Military history of Barbados: Difference between revisions

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The military history of Barbados comprises hundreds of years of military activity on the island of Barbados, as well as international military and peacekeeping operations in which Barbadians took part.

Colonial history

Throughout the colonial history of Barbados, Britain routinely stationed large segments of its West India regimental troops on the island of Barbados. The troops acted principally as a force to secure the island against any invasion by other European powers as well as to help protect other neighbouring British territories in the Eastern Caribbean from invasion. Militia numbers were substantially increased after a series of slave revolts in the West Indies—including Barbados—during the first quarter of the 19th century. So successful were British colonial troop deployments to Barbados, it has been said that Barbados is the only country in the Caribbean region never to have changed hands since the British first landed and established the city of Jamestown (around the first quarter century of the 17th century) until independence.

World War II

Twelve Barbados men made up the Second Barbados Contingent of Volunteers for the Armed Forces. They were recruited for the Royal Air Force. They left Barbados for England in November 1940 to fight against Germany. One pilot was Errol Walton Barrow, later the first Prime Minister of Barbados,^[1] who became an officer in the Royal Air Force. By 1945 Barrow had risen to the rank of flying officer and was appointed as personal navigator to the Commander in Chief of the British Zone of occupied Germany.

On 11 September 1942 German submarine U-514 was patrolling the waters of Barbados where it torpedoed the Canadian steam merchant ship Cornwallis off the coastline of the capital city. The ship was brought ashore in Barbados before it was released and was torpedoed a second time and sank. The shipwreck was later turned into a reef and marine park.^[2] The prize winning Barbadian novelist Austin Clarke writes in detail surrounding this attack in his novels "Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir" and Giller Prize-winning The Polished Hoe. The books talk about the economic hardship felt in Barbados after it was cut off from global trade by Germany.^[3]

Post-independence history

As an independent country, Barbados has a moderate sized military command. Its force is made up of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), which consists of the Barbados Regiment, the Barbados Coast Guard, and the Barbados Air Wing, in addition to other governmental commands within the country. These forces together are administered under the office of the Prime Minister of Barbados. These forces often act in concert to maintain law and order in the country as well as to root out illegal activity and other threats. With the backing of the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS) Barbados has a framework for calling in a follow-on military command from other Caribbean islands, and in the most severe of cases, from the larger international community. The Barbados Air Wing consists of one Cessna 402 aircraft based at Grantley Adams International Airport.

In 2009 the Barbados Defence Force contributed to USSOUTHCOM-maneuver Fuerzas Commando 2009 in Brazil.^[4]

References

^ "The Second Contingent". Barbados Postal Service. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
^ Metzgen, Humphrey (2007). Caribbean wars untold. University of West Indies Press. ISBN 978-9766402037.
^ Clarke, Austin (2000). Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir. Random House of Canada. ISBN 0679310304.
^ [1] Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine

This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)
World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 343 Sheet 01
Hartland, Major Michael (December 2007). A Concise & Illustrated Military History. Miller Publishing Company. ISBN 978-976-8215-20-8.
Hartland, Major Michael (9 December 2009). The Great Guns of Barbados. Miller Publishing Company. ISBN 978-976-9515-35-2.
Fraser, Henry S. (21 August 2011). "Things That Matter: The Great Guns of Barbados". The Barbados Advocate. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2011.

External links

Eastern Caribbean Regional Security System – regionally based in Barbados
History and Development, The Ministry of Community Development & Culture, Barbados
Barbados Cadet Corps
Regiments.org
Flags of the Barbados Regiment, Flags of the World online

[1] "The Second Contingent". Barbados Postal Service. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2009.

[untold-2] Metzgen, Humphrey (2007). Caribbean wars untold. University of West Indies Press. ISBN 978-9766402037.

[3] Clarke, Austin (2000). Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir. Random House of Canada. ISBN 0679310304.

