Historycal Roots

If you are planning to be in London on Sunday, 8th March, I would be delighted to see you at the launch of my book about the men of the British West Indies Regiment who spent time at the training camp in Seaford, Sussex. Nineteen of them died at the camp and are commemorated at a cemetery in the town. But over 1,500 men from the Caribbean left Seaford in January 1916 and served in Egypt, Palestine, East Africa and Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). There will be an Eventbrite link shortly, stay tuned!

A date for your diary, 8th March book launch Who is this man, and why will I be talking about him at the Black Cultural Archives on Sunday, 8th March? To find out, join me for the book launch of: The British West Indies Regiment: Black Soldiers at Seaford and Beyond. The event will be held at the Black Cultural Archives, Windrush S

Our book ‘The British West Indies Regiment - Black Soldiers at Seaford and Beyond’ is now available from Amazon or can be ordered through any good bookstore. The contribution of Black soldiers during World War One is often overlooked but this book starts to set the record straight, debunking myths and commemorating the men who served.

Just in time for Christmas!

We are currently proofreading our book about the British West Indies Regiment. The contribution of Black soldiers from the Caribbean region during World War One is often sadly overlooked, something we aim to put right. Coming soon!

Happy 100th birthday to RAF veteran Jake Jacob:

https://www.historycalroots.com/jake-jacob-at-100/

I am pleased to introduce two new articles on the Historycal Roots website, they illustrate the diversity of Black British history in microcosm.

First, John Ellis introduces us to 'Black Troop', the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars 1815-1838. Although the 'Black' refers to the colour of their horses, John has identified three Black soldiers within their ranks:

https://www.historycalroots.com/black-troop-the-black-soldiers-of-the-11th-prince-alberts-own-hussars-1815-1838/

Second, leaping forward to the 20th century, Audrey Dewjee continues to shine a light on the presence of Black women in the ATS during World War 2, naming 157 women who served their country in this way:

https://www.historycalroots.com/caribbean-women-in-the-ats-from-mid-1943-onwards/

Caribbean Women in the ATS from mid-1943 onwards By Audrey Dewjee 31st January 2025 This article aims to bring together published information abosut the groups of women from the Caribbean region who came to Britain to serve in the ATS in World War 2, after the