Military history of Barbados: Difference between revisions

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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. 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 who became an officer in the Royal Air Force. On 30 November 1966 he became the first Prime Minister of Barbados.^[1] 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. In September 1942 during World War II, a German U-Boat was patrolling the waters of Barbados where it torpedoed SS 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]

Today

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.

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

Facts & figures

Military branches

Barbados Defence Force (includes)

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%

References

^ "The Second Contingent". Barbados Postal Service. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
^ Metzgen, Humphrey (2007). Caribbean wars untold. University of West Indies Press. ISBN 9766402035. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Clarke, Austin (2000). Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir. Random House of Canada. ISBN 0679310304. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=119

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 (2007). A Concise & Illustrated Military History. Miller Publishing Company. ISBN 978-976-8215-20-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Hartland, Major Michael (9 December 2009). The Great Guns of Barbados. Miller Publishing Company. ISBN 978-976-9515-35-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |chapterurl= and |month= (help)
Fraser, Henry S. (21 August 2011). "Things That Matter: The Great Guns of Barbados". The Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 21 August 2011. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |pmd= and |deadurl= (help)

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. Retrieved 5 July 2009.

[untold-2] Metzgen, Humphrey (2007). Caribbean wars untold. University of West Indies Press. ISBN 9766402035. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[3] Clarke, Austin (2000). Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir. Random House of Canada. ISBN 0679310304. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[4] ttps://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=119

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 ==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]] who became an officer in the [[Royal Air Force]]. On 30 November 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 |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 {{SS|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]] | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=a59YIzh9y18C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=SS+Cornwallis+World+War+II|isbn=9766402035 }}</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 |authorlink=Austin Clarke |coauthors= |title=Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir |year=2000 |publisher=[[Random House of Canada]] | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fCgBAAAACAAJ&dq |isbn=0679310304 }}</ref>
+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 30 November 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 |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 {{SS|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]] | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=a59YIzh9y18C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=SS+Cornwallis+World+War+II|isbn=9766402035 }}</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 |authorlink=Austin Clarke (novelist)|coauthors= |title=Pig Tails'n Breadfruit: A Culinary Memoir |year=2000 |publisher=[[Random House of Canada]] | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fCgBAAAACAAJ&dq |isbn=0679310304 }}</ref>
 ==Today==

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