Lives of the First World War

Remembering the 1st Battalion of the British West Indies Regiment - 1st Barbados (approx 472 men) and 1st Trinidad (443 men) Contingents who sailed from Trinidad / Guyana / Barbados on HMT Verdala on 18/19/20 September 1915 plus men from Antigua, Grenada and St. Vincent. Between October 1915 and March 1916, Seaford was used as a training camp for the men from the West Indies in preparation for fighting in Europe. Withnoe camp, Whitsand Bay, Plymouth was also an arrival camp. The new arrivals were inadequately clothed for the harsh realities of the British cold in winter and the huts badly insulated. As a result the camps became rife with diseases and men lost their lives totally unnecessarily. The 1st Battalion transferred to Alexandria, Egypt on 21 January, arriving 5 February 1916. For those who died extra information has been collected from the Soldiers' Effects records, but for lots of these men there are only medal records because they managed to survive; (the medal rolls are however split by island and show their original battalion). So they sailed from home, served in the war and then sailed home again, with the regiment not invited to the Peace (Victory) Parade held in London July 1919 // believed to be complete. The 1st Battalion war diary can be viewed along with newspaper cuttings and other archives at http://westindiacommittee.org/caribbeansgreatwar/archives/

http://caribbeanrollofhonour-ww1-ww2.yolasite.com/1st-trinidad-contingent-bwir.php

Created by: , Deborah102878