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West India Regiment
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The West India Regiments (WIR) were British colonial infantry regiments. They were raised, initially in 1795, by recruitment amongst freed slaves from North America and by purchase of slaves in the West Indies (as were the Corps of Colonial Marines). By 1800 most of the WIR troops were bought from slave ships fresh from Africa and trained into British soldiers who were skilled, brave, loyal and effective. In 1807 some 10,000 black slave-soldiers in the West India Regiments of the British Army were freed under the Mutiny Act passed by the British parliament that same year[1].
After the slave trade was ended, many were recruited from freed slaves in West Africa. They were highly prized in the West Indies since many English troops got sick or died from tropical diseases that the Africans were relatively immune to. They often fought French slave units there formed for the same reasons. Free African, mulatto and slave soldiers, militia and para-military forces were used for centuries in Latin America and the Caribbean centuries before being used in North America, and many became officers right up to generals and admirals.
The new regiments saw considerable service during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, including participation in the British attack on New Orleans. In 1800 there were 12 battalion sized regiments with this title. The numbers were reduced after 1815 but during most of the remainder of the nineteenth century there were never less than two West India Regiments. In 1888 these were merged into a single regiment comprising two battalions. A third battalion was raised in 1897, but was disbanded in 1904.
The WIR was unique amongst units serving in and recruited from the colonies, in that it was an integral part of the British regular army. In 1856 a very striking uniform was adopted for the regiments modelled on that of the French Zouaves. It comprised a red fez wound about by a white turban, scarlet sleeveless jacket with elaborate yellow braiding worn over a long-sleeved white waistcoat, and dark blue voluminous breeches piped in yellow. This distinctive uniform was retained for full dress throughout the regiment until 1914 and by the band until disbandment in 1927.
The regiment saw service in West Africa in the latter years of the 19th Century, and saw limited action in the Middle East during the First World War. After the war, the 1st and 2nd battalions were amalgamated into a single 1st Battalion in 1920. This was disbanded in 1927. The reasons for disbandment were primarily economic. The West Indies had long been a peaceful backwater with limited defence requirements and the substitute role under which the WIR had provided a single battalion as part of the garrison in Britain's West African possessions had become obsolete as local forces were raised and expanded there.
Overall the WIR had a good record for discipline and effectiveness, although there were three separate mutinies between 1802 and 1837. A factor in these (and a weakness in the WIR throughout its history) was that it did not always attract a high calibre of British officer. Prevailing social attitudes meant that service with "black infantry" was not a popular option during the nineteenth century and many of the more capable officers saw their time with the WIR as simply a stepping stone to more sought after assignments. Long serving British officers and non-commissioned officers, who had built up ties of mutual respect with their men, had mostly dispersed or retired by the end of World War I and in its final years of service the WIR was led by officers seconded from other British regiments for relatively short assignments.
In 1958, with the foundation of the Federation of the West Indies, it was decided to raise the West India Regiment once again. Initially, the 1st Battalion was formed from the nucleus of the Jamaica Regiment. The 2nd and 3rd battalions were also formed by 1960. However, the Federation was short lived, and the regiment again disbanded by 1962, with the constituent battalions becoming the infantry regiments of the two largest islands:
1st Battalion - 1st Battalion, Jamaica Regiment
2nd Battalion - 1st Battalion, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment
3rd Battalion - disbanded
Battle Honours
Dominica, Martinique 1809, Guadeloupe 1810, Ashantee 1873-4, West Africa 1887, West Africa 1892-93-94, Sierra Leone 1898
The Great War (2 battalions): Palestine 1917-18, E. Africa 1916-18, Cameroons 1915-16
See "The Empty Sleeve" by Brian Dyde for a recently (1997) published history of the West India Regiment. ISBN 976-8163-09-7 and "Slaves in Red Coats: The British West India Regiments, 1795-1815" by Roger Norman Buckley (1979) and "Slave and Soldier: The Military Impact of Blacks in the Colonial Americas" by Peter Voelz (1993)
Contents [hide]
1 British West Indies Regiment
2 Caribbean Regiment
3 Sierra Leone Creoles
4 See also
5 References
[edit] British West Indies Regiment
In 1915, a second West Indies regiment was formed from Caribbean volunteers who made their way to Britain. Initially, these volunteers were drafted into a variety of units within the British Army, but in 1915 it was decided to group them together into a single regiment, named the British West Indies Regiment. Initially it was made up of men from:
British Guiana - A Company
Trinidad - B Company
Trinidad and St Vincent - C Company
Grenada and Barbados - D Company
High wastage led to further drafts from Jamaica, British Honduras and Barbados before the regiment was able to begin training. The regiment totalled twelve battalions, and engaged in a number of roles and theatres. The regiment was finally disbanded in 1921.
