George V Silver Jubilee teacup and saucer

George V Silver Jubilee teacup and saucer

A Nice Cup of Tea

Fighting for the ‘Mother Country’
More than 16,000 men from the Caribbean joined the British West Indies Regiment (BWIR) during the First World War, and went to fight on the Western Front (Belgium, France and Germany), as well as being stationed in Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, East Africa and Cameroon.

Over 1,200 BWIR troops died, more than 2,500 were wounded, and soldiers won 81 medals for bravery. But the BWIR were paid less than British soldiers, and men were often used as labourers doing menial jobs such as building and cleaning toilets for white solders. Their bad treatment led to a mutiny by troops in December 1918. Although the mutiny was put down, and the BWIR was disbanded soon after, the events of the First World War led to increasing demands for independence from Britain by many Caribbean countries.

In 2017 a memorial was unveiled in Brixton, London to honour the African and Caribbean soldiers who fought with Britain in the First and Second World Wars.

This cup is part of the 'A Nice Cup of Tea' handling collection held at the Museum of Oxford and collected through the 'A Nice Cup of Tea' project.

A Nice Cup of Tea project, with Mimi Goodall, Elisabeth Grass, and photographer Fran Monks

Museum of Oxford

1935

Angeli Vaid and Myfanwy Lloyd, oxfordartsconsultants.co.uk

A Nice Cup of Tea project, Fran Monks