March 2nd, 2018.


A Blue Plaque will be unveiled at Seaford Station on the afternoon of Monday the 12th of March to celebrate the British West Indies Regiment. The unveiling has been organised by the Nubian Jak Community Trust, with support from the councils of Seaford, Lewes and East Sussex.

It is expected that war veterans, in-service men and women, the Mayor of Seaford, Seaford Railway Staff and members of the general public will be in attendance.

In 1914, many West Indians left the colonies to enlist in the army in the UK, and were recruited into British regiments. The 1st Battalion was formed in September 1915 at Seaford. It was made up of men from; British Guiana—A Company, Trinidad—B Company, Trinidad and St Vincent—C Company and Grenada and Barbados—D Company.

The regiment’s battalions saw service in East Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, France and Italy.

A total of 397 officers and 15,204 other ranks served in the British West Indies Regiment. It was a volunteer regiment consisting of troops from the British colonies of the West Indies, which served on the Western Front and in the Middle East during the First World War. The Regiment was awarded 5 DSOs, 9 MCs, 2 MBEs, 8 DCMs, 37 MMs and 49 Mentions in Dispatches.

The Mayor of Seaford, Councillor Linda Wallraven, said: “I am so pleased that a Blue Plaque is going to be unveiled at Seaford Station in recognition to the British West Indies Regiment which was established here in Seaford in 1915.

"The Regiment is part of Seaford history. Yearly we have a service of Remembrance for those who lost their lives, many of whom are buried at Seaford Cemetery.”

Jak Beula, CEO of the Nubian Jak Community Trust, said: "At noon on Commonwealth Day the installation of a WWI Blue Plaque on Seaford station will finally be unveiled. The project started two and a half years ago in Seaford, and we are delighted to have the support of Seaford, Lewes and East Sussex councils, as well as the local community, who will commemorate the role the town played in the formation of the British West Indies Regiment in 1915."


Monday 12th March. Seaford Station. 12:00 – 12:50pm