Guardians of the Nation: Jamaica's Military Heritage
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A Spirit of Service
What is the JDF?
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) was formed on July 31, 1962 just a few days prior to Jamaica becoming a sovereign independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations. Although the Force itself is still young, it has a long history of descent and traditions stemming from units raised in the West Indies since the mid-seventeenth century.
Exterior, The Jamaican Military Museum. Credit: Sherez Jackson
On June 2, 1962 soldiers of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, the last in a 307 year-long line of British Troops stationed in Jamaica, marched symbolically through the ranks of the newly re-formed Jamaica Regiment and the Police in the Queen’s Birthday Parade at the Polo Field, Up Park Camp. This regiment left Jamaica on July 31, the day when the Jamaica Defence Force was established.
On formation, the Force comprised two regular units, Headquarters and the Staff and Services Unit. Incorporated into this structure were the 1st Battalion Jamaica Regiment (1JR), and the Jamaican National Reserve (JNR) that had been established in 1961.
Two new units were established in 1963, the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing, formerly called the Jamaica Squadron and the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard called the Sea Squadron. The Air Wing was to assist with rescue operations, while the primary role of the Coast Guard was surveillance of Jamaica’s coasts, assisting vessels in distress and protection of the island fisheries. Other units subsequently formed included the Support and Services Unit and the JDF Women’s Unit in 1976, formed to relieve male soldiers of desk duties.
The JDF Women’s Unit came a year after a letter was penned to the Prime Minister in 1975 calling for the integration of women into the JDF. The Construction Squadron and the Engineer Unit were formed in 1977 and the strength of the force increased with the formation of the 2nd Battalion, the Jamaica Regiment (2JR) in 1979.
In keeping with one of its designated roles, the JDF has, since 1962, supported the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in the maintenance of law and order. Some of its historical accomplishments must be outlined as the JDF was part of the coalition of regional forces which restored democracy to Grenada between 1983 and 1985. It was also a part of the US-led force which entered Haiti in 1994 to assist in the restoration of democracy. In follow-up operations there, the JDF subsequently provided a contingent for peace keeping duties, serving for the first time under the flag of the United Nations.
Jamaica In the Great War
At the onset of World War I Jamaica was the only Caribbean colony to have a permanent imperial garrison with a battalion of the original West India Regiment stationed on the island. The Jamaica Volunteer Force, as they were called, was made up of three units. The St. Andrew Rifle Corps (known later as the Kingston Infantry Volunteers). The Jamaica Corps of Scouts and the Jamaica Reserve Regiment, the biggest of the three units. The volunteer force was a purely defensive force for the island and were not required to serve outside the island unless individuals chose to do so.
In May 1915 the British Government announced that contingents for active service would be accepted from British Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Vincent and Grenada. They later became the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR). Jamaica later came to make up the majority of the 15,600 men with over 10,000 volunteers who served with the Allied Forces.
By November 8, 1915, Jamaica sent its first set of 500 soldiers to aid in the war. By the end of war, several BWIR soldiers were awarded gallantry medals including five Distinguished Service Orders, 19 Military Crosses, 11 Military Crosses with Bar, 18 Distinguished Conduct Medals, as well as 49 Mentions in Dispatches. Among the soldiers who were awarded decorations was the Premier of Jamaica Norman Manley, who received the Military Medal.
Perhaps the greatest legacy for many West Indians was an increased sense of political and social awareness and a keen desire to improve the conditions and situations in the Caribbean upon their return home.
Reflections therefore, are to be balanced between the hardships these soldiers faced and how their experiences helped to shape a modern Caribbean. World War I remains one of the bloodiest conflicts in history where over eight million people lost their lives.
Soaring Into History: Sgt. William Robinson Clarke
Sergeant William Robinson Clarke (4 October 1895 – 26 April 1981), was the first Black pilot to fly for Britain. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he was a pioneer who broke racial barriers during World War I, serving in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Robbie, as he was called, was a skilled mechanic who at aged 19 decided to pay his own passage to Britain to assist with the war effort. On July 26, 1915 he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). At first he served as an air mechanic but, on October 18, he was posted to France as a driver. Clarke wanted to fly and so once his service in France as a driver with a kite balloon unit came to an end he pursued that.
In December 1916 he was accepted for pilot training in England and on 26 of April 1917, Robbie Clarke won his ‘wings’, receiving Royal Aero Club certificate number 4837, and was promoted to Sergeant. On May 29, 1917, Clarke joined 4 Squadron RFC at Abeele in Belgium and began flying Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 biplanes over the Western Front.
Clarke was severely wounded during a mission on July 28, 1917, when his R.E.8 was attacked by 5 enemy fighter aircraft. According to records from the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum, a bullet hit Robbie in the spine knocking him unconscious. His observer Second Lieutenant FP Blencowe was able to take the controls and crash landed the aircraft behind Allied lines. After months of hospitalization, he continued to serve as a mechanic until his discharge in 1919. Thereafter Robbie received the Silver War Badge.
After the war, Clarke returned to Jamaica and worked in construction. He remained involved in veterans' affairs, becoming the Life President of the Jamaican branch of the Royal Air Forces Association.
William Robinson Clarke passed away in April 1981 in Kingston, Jamaica. His role as the first Black pilot in the British air services was largely unrecognized until his story was found in the RAF Museum's archives.