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War diary of the 6th Battalion British West Indies Regiment
War diary of the 6th Battalion British West Indies Regiment
An outbreak of measles and broncho-pneumonia during the voyage from Jamaica on 30 March 1917 caused some of the serious cases to be landed on the islands of Martinique and St. Lucia. 1 officer and 10 other ranks died (between 14 and 30 April) during the voyage or shortly after arrival in Brest, France on 19 April. At the end of the month the whole battalion was put into isolation owing to an outbreak of mumps. From the end of January 1918 the battalion was stationed at Taranto, Italy, and from the 1st March at the request of the Italian authorities, passes into town were restricted to 2 per company per day. The battalion moved back to France towards the end of April, leaving the camp standing. On 15 June an aeroplane crashed into the garden of a house in the village of Flesselles and immediately burst into flames. About 12 men of the battalion rushed to the spot and did excellent work , in conjunction with other troops in the village, in extinguishing the fire, thereby preventing it from spreading, and recovering the bodies of the pilot (2/Lieut Sydney Jones) and observer (2/Lieut Stanley Arthur Loram). Amongst the names in the community are men from other regiments; this is because army regulations did not allow black soldiers to rise to senior ranks and it was therefore necessary for senior NCOs to be attached to BWIR to complete the establishment. At the end of the diary in April 1919 it is noted that 100 men are employed in the cemetery in Taranto.
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/5197
Created by: , Deborah102878
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Born 1899
Died 1975
British Army Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
More about James Ernald Robert Braham -
British Army Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
British Army Captain British West Indies Regiment
More about Horace Eugene Reid -
Born 1898
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
More about Harry Lawford Knaggs -
British Army Captain British West Indies Regiment
More about Aylmer Herbert Cormac Mccormack -
British Army 3316 Acting Warrant Officer Class 1 West Yorkshire Regiment
More about Charles Lane -
Born 1896
Died 1919
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
Air Force (RAF/RFC) Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force
Air Force (RAF/RFC) Lieutenant Royal Air Force
More about John Mcfarlane Denholm Mills, A.f.c. -
Born 1893
British Army 9712 Acting Serjeant Leicestershire Regiment
British Army 9712 Lance Corporal Leicestershire Regiment 1st Battalion
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
More about Jabez Henry Southwick -
British Army 21357 Serjeant West Riding Regiment
British Army 14422 Serjeant Labour Corps attached British West Indies Regiment
More about William S Goldson -
Born 1893
Died 1918
Australian Imperial Force 1577
Australian Imperial Force Second Lieutenant Australian Flying Corps
More about Sydney Jones -
Born 1895
Other Empire Force 6716 Private Jamaica War Contingent
British Army 8165 Private British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about George Murray -
British Army 7268 Private British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Theophilus A Bailey -
Died 1917
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about L G Silvera -
Born 1897
Died 1979
Air Force (RAF/RFC)
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment attached Royal Air Force 6th Battalion attached No.7 Squadron
British Army Temporary Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
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More about Roderick 'roy' Cameron Mais -
Born 1877
British Army 4346 Warrant Officer Class 2 Devonshire Regiment
British Army Devonshire Regiment 3rd Battalion
More about Owen James Payne -
British Army 4th Army Chaplain Royal Army Chaplains Department
British Army Reverend Royal Army Chaplains Department
More about Alfred George Burnham -
British Army Captain British West Indies Regiment
More about Robert Clinton De Pass -
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Born 1870
British Army Captain Reverend Royal Army Chaplains' Department attached British West Indies Regiment 9th Battalion
More about John Luce Ramson -
British Army
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Robert Bruce Parkinson