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Caribbean Armed Forces in WW2?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by tom2000d, Aug 25, 2018.

  1. tom2000d

    tom2000d New Member

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    Hi all, I am currently looking for information on the armed forces (army, navy and air force) of or within the following British Caribbean colonies during ww2 or from the mid-30's to early 50's. I have put the information that I have collected myself next to them

    Bahamas- Canadian Garrison- Veteran Guard of Canada & Pictou Highlanders (1942-1946) ? Personnel

    Barbados- 12 Barbados Personnel Royal Air Force

    Bermuda- Navy & Air Force?
    450 Personnel Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (1939)
    125 Personnel Bermuda Militia Artillery (1942)
    860 US Personnel (1941) & 1,100 US Personnel (1943)

    British Guiana
    31 Guianese Specialised War Work (1941)
    42 Guianese Personnel Royal Navy (1941)
    48 Guianese Personnel Trinidad Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (1943)
    22 Guianese Personnel Royal Air Force (1941)

    'In Guiana, for the purpose of defence, the government organised two militia companies, a garrison, and a Voluntary Civil Defence Organisation.' Does anyone know the strength of each of these?

    British Honduras
    1,300 Personnel British Honduras Forestry Labourers (Served in Scotland) (1943)
    British Honduras Defence Force & British Honduras Home Guard ? Personnel

    Leeward Islands

    Grenada
    139 Personnel Grenada Detachment Windward Islands Garrison Southern Caribbean Force

    St Lucia
    United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force- only info I could find of a military presence here

    St Vincent

    Dominica

    Trinidad & Tobago

    Jamaica

    Cayman Islands

    Antigua

    Montserrat

    British Virgin Islands

    Saint Kitts & Nevis

    Any information would be great, but I am really looking for numbers on each i.e. US army 189,839 Personnel (1939) etc.
    Kind regards, Tom.
     
  2. Terry D

    Terry D Well-Known Member

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    The US 65th Infantry, composed of Puerto Ricans, served in the ETO I believe.

    You might want to investigate the Coast Defense Study Group online. US coastal artillery units were deployed to a number of British islands, I think.
     
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  3. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Haiti - five Haitians from the Haitian Air Force were integrated into the U.S. military (Tuskegee Airmen division) and fought in the war.


    Dominican Republic - It did not directly contribute with troops, aircraft, or ships, however 112 Dominicans were integrated into the U.S. military and fought in the war. In addition, 27 Dominicans were killed when German submarines sank four Dominican-manned ships in the Caribbean.
    World War II by country - Wikipedia

    Check here as well Caribbean participants in the Second World War
    You can also look and read here Chapter XVI: The Caribbean in Wartime
    or here Caribbean aircrew in the RAF during WW2
     
  4. tom2000d

    tom2000d New Member

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    thanks for the info guys. Regards, Tom.
     

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