Following the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 many West Indians left the colonies to enlist in the army in the UK and were recruited into British regiments. However, the War Office was concerned with the number of black soldiers in the army and tried to prevent any people from the West Indies enlisting. Indeed, the War Office threatened to repatriate any who arrived.

Eventually, after much discussion between the Colonial Office and the War Office, and the intervention of King George V, approval to raise a West Indian contingent was given on 19 May 1915. On 26 October 1915 the British West Indies Regiment was established.

The first contingent of the BWIR arrived at Seaford Camp, Sussex on 5 September 1915 for training. Further contingents arrived in 1915 and 1916, and in April 1916 left for Egypt. Later contingents sailed directly for Egypt. Twelve battalions were raised and saw service in East Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Italy and France, mainly as labourers in the ammunition dumps and gun emplacements, often under heavy fire. Towards the end of the war, two battalions saw combat in Palestine and Jordan against the Turks. The BWIR was disbanded in 1919.

A total of 397 officers and 15,204 other ranks, representing all Caribbean colonies, served in the BWIR. Of these 15,601 men, 10,280 (66%) were from Jamaica.

Records of service for men who joined the BWIR are not to be found in the burnt documents in National Archives series WO 363 unless the soldier joined another regiment. It is possible that the records were destroyed by bombing in 1940. However, it is also possible that the records were transferred to the colonial governments since the West Indian governments were responsible for paying separation allowances and eventually war pensions.

Many West Indians were discharged as unfit and it is possible that their medical discharge papers may be found in the National Archives series WO 364. For example, about 200 Jamaicans were discharged in 1916 having suffered the frostbite in Halifax on the Verdula in March 1916.

Also, the Colonial Office co-ordinated correspondence between the individual governors and the War Office, and some information relating to the BWIR is to be found among the records of the Colonial Office; for example separation allowances, nominal rolls, embarkation rolls and casualty lists.

In addition to the BWIR, Bermuda raised two regiments: the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (which was attached to the 1st battalion Royal Lincolnshire Regiment) and the Bermuda Garrison Artillery. There were also two organised contingents: the Trinidad Merchants' and Planters' Contingent and the Barbados Citizens' Contingent. Men from these contingents joined regular British regiments such as the London Regiment and the Devonshire Regiment.

Many West Indians also joined the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force and their records of service are held by the National Archives of Canada. Copies of records of service are available online at www.archives.ca.

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