Battle Honours
The Great War (11 battalions): Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1916-18, Italy 1918, Rumani, Egypt 1916-17, Battles of Gaza, El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Battle of Megiddo 1918, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18
[edit] Caribbean Regiment
Another West Indies regiment was formed in 1944, this time called the Caribbean Regiment. This consisted of members of the local militia forces, as well as direct recruits. The regiment conducted brief training in Trinidad and the United States of America, before being sent to Italy. Once there, the regiment performed a number of general duties behind the front lines - these included the escort of 4,000 PoWs from Italy to Egypt. Subsequently, the regiment undertook mine clearance around the Suez Canal. The regiment returned to the Caribbean in 1946 to be disbanded, having not seen front line action - this was due to inadequate training and partly because of the political impact in the British West Indies if it had incurred heavy casualties.
[edit] Sierra Leone Creoles
The West India Regiment was also taken to Sierra Leone to quell rebellions from the 'settlers' who were rioting. The soldiers of the regiment eventually were discharged and they intermarried with other Sierra Leone Creole Settlers whose descendants today are the Sierra Leone Creole people.
[edit] See also
http://www.westindiaregiment.org/index.htm
Corps of Colonial Marines
Arthur Andrew Cipriani
[edit] References
http://www.yorku.ca/nhp/conferences/...ata_Blyden.PDF
^ "Slavery reparations: An historian's view", BBC Caribbean Service, 2007-03-30. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_India_Regiment"
Categories: Military of Sierra Leone | History of the Caribbean | Politics of the Caribbean | Infantry regiments of the British Army
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from West Indies Regiment)
Jump to: navigation, search
The West India Regiments (WIR) were British colonial infantry regiments. They were raised, initially in 1795, by recruitment amongst freed slaves from North America and by purchase of slaves in the West Indies (as were the Corps of Colonial Marines). By 1800 most of the WIR troops were bought from slave ships fresh from Africa and trained into British soldiers who were skilled, brave, loyal and effective. In 1807 some 10,000 black slave-soldiers in the West India Regiments of the British Army were freed under the Mutiny Act passed by the British parliament that same year[1].
After the slave trade was ended, many were recruited from freed slaves in West Africa. They were highly prized in the West Indies since many English troops got sick or died from tropical diseases that the Africans were relatively immune to. They often fought French slave units there formed for the same reasons. Free African, mulatto and slave soldiers, militia and para-military forces were used for centuries in Latin America and the Caribbean centuries before being used in North America, and many became officers right up to generals and admirals.
The new regiments saw considerable service during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, including participation in the British attack on New Orleans. In 1800 there were 12 battalion sized regiments with this title. The numbers were reduced after 1815 but during most of the remainder of the nineteenth century there were never less than two West India Regiments. In 1888 these were merged into a single regiment comprising two battalions. A third battalion was raised in 1897, but was disbanded in 1904.
The WIR was unique amongst units serving in and recruited from the colonies, in that it was an integral part of the British regular army. In 1856 a very striking uniform was adopted for the regiments modelled on that of the French Zouaves. It comprised a red fez wound about by a white turban, scarlet sleeveless jacket with elaborate yellow braiding worn over a long-sleeved white waistcoat, and dark blue voluminous breeches piped in yellow. This distinctive uniform was retained for full dress throughout the regiment until 1914 and by the band until disbandment in 1927.
The regiment saw service in West Africa in the latter years of the 19th Century, and saw limited action in the Middle East during the First World War. After the war, the 1st and 2nd battalions were amalgamated into a single 1st Battalion in 1920. This was disbanded in 1927. The reasons for disbandment were primarily economic. The West Indies had long been a peaceful backwater with limited defence requirements and the substitute role under which the WIR had provided a single battalion as part of the garrison in Britain's West African possessions had become obsolete as local forces were raised and expanded there.
