• Q 52436 - Photograph of a recruiting meeting held at Port of Spain, Trinidad, 1916.
• Q 52434 - Trinidad artillery volunteers on parade, 1916.
• Q 52439 - Trinidad artillery volunteers undergoing gun drill, 1916.
• Q 52440 - The Trinidad Light Infantry enrolled in the British West Indies Regiment.
• Q 52446 - The West Indian people provided many essential commodities including sugar, rum, wood, cotton and fuel oil during the First World War. Photograph shows a country cart bringing in oranges which were then shipped to other parts of the Empire.
• Q 52445 - Crates of oranges waiting for shipment from Trinidad. Many of these were given to hospitals and nursing homes of the British Red Cross Society.

GRENADA:

• Q 17130 - A platoon of West Indian troops parading for musketry instruction, Grenada.
• Q 17131 - A platoon of West Indian troops at physical drill in Grenada.

BAHAMAS:

• Q 52372 - The second Bahamas contingent marching through Nassau, November 1915.
• Q 52371 - The presentation of colours to the second Bahamas contingent, Nassau, November 1915.
• Q 52376 - The second Bahamas contingent depositing their colours at Government House, November 1915.

IN ACTION:

• Q 1201 - Men of the British West Indian Regiment cleaning their rifles, Albert-Amiens Road, September 1916.
• Q 1202 - The British West Indian Regiment in camp on the Albert-Amiens Road, September 1916.
• E(AUS) 2078 - West Indian troops stacking 8 shells at a dump on the Gordon Road, Ypres, October 1917.
• Q 51352 - Men of the British West Indies Regiment creating dugouts for XX Corps HQ on the cliffs of the Mediterranean at Sheikh Shabasi, near Deir-el-Belah, (no date).
• Q 51354 - Cooks of the British West Indian Regiment at Sheikh Shabasi, near Deir-el-Belah, (no date).

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CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: Access to the Visitor's Room of the Imperial War Museum is by appointment during the following opening hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am to 5:00pm. There are no entry fees and staff are available to advise you in your search. The Visitors Room is a short distance from the Imperial War Museum in the All Saints Annexe, Austral Street, London SE11 4SL. To make an appointment please phone +44 (0) 20 7416 5333.

Conditions governing reproduction: he majority of photographic images within the collection are Crown copyright. Applications for reproduction rights should be addressed to the Keeper, Photograph Archive. Copies are supplied in accordance with restrictions imposed by current legislation. Reproduction fees may be charged. Full details are available from the IWM web site at http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/photos.htm

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: Printed subject list

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: February 2002

Interest: Caribbean

Specific group:

Subjects

Colonial countries

World war

Photographs

Armed forces

Personal/Corporate names

British West Indies Regiment

Places

Trinidad and Tobago

Jamaica

Grenada

Bahamas

Caribbean