[4] [1] Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|none}}
-==History==
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
-Throughout the colonial history of [[Barbados]], [[United Kingdom|Britain]] routinely stationed large segments of its [[West India Regiment|West India regimental]] troops on the island of Barbados.  The troops acted principally as a force to secure the island against any invasion by other European powers as well as to help protect other neighbouring British territories in the Eastern Caribbean from invasion.  So successful were British colonial troop deployments to Barbados, it has been said that Barbados is the only country in the [[Caribbean]] region never to have changed hands since the British first landed and established the city of [[Holetown|Jamestown]] (around the first quarter century of the 17th century) until independence.
+The '''military history of Barbados''' comprises hundreds of years of military activity on the island of [[Barbados]], as well as international military and peacekeeping operations in which Barbadians took part.
-==World War II==
+==Colonial history==
+Throughout the colonial history of [[Barbados]], [[United Kingdom|Britain]] routinely stationed large segments of its [[West India Regiment|West India regimental]] troops on the island of Barbados.  The troops acted principally as a force to secure the island against any invasion by other European powers as well as to help protect other neighbouring British territories in the Eastern Caribbean from invasion. Militia numbers were substantially increased after a series of slave revolts in the West Indies—including Barbados—during the first quarter of the 19th century. So successful were British colonial troop deployments to Barbados, it has been said that Barbados is the only country in the [[Caribbean]] region never to have changed hands since the British first landed and established the city of [[Holetown|Jamestown]] (around the first quarter century of the 17th century) until independence.
-Twelve Barbados men made up the Second Barbados Contingent of Volunteers for the Armed Forces. They were recruited for the [[Royal Air Force]]. They left Barbados for [[England]] in November 1940 to fight against Germany. One pilot was [[Errol Walton Barrow]] who became an officer in the [[Royal Air Force]]. On November 30, 1966 he became the first [[Prime Minister of Barbados]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bps.gov.bb/index.php?ZZZ=1_1055_10_0_0_&YYY=28_105 |title=The Second Contingent |accessdate=2009-07-05 |quote= |publisher=[[Barbados|Barbados Postal Service]] }}</ref>  By 1945 Barrow had risen to the rank of [[Flying Officer]] and was appointed as personal navigator to the Commander in Chief of the [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|British Zone]] of occupied Germany. In September 1942 during [[World War II]], a German [[U-Boat]] was patrolling the waters of Barbados where it torpedoed the [[HMS Cornwallis]] <!--May be HMS Cornwallis-->off the coastline of the capital city.  The ship was brought ashore in Barbados before it was released and was torpedoed a second time and sank.  The shipwreck was later turned into a reef and Marine park.<ref name=untold>{{cite book |last=Metzgen |first=Humphrey |authorlink=Humphrey Metzgen |coauthors= |title=Caribbean wars untold |year=2007 |publisher=[[University of West Indies Press]] |quote= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=a59YIzh9y18C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=SS+Cornwallis+World+War+II&source=bl&ots=bQMGxCPs45&sig=BbnhFaN-XWbZ0H_f2S4iLmNsYVg&hl=en&ei=fx5RSvDWM5DIMK_1xPUP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 |isbn=9766402035 }}</ref>  The prize winning Barbadian novelist [[Austin Clarke]] writes in detail surrounding this attack in his novels "Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir" and [[Giller Prize]]-winning ''[[The Polished Hoe]]''.  The books talk about the economic hardship felt in Barbados after it was cut off from global trade by Germany.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Austin |authorlink=Austin Clarke |coauthors= |title=Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir |year=2000 |publisher=[[Random House of Canada]] |quote= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fCgBAAAACAAJ&dq |isbn=0679310304 }}</ref>
-==Today==
+===World War II===
+[[File:West Indians in Britain during the Second World War CH11478.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Air Force]] servicemen from the [[British West Indies]], A. O. Weekes of [[Barbados]] (left), and A. Joseph of [[Trinidad]] (right), during [[World War II]].]]
