We are approaching what will be one
gigantic propaganda exercise glorifying World War 1. The 100th
anniversary of the start of that insane episode of human carnage is
to be turned into a spectacle perpetuating that myth of British unity
and patriotism. However, history tells a different story, 1914 to
1918 was a period of widespread industrial disputes and the “military
campaign” was littered with rebellion among the troops. Forget that
tale of the Xmas football match between opposing armies, there were
mutinies popping up at regular intervals, among them the ÉtaplesMutiny 1917, even just after
the war there was the Southampton Mutiny 1919. Then
there was the British West Indies Regiment mutiny.
This one highlights the arrogance and xenophobic attitude of the
British ruling class. In the need for cannon-fodder it was suggested
that their could be a black West Indies regiment, but that bulwark of
British ruling class Lord Kitchener was of the opinion that black
people should not be allowed into the armed forces. It was the
intervention of King George V, probably realising that his empire was
at stake and he needed that cannon-fodder, over ruled the noble lord.
So
the British West Indies Regiment was born, but at the front they were
not to do the fighting and were unarmed. Their task was to load the
weapons build the fences, load and unload vehicles, clean the toilets,
in general be the general dog's body and do the white man's donkey
work. On Armistice Day stationed at Taranto in Italy, they then found
out that the white soldiers were give a pay rise but the black
soldiers were not. This on top of the way they had been treated was
the final straw and on December 6 1918 they attacked their officers.
The mutiny lasted four days, the punishment handed out to some of those involved
varied from 3 to 5 years in prison, one man got 20 years, and one was
executed, (murdered) by firing squad.
The
true history of World War 1 is a far cry from the bilge that will be
poured out in the coming year by our lords and masters, who will wrap
themselves in “the flag” and from their pampered and privileged
background claim the horror, degradation and bloodshed, as a glorious
episode in our history. And so that mythical history of the all
patriotic hang-together loyal British public will get another coat of
varnish. But we the people know the real history, we know the truth.
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