West Indians Soldiers Of World War I Praised ‘We Must Remember” Representatives of enemy countries of World War I (WWI) came together this week to remember those who fought, died or survived, and to promote cooperation and development over conflict and war between people and nations. Diplomats from Britain, France and Germany, joined representatives of the Government of St. Lucia Tuesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI and to say thanks to the St. Lucians and West Indians who contributed, despite the racism they encountered in the British Armed Forces. “So here we are 100 years after that great war, which we all know was described as the ‘the war to end all wars’,” said Governor General dame Pearlette Louisy, who expressed regret that the foundation of peace that was laid in November 1918 could not be long-lasting, because by 1939 the world was “sadly brought again back to the theatre of war – the Second World War which lasted even longer than the First World War.” She added: “It’s a question of whether we have learnt the lessons of the world wars because we continue to have conflicts, especially regional conflicts. What we need to realize is that peace is not something you fight for a season only; it’s something you need to keep on striving for…” The ceremony was part of the international commemoration of WW1 but also coincided with the time of remembrance of the end of WW II. The Governor General suggested that a commemoration ceremony of WWI should be done annually so that the whole idea of remembrance is not forgotten in time. “We normally speak of World War II, maybe because it is fresher in our memory, but we could never really pin down the contributions of St. Lucians and the British West Indians to World War I. The major highlight of the commemoration ceremony was the official opening of an exhibition of photographs, featuring the contribution of West Indians to the war effort. A section by Historian Dr. Gregor Williams features information on the contribution of St. Lucians to the war. The highlight of the commemoration ceremony was the premier of a documentary film directed by St. Lucian Dale Elliot on WWI. Entitled ‘Guns, Guts & Glory – The Untold Story of WW1’, the idea of the film, according to Elliot was inspired by his young son who once complained that he could not understand why he had been asked to buy a replica ‘poppy’ – the emblem of the blood spilled in the two world wars. World War I started on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. British High Commissioner, Andy Price, noted the quantum of humanity who actively participated in this conflict: 70 million combatants, more than 9 million people killed. “Almost every individual on the continent of Europe and millions worldwide, including in St. Lucia, were impacted in some way, Price said. According to information presented by Dame Pearlette, 11 battalions made up the West Indian regiment with a total of 15, 601 serving men, 359 of which were from St. Lucia. They were posted in France, east Africa, Mesopotamia and Egypt. In none of these theatres were they expected to do any fighting, mainly because of doubts over integration within the British armed forces. Price said the British forces fought and worked together, regardless of nationality, beliefs or upbringing in a war that reached the furthest corners of the world. “And it’s important that we do not forget that shared endeavor and that we continue to pause and remember the lessons of that terrible war and pass them on to younger generations,” Price said, adding that “we owe individuals who fought in the war a great deal; they showed immense courage and paid a great sacrifice. But we must learn from this past to build a better future. Today in St. Lucia and across the world we see former foes standing side-by-side sharing peace and prosperity, as we do with our French and German neighbours…and we do specifically in the European Union today.” Dame Pearlette triggered a patriotic fervor resulting in overwhelming support for Britain in a conflict that was likely to impinge on their own region. She said the colonies expressed their loyalty by fund-raising in the different islands competing to produce the largest sums. Contributions were frequently in commodities – sugar, rum and raw materials -- rather than money. The Islands also paid for nine aircraft for the naval and armed air services. There was enthusiasm for the war effort because the people of the Caribbean had been led to view themselves as part of the British Empire and to take a degree of pride in membership of that group. The war presented an image of the mother country in peril and so the West Indians were eager to help. “Sadly, many of those who volunteered, in some cases paying and making their own way to Britain, received a rather cool reception in the initial period,” Dame Pearlete said. In one case, nine Barbadians who traveled on one of the warships were arrested for being stowaways and remanded in prison for a few days. And it took some time before the War Office agreed to establish a British West Indian Regiment. Thus the West Indians were treated more as labour units, dampening their enthusiasm back home for the war. The numbers of volunteers gradually decreased as the war dragged on. “But in spite of it all, in spite of the initial sort-of non-acceptance of that patriotic fervor, of wanting to help because it’s our country, the West Indian troops learnt the praise of those who commanded them. They were praised for having a keen interest in their work, for their cheerfulness, their coolness under fire, their intelligent application of what was required of them and the necessary ability to carry it out under difficult conditions. And when conditions seemed most hopeless, they never seemed to give in. Their saving grace of humour seemed always to be present,” Dame Pearlette added.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:28:10 +0000