-Today as a fully independent country, Barbados has a moderate sized military command.  This force is made up of the ''Barbados Defence Force'' (BDF) The ''Barbados Ground Forces'', the ''Barbados Coast Guard'', and the ''Royal Barbados Police Force'' (RBPF) in addition to other governmental command in the country.  These forces together are administered under the office of the Barbados Prime Minister.  These forces often act in concert to maintain law and order in the country as well as to route-out illegal activity and other threats to the country of Barbados.  With the backing of the Eastern Caribbean's [[Regional Security System]] (RSS) Barbados has a framework for calling in a follow-on military command from other Caribbean islands as well and in the most severe of cases, from the larger International community. The Barbados Air Wing consists of one [[Cessna 402]] aircraft based at [[Grantley Adams International Airport]].
+Twelve Barbados men made up the Second Barbados Contingent of Volunteers for the Armed Forces. They were recruited for the [[Royal Air Force]]. They left Barbados for [[England]] in November 1940 to fight against Germany. One pilot was [[Errol Walton Barrow]], later the first [[Prime Minister of Barbados]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bps.gov.bb/index.php?ZZZ=1_1055_10_0_0_&YYY=28_105 |title=The Second Contingent |access-date=2009-07-05 |publisher=[[Barbados|Barbados Postal Service]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220151547/http://bps.gov.bb/index.php?ZZZ=1_1055_10_0_0_&YYY=28_105 |archive-date=20 February 2012 }}</ref> who became an officer in the [[Royal Air Force]].  By 1945 Barrow had risen to the rank of [[flying officer]] and was appointed as personal navigator to the Commander in Chief of the [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|British Zone]] of occupied Germany.
+On 11 September 1942 [[German submarine U-514]] was patrolling the waters of Barbados where it torpedoed the Canadian steam merchant ship [[List of shipwrecks in September 1942#11 September|''Cornwallis'']] off the coastline of the capital city.  The ship was brought ashore in Barbados before it was released and was torpedoed a second time and sank.  The shipwreck was later turned into a reef and marine park.<ref name=untold>{{cite book |last=Metzgen |first=Humphrey |author-link=Humphrey Metzgen |title=Caribbean wars untold |year=2007 |publisher=[[University of West Indies Press]] | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a59YIzh9y18C&q=SS+Cornwallis+World+War+II&pg=PA160|isbn=978-9766402037 }}</ref> The prize winning Barbadian novelist [[Austin Clarke (novelist)|Austin Clarke]] writes in detail surrounding this attack in his novels "Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir" and [[Giller Prize]]-winning ''[[The Polished Hoe]]''.  The books talk about the economic hardship felt in Barbados after it was cut off from global trade by Germany.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Austin |author-link=Austin Clarke (novelist)|title=Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir |year=2000 |publisher=[[Random House of Canada]] | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCgBAAAACAAJ |isbn=0679310304 }}</ref>
-In 2009 the ''Barbados Defence Force'' contributed to [[USSOUTHCOM]]-maneuver ''Fuerzas Commando 2009'' in Brazil.<ref>http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=119</ref>
+==Post-independence history==
-==Facts & figures==
+As an independent country, Barbados has a moderate sized military command. Its force is made up of the [[Barbados Defence Force]] (BDF), which consists of the [[Barbados Regiment]], the [[Barbados Coast Guard]], and the [[Barbados Air Wing]], in addition to other governmental commands within the country.  These forces together are administered under the office of the [[Prime Minister of Barbados]].  These forces often act in concert to maintain law and order in the country as well as to root out illegal activity and other threats.  With the backing of the Eastern Caribbean's [[Regional Security System]] (RSS) Barbados has a framework for calling in a follow-on military command from other Caribbean islands, and in the most severe of cases, from the larger international community. The Barbados Air Wing consists of one [[Cessna 402]] aircraft based at [[Grantley Adams International Airport]].
-; Military branches:
-:* [[Barbados Defence Force]] (includes)
