Behind Nassau’s Supreme Court building, in the Garden of Remembrance, stands a Cenotaph memorializing Bahamians who were killed while serving in the two World Wars.
During the first World War, 486 Bahamians volunteered to serve with the British West Indies Regiment. More than 200 more would enlist in the British, Canadian or American forces. Those who enlisted included:
| Preston Adderley Fletcher Albury Joseph Albury Hartley Albury Dr R. W. Albury S. Albury Talmadge Hillary Albury William F. Albury George Aranha H. Armbrister Matthew Armbrister J.A. Arthur Emmanuel Ash Robert J. Atwill (or Atwell?) Charles Bain James Bain L.S. Bain H. Baker W. Balfour L. Bannister C.L. Barlett Harold Bascombe A. Bell S. Best Charles Bethel G. P. Bethel J. Bethel P. Bethel R. Bethel A. Bizard Charles Black J. N. Blydon Osborne Boons T. Bostwick Harold Brown Horatio C. O. Brown J. Bullard H. Butcher Alexander Butler W. Campbell Daniel Charlton T. Clarke Kenneth Clutsam G. Cooper T. Craydock W. Culmer J. Culmer Alfred Curry P. Davis Austin Dean H. Dean E. Deleveaux John Demeritte John Driggs Henry Duncombe Etienne Dupuch Sidney C. Farrington | Herbert Ferguson E. Fernandez Frederick Flowers F. Ford D. Forsythe A. Henry Fountain J. Goodman J. Gordon Herbert Grant Alfred Hall H. Hall Heisal S. Hall Edmund Hanna F. Hanna J. Hanna G. Higgs W. Higgs J. Homes J. Humes S. Humes Geo. H. Ingraham Allan Johnson C. Johnson George H. Johnson H. Johnson Joseph Johnson R. Johnson T. Johnson W. Jordan Artie Kemp C. Kerr F. Kerr James H. Knowles John Knowles Ralph Knowles Frederick C. C. Lightbourn J.A. Lightbourn Lewis Pearson Lowe* Allan Maclure E. McKenzie W. McKenzie T. McLeod W. McLure J. Major J.C. Major Origen H. Mason Bruce M. Maura John McNeal Joseph McQuay G. Mitchell Robert A. Mitchell H. Morris R. Morrison S. Morrison A. Moss Thomas Moss Charles W. Moss | Oliver Moss W. Munnings C. Nairn Joseph Newman W.B.S. O’Brien M. Patton A. Perpall J. Poitier H. Pyfrom Stuart Rae J.A. Rahming S. Raymond Henry A. Roach A. Vincent Roberts Benjamin E. Roberts C. A. Roberts N. Roker Solomon S. Roker David Rolle Sylvanus Rolle H. Russell A.W. Sands H. Sands J. Sands Ramon Sands George Saunders Jeremiah Saunders Robin H. Sawyer Edward DeWitt Sears Richard Roy Sears W.E. Simms Benjamin Smith C. Smith F.C. Smith L. Smith Charles S. Sparkman Erskine Storr D. Sweeting S. Sweeting J. Symmonette C.E. Taylor J.H. Taylor James C. Taylor James S. Taylor James A. Thompson L. R. Thompson William Thompson J. Turnquest James Wallace A. Weech John Williams Joseph Wilson Reginald Wood W. Wood J. Young O. Young |
At least thirty-eight Bahamian servicemen would lose their lives during World War I. Seven died in battle, three died later from battle wounds and 28 others died from illness or other causes related to their service. They included:
| Preston Adderley Joseph Albury Hartley Albury J.A. Arthur Emmanuel Ash Charles A. Bethel Charles Black Osborne Boons Harold Brown Alexander Butler Daniel Charlton Alfred Curry John Driggs Henry Duncombe Herbert Ferguson E. Fernandez Herbert Grant Alfred Hall | Edmund Hanna George H. Ingraham Allan Johnson Joseph Johnson Ralph Knowles John Knowles Lewis Pearson Lowe* Robert A. Mitchell John McNeal Joseph McQuay Charles W. Moss Oliver Moss Thomas Moss Joseph Newman W.B.S. O’Brien Stuart Rae Benjamin E. Roberts Solomon S. Roker | David Rolle Sylvanus Rolle Ramon Sands George Saunders Jeremiah Saunders Robin H. Sawyer Richard Roy Sears Benjamin Smith Charles S. Sparkman Erskine Storr James C. Taylor James A. Thompson William Thompson James Wallace Joseph Wilson |
