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More than 16,000 men from the West Indies served in World War One.

After the outbreak of war, many West Indians volunteered to serve. Despite initial reluctance to recruit them, the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR) was created in 1915 to serve overseas.

The first soldiers arrived in Seaford in the winter of 1915 for military training at North Camp. They were unprepared for the harsh weather conditions and suffered severe frostbite, which in several cases led to amputations. Deaths were also recorded.

Soldiers of the BWIR faced discrimination and many worked as labourers rather than on the front line. Despite the inequalities, West Indian soldiers contributed to the war effort right across the globe and their return home contributed to the increasing nationalist movement in the West Indies.

Jacqueline Grant narrates the story of how the British West Indies served 鈥淕od and Country鈥�.

Location: North Camp, Seaford, Sussex BN25 3JE
Image: Soldiers of the BWIR, courtesy of IWM

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