From Trinidad to Serve the Empire

London
1916-01-22
Silent
1m

Colonial recruits from Trinidad meet the Lord Mayor of London during WWI

These Trinidadian soldiers are only a handful of the 15,600 men of the British West Indies Regiment who served in WWI. Having volunteered or been conscripted, many such soldiers saw active combat. Devastating casualty numbers meant Britain needed all the help from the Empire it could get, and yet despite their willingness to serve 'the mother country', many recruits suffered discrimination while on service. The ranks here are scrutinised by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Dunn, outside Mansion House.

Before WWI, British colonial troops had been used for imperial defence, but during this truly global conflict the BWIR joined Allied forces on the front line in Palestine and Jordan, as well as performing auxiliary duties in France, Italy and Egypt. The men who formed the 11 battalions of the Regiment came from Caribbean nations including Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and the Bahamas. Officers also came from the pre-existing West India Regiment, originally formed in 1795.

The First World War

From the home front to the front line: life during the 'war to end all wars' as seen through the lens of newsreel, propaganda and drama.

Films made and shown in Britain between 1914 and 1918 reflect the scale and horror of the unfolding conflict across multiple theatres of war, but also capture a nation trying to get on with everyday life. Filmmakers shot everything from local events and celebrations to short comedies that provided a much-needed dose of light relief in difficult times. Insights into the changing role of women in wartime and Britain's reliance on colonial troops can also be found.

After WWI, Armistice Day and Remembrance ceremonies were often caught on film, while British cinema produced epic dramas addressing the experiences of the Great War into the 1920s and beyond.