The following resource has been made to pay tribute and encourage research into the unknown Caribbean soldiers who served Britain in the First and Second World Wars, as well as the later Windrush generation whose great contributions left an enduring mark on British society.
Below is a guide to locating Caribbean library resources in IWM London's Research Room, including how to search collections, book a Research Room appointment and reading list.
Please take care while reading, some of the following resources will cover racist, sexist and homophobic attitudes.
Reading the West Indies Reading list
About IWM's collections
IWM's Library collection holds significant printed material including books, periodicals, pamphlets, and ephemera items charting Caribbean involvement in war and conflict throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. As well as recent publications, some of this material is of historical value and has been added to the collection through purchases or generous donations from members of the public. The collection continues to grow through active acquisitions.
First World War
Caribbean people joined the army through the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR) (1915). The regiment consisted of 11 battalions coming from many different parts of the Caribbean, they served across the Western Front, the Middle East and Africa. Despite the military colour bar Caribbean people also joined the RAF and served as ground crew and pilots. Similarly, the Navy’s adherence to the colour bar restricted their roles to service work. Read more about their stories below:
- LBY 98 / 26: The empty sleeve: the story of the West India Regiments of the British Army by Brian Dyde.
- LBY 08 / 191: Caribbean wars untold: a salute to the British West Indies by Humphrey Metzgen and John Graham.
- LBY 10 / 807: No labour, no battle: military labour during the First World War by John Starling and Ivor Lee.
- LBY 98 / 1879: The Empire needs men: the contribution made in the First World War by Africans, Asians and West Indians: a multi-media resource pack compiled by staff in the Education Office.
- LBY 08 / 832: Race, war and nationalism: a social history of West Indians in the First World War by Glenford Deroy Howe.
- LBY 08 / 822: Jamaican volunteers in the First World War: race, masculinity and the development of national consciousness by Richard Smith.
- LBY 11365: Jamaica's part in the Great War 1914-1918 by Frank Cundall.
- LBY 08 / 1306: Brave young Grenadians - loyal British subjects: our people in the First and Second World Wars by George Brizan.
- LBY 19 / 2360: Black poppies: Britain's black community and the Great War by Stephen Bourne.
- LBY 23 / 381: African and Afro-Caribbean repatriation, 1919-1922: Black voices by Jane L. Chapman. LBY 23 / 381
Second World War
After the BWIR was disbanded (1921) the Caribbean Regiment (1944) was established and served in North Africa, Italy and the Middle East. In the RAF due to the colour bar being lifted in 1939 it became easier for Caribbean people to enlist and take on significant positions. However, the Navy was still insistent on retaining the colour bar even after it had been lifted, so fewer Caribbean people joined. At the same time Caribbean women also served in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (1943) in a range of roles from clerical workers to manning anti-aircraft guns and barrage balloons. Read more about their stories below:
- LBY 13 / 311: Under one flag: how indigenous and ethnic peoples of the Commonwealth and former British Empire helped Great Britain win World War II by Erica Myers-Davis.
- LBY 98 / 236: Together: the contribution made in the Second World War by African, Asian and Caribbean men and women: a multi-media resource pack compiled by staff in the Education Department.
- LBY 12 / 1984: The Motherland calls: Britain's black servicemen and women, 1939-1945 by Stephen Bourne.
- LBY 23 / 160: World War II and the Caribbean edited by Karen E Eccles and Debbie McCollin.
- LBY K. 92 / 32: The Caribbean at war: 'British West Indians' in World War II by North Kensington Archive
- LBY 96 / 189: On the march: labour rebellions in the British Caribbean, 1934-39 by O Nigel Bolland.
- LBY 14 / 705 Unsung war heroes of Saint Lucia: honouring Saint Lucia's servicemen and servicewomen and commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, 2005 edited by Gregor Williams.
- LBY 86 / 1234: Jamaica airman: a black airman in Britain 1943 and after by E Martin Noble.
- LBY 23 / 86: Now you know: the memoirs of Allan Charles Wilmot WWII serviceman and post-war entertainer by Allan Charles Wilmot.
- LBY 00 / 1602: Climbing up the rough side of the mountain by Sam King.
Windrush and Beyond
Windrush marks the large-scale migration of many Caribbean people arriving or returning to Britain after the Second World War. Their contributions to British society are indelible, aided Britain in its post-Second World War recovery taking up roles in production, transport and the NHS as well as providing massive amounts of culture through art, writing and music. Despite facing racial discrimination, the Windrush generation countered with strong community resistance through, Pardner Hand, Saturday schools and civil rights organisations. Read more about their stories below:
- LBY 23 / 174: Windrush: 75 years of modern Britain by Mike Phillips and Trevor Phillips
- LBY 23 / 550: Bonds of empire: West Indians and Britishness from Victoria to decolonization by Anne Spry Rush
- LBY 13 / 1257: With hope in their eyes by Vivienne Francis.
- LBY 13 / 1259: Keep on moving: the Windrush legacy: the black experience in Britain from 1948 by Tony Sewell.
