Insight Visit

The contributions of thousands of men and women from the Caribbean who fought against Hitler and helped rebuild Britain during World War Two has largely been forgotten. Some 10,000 people left their families and homes to join the British Armed Forces. All over the world memories of fallen West Indian soldiers and their heritage, are preserved in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, in horticultural and architectural settings so that their stories can be told, and their sacrifice can never be forgotten.

At the cemetery in Ètaples, Le Touquet in Northern France there is a cluster of eleven (11) British West Indies Regiment (BWIR) graves which will be the destination for this event. In rows 37a, 37b and 37c. Eight (8) of the men laid in rest are Jamaicans and one (1) St Lucian and one (1) Bahamian. These graves stand as a permanent and emblematic reminder of the thousands of men who travelled from the West Indies to fight for our freedom and never returned. The BWIR standards/colours will be presented at the wreath laying ceremony.

By shining a spotlight on the resting places of these West Indians we seek to remember and connect the individuals we commemorate with current and future generations. Many families and decedents still tell stories of their loved ones who died in the Great Wars, but for whom their resting place is unknown, and they speak of those who survived only to face extreme racism when arriving in the UK to support the rebuild of Britain.