The British West India Regiments Heritage Trust CIC (BWIRHT – pronounced as ” bright” ) project is a veteran led umbrella organisation created to assist West Indian serving and ex-service personnel of the British Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Commonwealth countries, to participate in military commemorative events.

BWIRHT’s primary mission is to honour and remember the contributions of the WIR and the BWIR which have served in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. BWIRHT will pursue this mission by increasing the numbers and visibility of our serving members and veterans at military commemorative events.

Since the inception of the Imperial War Grave Commission, (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) they have built cemeteries and monuments at over 23,000 locations in over 150 countries commemorating 1.7 million people of the commonwealth who paid the ultimate sacrifice in WW1 and WW2. 2 All over the world the memories of the fallen West Indian soldiers and their heritage, are preserved in perpetuity in horticultural and architectural settings so that their stories can be told so they will never be forgotten. There are West Indians buried in 30 cemeteries across Belgium and last year on 14th Octber we hosted a flag bearing and wreathlaying ceremony at Lijssenthoek where 21 West Indians are interred. The graves stand as a permanent and emblematic reminder of the thousands of men who travelled from the West Indies to fight for our freedom and never returned.

This year as we continue to pay homage to these casualties of the WW1, we will hold a service of Dedication and Evocation at The St Georges Memorial Church in Ypres on the 5th of October 2024. The church was opened in 1929 to commemorate over 500,000 British and Commonwealth casualties of WW1 and WW2. There are plaques, stained glass windows, standards and cushions decorated with cap badges representing units , associations and individuals who served in Belgium. There is no mention of the British West Indies Regiment. This year BWIRHT will correct that omission by commissioning the installation of a BWIR plaque in the Church.

The BWIR and the WIR standards/colours that will be presented at the ceremony will be symbolic of the many who do not have any resting place.

We will also take part in the daily service of remembrance at the Menin Gate for the Missing.

https://youtu.be/KwauSuuiYHw