- LBY 07 / 1820: Whitewashing Britain: race and citizenship in the postwar era by Kathleen Paul
- LBY 11 / 1228: Mother country: Britain's black community on the Home Front 1939-45 by Stephen Bourne
- LBY 23 / 87: Negro victory: the life story of Dr. Harold Moody by David A. Vaughan
- LBY 08 / 1267: Many struggles: West Indian workers and service personnel in Britain (1939-45) by Marika Sherwood
- LBY 24 / 50: Race, sexuality and identity in Britain and Jamaica: the biography of Patrick Nelson, 1916-1963 by Gemma Romain
- LBY 23 / 68: When I came to England: an oral history of life in 1950s and 1960s Britain by Z. Nia Reynolds
Caribbean Women
- LBY 91 / 724: West Indian women at war: British racism in World War II by Ben Bousquet and Colin Douglas
- LBY 94 / 182: When the nation was in need: blacks in the Women's Army Corps during World War II by Martha S. Putney
- LBY 23 / 88: Jamaican women and the world wars: on the front lines of change by Dalea Bean
- LBY 24 / 237: Writing the radio war: literature, politics and the BBC, 1939-1945 by Ian Whittington
- LBY 18 / 260: War to Windrush: black women in Britain 1939 to 1948 by Stephen Bourne
- LBY K. 20 / 216: Esther Bruce: a Black London seamstress: her story 1912-1994 by Stephen Bourne and Esther Bruce
E- Resources
Below are e-resources available in the Research Room as well as some examples to help you start your research journey.
Service Newspapers of World War Two
- “Caribbean Regiment”
- “West Indians AND RAF”
British newspaper archive
- Dominica Guardian
- Voice of St. Lucia
- The Keys
The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History
- The British Labour Party and the West Indies, 1918–39 by Neal R. Malmsten
- ‘Playing the Russian Game’: Black Radicalism, the Press, and Colonial Office Attempts to Control Anti-Colonialism in the Early Cold War, 1946–50 by Leslie E. James
- All in the Same Uniform’? The Participation of Black Colonial Residents in the British Armed Forces in the First World War by Jacqueline Jenkinson
JSTOR
- Colour, Climate, and Combat: The Caribbean Regiment in the Second World War by Michael S. Healy
- A Source of Black Nationalism in the Caribbean: The Revolt of the British West Indies Regiment at Taranto, Italy by W. F. Elkins
- Una Marson: Black Nationalist and Feminist Writer by Honor Ford-Smith
Oral Histories
How to search Collections Online
Collections Online is a search engine which is used to explore Imperial War Museums online catalogue. Below includes an introduction on how to navigate this catalogue as well as some useful tips to help get you started.
To start type a keyword related to your subject into the search box. Make sure to select the ‘Show all records’ button as this will search our entire collection not just digitised items.
To search solely for library books, go to filter 'Object Category' underneath the search bar and select ‘Books’.
You can also narrow down your results with the ‘Related Period’ filter. This will ensure that only results created relating in that period will appear in your search.
You can further refine your results through selecting more filters via ‘Show more filters’. For example, selecting 'creator' is useful when searching for a particular author, subjects are good for searching particular topics.
When researching your topic consider the best keywords that will help you find the information. Try to come up with a variety of search terms and synonyms relating to your research topic.
Make sure not to be too specific when searching as you are unlikely to return many results instead try broader keywords that will attract more results.
Advanced searching tips
Phrase search by using quotation marks to narrow your search, this instructs Collections Online to include only your search terms as they appear next to each other. Use this when you want very specific results.
For example: “Harold Moody”
You can also use search operators like AND, OR, NOT to further narrow or extend your search range:
- AND: to narrow your search, this instructs the Collections Online to include all search terms.
- OR: to extend your search, this instructs Collections Online to return all or at least one of your search terms.
- NOT: to narrow your search, this instructs Collections Online to ignore results that contain a particular word.
For example: Trinidad AND RAF
For example: Caribbean OR West Indies
For example: Jamaica NOT navy
How to book an appointment in the Research Room
The Research Room is a free service, and no form of ID is needed to make an appointment. Our staff are very friendly so please ask if you’re unsure about anything.
The IWM Archive and Research Room is open from 10am – 4:30pm Tuesday-Friday. Mondays are reserved to accommodate four researchers for viewing 3D objects or artworks subject to availability.
Book your appointment in the Research Room using our online booking calendar.
Our booking calendar shows how many spaces are available for each day. If a day is blank, this means there are no available slots in the Research Room. To filter by a certain day or month navigate to the left side of the page to ‘Filter by Day’ and ‘Filter by Month’ or use the arrows at the bottom of the page to cycle through different days.
When you have chosen a day click on the slot, this will take you to the ‘Booking Request’ page.
When inputting the details of your material you have found in your Collections Online search ensure that you correctly type in the catalogue number, including any the prefixes which may look like ‘LBY’ ‘LBY K.’ or ‘LBY E.’ Copying and pasting the catalogue number is recommended. Click ‘Add’ to enter up to 10 items for your appointment.
Once you’ve completed your booking a member of the Collections Access and Research team will get in touch with further information about your appointment.
If you have trouble with the process, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed reading this the below links maybe of interest.
How the West Indies Regiment helped the War Effort in the First World War
The Story of the British West Indies Regiment in the First World War
The Black British Soldiers who were deliberately forgotten
IWM Commission: England Calling