An elite regiment from the CaribbeanThis is an excellent regiment history of a British colonial force raised in the West Indies among the coloured population whose ancestors had in former times been brought against their will to the islands as slaves. Essential for all those interested in the British Army and its colonial forces. It saw service away from its familiar shores including the War of 1812 during the Napoleonic period and on the African continent in action against the Ashanti.This fascinating book reveals the exploits of an unusual regiment undertaking exemplary service in unusual theatres of operation. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados and many others islands. Vincent, St. Its service continued through many actions in the Indies themselves including service on Martinique, St. The regiments has a long career dating to the middle of the eighteenth century and the War of American Independence. However, the fact remains this regiment has been highly regarded and received the warmest praise from every commander who served with them-including the legendary Sir John Moore of Peninsular War fame, who believed them to be invaluable. This would be an understandable reason why such troops would not necessarily be of the highest order. Available in soft cover or hard cover with dust jacket for collectors.

Buckley's acute analysis shows how the creation of a large body of slave soldiers caused dramatic modifications in the social order. To avoid conflict with police regulations, for example, it was necessary in 1807 for Parliament to manumit 10,000 military slaves by a single act. Slaves in Red Coats is the first systematic analysis of the effect of war on New World slavery.

Demonstrates how Britain's black soldiers helped shape the very idea of race in the nineteenth century Atlantic world.

Reproduction of the original: The First West India Regiment by A.B. Ellis

Glenford Howe's social history of the soldiers of the British West Indies Regiment assesses the impact of World War One on West Indian history and reveals the true nature of military relations and the gradual decline in morale.

'An incredible and important story, finally being told' - Mishal Husain On 28 May 1940, Major Akbar Khan marched at the head of 299 soldiers along a beach in northern France. They were the only Indians in the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk. With Stuka sirens wailing, shells falling in the water and Tommies lining up to be evacuated, these soldiers of the British Indian Army, carrying their disabled imam, found their way to the East Mole and embarked for England in the dead of night. On reaching Dover, they borrowed brass trays and started playing Punjabi folk music, upon which even 'many British spectators joined in the dance'. What journey had brought these men to Europe? What became of them – and of comrades captured by the Germans? With the engaging style of a true storyteller, Ghee Bowman reveals in full, for the first time, the astonishing story of the Indian Contingent, from their arrival in France on 26 December 1939 to their return to an India on the verge of partition. It is one of the war's hidden stories that casts fresh light on Britain and its empire.

This book highlights the important, yet often forgotten, roles that Jamaican women played in the World Wars. Predicated on the notion that warfare has historically been an agent of change, Dalea Bean contends that traces of this truism were in Jamaica and illustrates that women have historically been part of the war project, both as soldiers and civilians. This ground-breaking work fills a gap in the historiography of Jamaican women by positioning the World Wars as watershed periods for their changing roles and status in the colony. By unearthing critical themes such as women’s war work as civilians, recruitment of men for service in the British West India Regiment, the local suffrage movement in post-Great War Jamaica, and Jamaican women’s involvement as soldiers in the British Army during the Second World War, this book presents the most extensive and holistic account of Jamaican women’s involvement in the wars.

In 1914 Britain was home to at least 10,000 black Britons, many of African and West Indian heritage. Most of them were loyal to the 'mother country' when the First World War broke out. Despite being discouraged from serving in the British Army, men managed to join all branches of the forces, while black communities contributed to the war effort on the home front. By 1918 it is estimated that Britain's black population had trebled to 30,000, as many black servicemen who had fought for Britain decided to make it their home. It was far from a happy ending, however, as they and their families often came under attack from white ex-servicemen and civilians increasingly resentful of their presence. With first-hand accounts and original photographs, Black Poppies is the essential guide to the military and civilian wartime experiences of black men and women, from the trenches to the music halls. It is intended as a companion to Stephen Bourne's previous books published by The History Press: Mother Country: Britain's Black Community on the Home Front 1939–45 and The Motherland Calls: Britain's Black Servicemen and Women 1939–45.