+In 2009 the ''Barbados Defence Force'' contributed to [[USSOUTHCOM]]-maneuver ''Fuerzas Commando 2009'' in Brazil.<ref>[http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=119] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928211501/http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=119 |date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>
-::* Ground Forces or Troops Command
-::* Coast Guard
-::* [[Barbados Air Wing]]
-; Military service age and obligation:
-: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)
-; Manpower available for military service:
-:* males age 18-49: 71,524
-:* females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.)
-; Manpower fit for military service:
-:* males age 18-49: 54,510
-:* females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.)
-; Military expenditures - dollar figure:
-: $NA
-; Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
-: NA%
 ==See also==
 * [[Barbados]]
 * [[Barbados Regiment]]
+* [[History of Barbados]]
 * [[Landship (Barbados)|Barbados Landship]]
 * [[Regional Security System]]
@@ Line 40: / Line 29: @@
 * {{CIA World Factbook|year=2006}}
 * ''World Aircraft Information Files.'' Brightstar Publishing, London. File 343 Sheet 01
-* {{cite book |last1=Hartland |first1=Major Michael |authorlink1= |last2= |first2= |authorlink2= |editor1-first= |editor1-last= |editor1-link= |others= |title=A Concise & Illustrated Military History |trans_title= |url= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |format= |accessdate=19 December 2010 |type= |edition= |series= |volume= |date= |year=2007 |month=December |origyear= |publisher=Miller Publishing Company |location= |language=English |isbn=978-976-8215-20-8 |oclc= |doi= |id= |page= |pages= |at= |trans_chapter= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= |ref= |bibcode= |laysummary= |laydate= |separator= |postscript= |lastauthoramp=}}
+* {{cite book |last1=Hartland |first1=Major Michael |title=A Concise & Illustrated Military History|date= December 2007 |publisher=Miller Publishing Company |isbn=978-976-8215-20-8 }}
-* {{cite book |last1=Hartland |first1=Major Michael |authorlink1= |last2= |first2= |authorlink2= |editor1-first= |editor1-last= |editor1-link= |others= |title=The Great Guns of Barbados |trans_title= |url= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |format= |accessdate=19 December 2010 |type= |edition= |series= |volume= |date=09 December 2009 |year= |month= |origyear= |publisher=Miller Publishing Company |location= |language=English |isbn=978-976-9515-35-2 |oclc= |doi= |id= |page= |pages= |at= |trans_chapter= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= |ref= |bibcode= |laysummary= |laydate= |separator= |postscript= |lastauthoramp=}}
+* {{cite book |last1=Hartland |first1=Major Michael |title=The Great Guns of Barbados|date=9 December 2009 |publisher=Miller Publishing Company |isbn=978-976-9515-35-2 }}
+* {{cite news|title=Things That Matter: The Great Guns of Barbados|first=Henry S.|last=Fraser|url=http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=columnists&NewsID=19405|newspaper=[[The Barbados Advocate]]|date=21 August 2011|access-date=21 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425031747/http://www.nationnews.com/news/local/Carlton-Brathwaite-FEATURE-copy-for-web|archive-date=25 April 2010|url-status=dead}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.rss.org.bb/ Eastern Caribbean Regional Security System] - regionally based in Barbados
+*[http://www.rss.org.bb/ Eastern Caribbean Regional Security System] – regionally based in Barbados
-*[http://www.bajanworldheritage.com/history History and Development], The Ministry of Community Development & Culture, Barbados
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110707205009/http://www.bajanworldheritage.com/history History and Development], The Ministry of Community Development & Culture, Barbados
+*[http://www.cadetcorps.bb/ Barbados Cadet Corps]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060614073849/http://regiments.org/regiments/westindies/lists/wirgxref.htm Regiments.org]
+*[http://flagspot.net/flags/bb%5Ereg.html Flags of the Barbados Regiment], Flags of the World online
+{{Barbados topics}}
-{{Military of North America}}
+{{North America in topic|Military history of}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Of Barbados}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Military of Barbados}}
-[[Category:Military of Barbados|*]]
+[[Category:Military history of Barbados| ]]
 [[Category:Regional Security System|Barbados]]
+[[Category:Military history of Barbados during World War II]]
-[[ja:バルバドスの軍事]]
-[[zh:巴貝多軍事]]

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