Overall the WIR had a good record for discipline and effectiveness, although there were three separate mutinies between 1802 and 1837. A factor in these (and a weakness in the WIR throughout its history) was that it did not always attract a high calibre of British officer. Prevailing social attitudes meant that service with "black infantry" was not a popular option during the nineteenth century and many of the more capable officers saw their time with the WIR as simply a stepping stone to more sought after assignments. Long serving British officers and non-commissioned officers, who had built up ties of mutual respect with their men, had mostly dispersed or retired by the end of World War I and in its final years of service the WIR was led by officers seconded from other British regiments for relatively short assignments.
In 1958, with the foundation of the Federation of the West Indies, it was decided to raise the West India Regiment once again. Initially, the 1st Battalion was formed from the nucleus of the Jamaica Regiment. The 2nd and 3rd battalions were also formed by 1960. However, the Federation was short lived, and the regiment again disbanded by 1962, with the constituent battalions becoming the infantry regiments of the two largest islands:
1st Battalion - 1st Battalion, Jamaica Regiment
2nd Battalion - 1st Battalion, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment
3rd Battalion - disbanded
Battle Honours
Dominica, Martinique 1809, Guadeloupe 1810, Ashantee 1873-4, West Africa 1887, West Africa 1892-93-94, Sierra Leone 1898
The Great War (2 battalions): Palestine 1917-18, E. Africa 1916-18, Cameroons 1915-16
See "The Empty Sleeve" by Brian Dyde for a recently (1997) published history of the West India Regiment. ISBN 976-8163-09-7 and "Slaves in Red Coats: The British West India Regiments, 1795-1815" by Roger Norman Buckley (1979) and "Slave and Soldier: The Military Impact of Blacks in the Colonial Americas" by Peter Voelz (1993)
Contents [hide]
1 British West Indies Regiment
2 Caribbean Regiment
3 Sierra Leone Creoles
4 See also
5 References
[edit] British West Indies Regiment
In 1915, a second West Indies regiment was formed from Caribbean volunteers who made their way to Britain. Initially, these volunteers were drafted into a variety of units within the British Army, but in 1915 it was decided to group them together into a single regiment, named the British West Indies Regiment. Initially it was made up of men from:
British Guiana - A Company
Trinidad - B Company
Trinidad and St Vincent - C Company
Grenada and Barbados - D Company
High wastage led to further drafts from Jamaica, British Honduras and Barbados before the regiment was able to begin training. The regiment totalled twelve battalions, and engaged in a number of roles and theatres. The regiment was finally disbanded in 1921.
Battle Honours
The Great War (11 battalions): Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1916-18, Italy 1918, Rumani, Egypt 1916-17, Battles of Gaza, El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Battle of Megiddo 1918, Nablus, Palestine 1917-18
[edit] Caribbean Regiment
Another West Indies regiment was formed in 1944, this time called the Caribbean Regiment. This consisted of members of the local militia forces, as well as direct recruits. The regiment conducted brief training in Trinidad and the United States of America, before being sent to Italy. Once there, the regiment performed a number of general duties behind the front lines - these included the escort of 4,000 PoWs from Italy to Egypt. Subsequently, the regiment undertook mine clearance around the Suez Canal. The regiment returned to the Caribbean in 1946 to be disbanded, having not seen front line action - this was due to inadequate training and partly because of the political impact in the British West Indies if it had incurred heavy casualties.
[edit] Sierra Leone Creoles
The West India Regiment was also taken to Sierra Leone to quell rebellions from the 'settlers' who were rioting. The soldiers of the regiment eventually were discharged and they intermarried with other Sierra Leone Creole Settlers whose descendants today are the Sierra Leone Creole people.
[edit] See also
http://www.westindiaregiment.org/index.htm
Corps of Colonial Marines
Arthur Andrew Cipriani
[edit] References
http://www.yorku.ca/nhp/conferences/...ata_Blyden.PDF
^ "Slavery reparations: An historian's view", BBC Caribbean Service, 2007-03-30. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_India_Regiment"
Categories: Military of Sierra Leone | History of the Caribbean | Politics of the Caribbean | Infantry regiments of the British Army
ViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsSign in / create account Navigation
Main Page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Search
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this article