TOPIC:

David

Thank you for sharing the information you found. At another time and place in history, the West Indians may have been shot at dawn! There was probably a lot more about this event that was not officially recorded. Perhaps there is a document in an archive somewhere in the West Indies that will one day reveal the whole story.

Regards
Brett

My apologies! My last post crossed with your much more revealing ones. There is in fact no need for wishful thinking about archives in the West Indies!

Brett

Brett,

It has been very interesting to research this incident this morning as I had not been aware of it before. The ability to search so many data sources on line is amazing.

Re the being shot at down, there was a small exchange at the end of the Hansard report that reflects the contemporary view of the soldiers in the regiment. It said:

Mr. DILLON

With this experience will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that these regiments of coloured troops will not be moved into the more civilised portions of the Empire?

MR. BRODRICK

No. Sir. I cannot give any such undertaking.

Hi
With reference to another current topic the following "St Helena QSA"





I bought the medal more than 30 years ago and I cannot recall having come across another one to the Regt subsequently.
Two Companies of the 1st West India Regiment served on St Helena between Sept 1900 and January 1901. However, Kitchener in person did not recommend them for the QSA "in view of the circumstances of the removal of these two Companies from the island".???!!!

However, almost 200 men of the 3rd Btn, West India Regiment were shown as entitled to the QSA for service on the island after 14 April 1901.Unfortunately the first page of the relevant QSA Roll (WO 100/287) does not display the usual rubber stamp with details of the number of medals actually issued and date of issue

Henk

An example of a QSA named to a Major, 3rd West India Regiment

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

DSO GV;
QSA (0) naming erased, and suspension claw re-affixed;
1914-15 Star, unnamed (not erased);
British War and Victory Medals, with MID (Lt. Col. G. C. Tracy.)

DSO London Gazette 3 June 1918.

MID London Gazette 4 January 1917 and 25 April 1918.

George Courtenay Tracy (also recorded as Tracey) was born in Mayfair, London, on 27 September 1876 and was educated at Radley College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant from the Royal Anglesey Engineers Militia into the West India Regiment on 4 March 1899; was promoted Lieutenant on 25 July 1900; and served with the 3rd Battalion during the Boer War in St. Helena. His medal was posted to him in the Gambia, where he is mentioned in the diary of J. E. Dutton entitled Journey with Lieutenant Tracy.

Tracy transferred to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 22 February 1908, and was promoted Captain on 31 December of that year. He served with the 2nd Battalion and on the Staff during the Great War from July 1915, and was wounded by gun shot to the face on 6 August 1915, spending a week in Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital at Mill Bank. Promoted Major on 1 September 1915, he was latterly promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, Special List, whilst serving as Commandant, School of Instruction, and for his services during the Great War he was twice Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He subsequently served with the 1st Battalion in Ireland, before retiring on 5 May 1920. Emigrating to the United States of America in November 1938, he died in Santa Barbara County, California, on 20 October 1951.

WO100/287p400



The note says 'At Gambia'