When war broke out in 1939, Bahamians once again stepped up to do their part. Approximately 300 served in the Bahamas Defence Company, which saw service in Italy and Egypt. Others joined the British, American and Canadian militaries. Among the Bahamians who served in World War II were:
| George Adderley Dudley Adderley James Adderley Marshall Adderley Livingstone Adderley Theophilus Adderley Willard Adderley Charles Albury George Albury Harold Albury Sidney Albury Vernell Albury George Algreen Edward Allen Albury Archer Alfonso Archer Arnold Archer Aubrey Archer Randolph Armbrister Allan Arnett Randolph Arnett Robert Arnett Carl Arnott James Arnott Bertram Arthur Harold Arthur Charles Austin Alfred Bain Allen Bain Charles Bain Frederick Bain Leonard Bain Nathaniel Bain Wellington Bain Allan Barr George Barr Reginald Balfour George Bartlett Robert Bartlett Rupert Bartlett Franklyn Barry David Bedford Charles Bethel Edward Bethel Samuel Bethel Glanville Bethel Jerome Bethel Leroy Bethel Joseph Blyden Theophilus Bodie | Charles Bowleg John Bowleg Stanford Bradford Raymond Bradford Melvin Brennan Standford Brennan Theophilus Brice Alfred Brown Ashton Brown David Lester Brown Eric Brown George Brown Godfrey Brown Herman Brown Colin Bullard George Bullard George Burrows Edwin Burrows Herbert Burrows Leclain Burrows Medall Burrows Stanley Burrows Wilfred Burrows Harry Burnside Arlington Butler Clifford Butler Peter Butler William Butler Oswald Cambrose Wheatley Campbell Vernal Capron Sidney Carey Alton Cargill Audley Carr Archibald Carroll Franklyn Carroll Joseph Carroll Raleigh Carroll Eugene Cartwright Elgin Carey Bruce Cargill James Claridge Wilmore Cooper Cedric Cooper J. Cooper Cornelius Clyde Jacob Clarke John Clarke Leroy Clarke Samuel Clarke | Alfred Coakley Ernest Coakley Walter Collie Bertrice Colebrook Wilton Colebrooke Arthur Cooper Eric Cooper Otis Crawley Paul Crawley Edwin Culmer Herman Culmer John Culmer William Culmer Wilfred Curry Edwin Curtis A. Delevaux William Fleming Wenzel Granger Kendal Isaacs Basil L. I. Johnson Garth Johnson George Jones Wilbur Haldane Jordan Warren M. Lightbourn Alfred B. Malone Carl Marshall Benson McDermott Michael McKinney George Moseley George Munroe William Pemberton Joseph Basil Poad Rudolph Pyfrom Captain Reney Augustus Roberts* James F. Rolle D’Arcy Rutherford Winston Saunders George Sawyer Jack Sawyer Leslie Sawyer David Smith Fane Solomon Roy Solomon Peter Stratton Chester Thompson* Hartis Thompson* Leonard Thompson* Maurice Thompson* |
Hartis Thompson, Royal Air force 
Chester Thompson, Royal Navy 
Maurice Thompson, Royal Navy 
Leonard Thompson, Royal Canadian Air Force
At least 14 enlisted Bahamians were killed during the second World War, including:
| A. Deleveaux Garth Johnson George Jones Wilbur Haldane Jordan Warren M. Lightbourn | Alfred Burge Malone Carl Marshall Michael McKinney George Moseley George Munroe | Joseph Basil Poad James F. Rolle Jack Sawyer Peter Stratton |
It’s worth noting that, in both wars, few if any Bahamians had to serve. There was no conscription. The Bahama Islands were thousands of miles from the main theaters of war. The individuals listed here – and all who enlisted – voluntarily left the relative safety of home and place themselves squarely in the path of danger. Dozens paid the ultimate price for this courageous choice.
I hope you’ll take a moment today and join me in remembering all Bahamians who served. May their bravery and sacrifice never be forgotten and may we who live be worthy of our dead.
Do you have additional information about (or photos of) anyone listed above? Do you know of other Bahamians who served in either World War? If so, please let me know. I’d like to write about them in future posts.
Thank you to all who served.