Remembrance Day WW1

By Tom Clifford

More than a century has passed since the guns fell silent on the 11thhour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Men and supplies from the Caribbean were vital to the success of the Allies in what was then termed the Great War, and the war to end all wars. Later in the 20th century we realised this was wildly optimistic and allocated numbers to world wars.

The British colonies in the West Indies quickly pledged their support to Britain in men, money and materials when war broke out in 1914.

King George V called for “men of every class, creed and colour” to join the fight against Germany. That call was enthusiastically answered by thousands of West Indian young men who wanted to play a role in this great struggle and prove their loyalty to the king. Being young, a sense of adventure and the knowledge that they would get a regular wage also influenced their actions.

But there was another reason. Taking up arms for Britain was seen as an opportunity to advance claims for representative government within the islands. Though this was not an opinion with universal appeal.

Some felt that this was a “white man’s war” and that West Indians should not get involved. Men that enlisted to fight were jeered, in various locations, as they marched.

The British West Indies Regiment attracted about 16,000 volunteers.

Rum, sugar, cocoa and lime juice from the Caribbean were vital for the British forces and also needed in Britain. Mahogany from British Honduras (now Belize) was used to make propellers for planes, sea island cotton for observation balloons and Trinidad’s oil was vital for the Royal Navy. Germany was aware of how crucial these supplies were. U-boats were deployed to choke off supplies from the Caribbean to Britain. This had some success. The Vegetable Produce Act of 1917 was introduced in Barbados and landowners had to plant a designated amount of land with vegetables.

In many ways, of course, we are still dealing with the conflict’s consequences. The social order in Europe was changed forever. Empires collapsed, revolutions broke out, fascism took root.

Fascist ideas are increasingly mainstream today and are appealing to voters in some democracies.

One of the wealthiest men in the world can give what appears to be a fascist salute in public and still go on to be richly remunerated by his company. Hitler promised to make Germany great again. The president of the US promotes a slogan that uses three of those four words.