BRITAIN'S BLACK REGIMENTS: Fighting for Empire and Equality

In three global conflicts and countless colonial campaigns between 1795 and 1945, tens of thousands of black West Indian soldiers fought and died for Britain, first as slave formation the West Indian Regiment, and then as volunteers including African troops. The British West Indies Regiment which served in Europe, the Middle East and Africa during WWI and the 1st Caribbean Infantry which served in Italy and the Middle East during WWII were also part of the British Army rather than colonial formations. All were stepchild units, despised and an embarrassment to an army that was loath to number black soldiers in its ranks and yet unable to do without them; their courage, endurance and loyalty were repaid with prejudice, mistreatment and imperial ingratitude, bigotry and abuse. For many years the West Indies rather than India was the heart of the British Empire. Control of the Caribbean and its riches dominated British colonial policy in the 17th and 18th centuries and Britain fought a long series of wars against France and other European powers for mastery of the islands. Barry Renfrew shines a light on the experiences of these overlooked soldiers who had travelled thousands of miles to serve the empire but were denied recognition in their lifetimes. From British campaigns in the Caribbean to the Second World War, this is a saga of war, bondage, hardship, mutiny, forlorn outposts and remarkable fortitude. Illus, 256 pages.