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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.
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Created by: , Deborah102878
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Born 1894
Died 1958
British Army Captain British West Indies Regiment
Air Force (RAF/RFC) Captain Royal Air Force
More about Robert Karl Nunes -
British Army Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
More about Henry Howard Kohler -
British Army 4861 Warrant Officer Class 2 Yorkshire Regiment 11th west Battalion
More about William Hamilton -
Born 1893
Died 1918
Australian Imperial Force 44
More about Stanley Arthur Loram -
British Army Temporary Captain Army Service Corps
British Army Captain Army Service Corps
British Army Major Army Service Corps attached British West Indies Regiment
More about Stanley Arthur Trick -
British Army 15992 Private Leicestershire Regiment
British Army 15992 Serjeant Leicestershire Regiment
More about Thomas Shropshire -
British Army Major British West Indies Regiment Attached Liverpool Regiment
British Army Lieutenant Colonel British West Indies Regiment
British Army Lieutenant Colonel Liverpool Regiment
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More about Edmund Chalenor Ogle -
Born 1884
British Army 1869 Corporal Monmouthshire Regiment
British Army 290313 Company Serjeant Major Monmouthshire Regiment
British Army 4070721 Warrant Officer Class 2 Monmouthshire Regiment
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More about Alexander Forbes -
Born 1894
British Army PS/8580 Private Royal Fusiliers 19th Battalion
British Army Second Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Reginald Emanuel Collins -
Born 1890
Died 1918
Other Empire Force 6489 Private Jamaica War Contingent
British Army 7520 Private British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Theophilus Leo Arwin -
Born 1896
British Army Captain British West Indies Regiment
British Army Second Lieutenant Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment)
British Army 1565 Private London Regiment 1/28th london regiment (artist Battalion
More about William Sidney Spinney -
British Army Lieutenant British West Indies Regiment
More about Leonard Roy Andrews -
Born 1893
Died 1917
British Army 8601 Private British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Jeremiah Grant -
Died 1917
British Army 7427 Private British West Indies Regiment 6th Battalion
More about Uriah Matts