Lives of the First World War

Remembering the 5th Battalion (the remainder of 4th Jamaica War Contingent - 36 officers, 726 men and the 2nd Barbados Contingent) who sailed from Barbados on HMT Magdalena on 15 September 1916 and Bahamas/Jamaica 30 September. All of the men were volunteers. 14 men died of disease before they arrived at Alexandria, Egypt on 2 November 1916 and are commemorated on the Hollybrook memorial. The 5th battalion became the base depot of the regiment in Egypt, and in February 1917 some of the men were transferred to the 3rd battalion in France. 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 // incomplete.

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