Jungle Training, the War Effort, Culture in Wartime

To all appearances, Trinidad was one vast training area for the US Armed Forces with the excitement of occasional battles between planes, US Patrol boats and U-boats.

Yet to date in this series, it seems that, apart from building and working on the bases, Trinidadians had very little to do with the war on land, sea or air.

However, the Colony (as it was then) did its bit and more than its bit for the War Effort. As President of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross, Lady Young, wife of the ailing Governor, Sir Hubert Young, threw herself heart and soul into fund-raising efforts. Yet one must remember that however hard one tries to raise funds, it’s those who willingly contribute to the funds that make an event a success.

Michael Anthony writes that Trinidadians, most of them, from the Calypsonians upwards, were determined to do all that could be done to help win the war against the Nazi oppressors. Bazaars, raffles, collections for the War Effort yielded astonishing results, considering the size of the Colony and its population. In 1940 alone the Fighter Fund raised $40,000 to buy 20 fighters for the Royal Air Force (RAF). In 1941 one entire squadron of fighters in Britain was officially named. The Trinidad Squadron.

The Country Club opened its doors for fund raising events; as Newsday readers can see from the photograph reproduced from Michael Anthony’s book, the Governor held fund raising bazaars in the grounds of Government House. Loyal citizens raised $95,000 in the first two months that War Savings Certificates went on sale; the Post Office issued War Savings Stamps for children to buy with their pocket money and stick in their savings books so that they, too, could ?do their bit?

The government started an air training scheme at Piarco to train volunteer pilots in the basics of flying; once they passed the basics, they were sent to the UK for further training and as we shall see, played a distinguished part in the battle against the Luftwaffe (the German air force)

Many Trinidadians gave till it hurt for the War Effort and all this while there was food rationing, flour was unobtainable, transport was a nightmare, free-spending Americans monopolised the local talent and local blackmarketeers (Boysie Singh among them) flaunted their ill-gotten gains.

Perhaps the fact that, as far as possible, most lived a normal life, going to work (with interruptions for air raid drills) walking, or squeezing on to whatever transport was available to get home. Liming with relatives and friends. Playing cricket, playing tennis. From time to time a celebrity would descend on Trinidad to bring a little excitement to everyday life. Crowds converged on the Savannah to watch Bing Crosby play a game of baseball with US servicemen. The popular opera singer and film star, Grace Moore, came here to entertain the US troops and delighted local fans by giving a concert in the Globe Theatre. In those days the Globe didn’t have air-conditioning.

As it was in the Queen’s Hall until the recent complete renovations, those appearing on stage had to contend with the bells and rattle of passing trams, the horns of cars and buses.

When the famous conductor Leopold Stowkoski gave a concert in the Globe with the American Youth Orchestra he laid down his baton and refused to continue because the racket of passing traffic drowned out the orchestra. When the world-famous concert violinist, Yehudi Menuhin came to give a recital, the Governor, a classical music lover, had the tram rails greased and forbade anyone to ring a bell or sound a horn while Menuhin was performing.

Was it the need to keep the troops entertained that so many famous singers and musicians came to Trinidad and, so to speak, sang for their supper by giving concerts in Port-of-Spain for the local public? A Russian pianist, Alexander Borovsky came here in 1941, and the popular bandleader Eddie Duchin helped swell the "Bomber" fund by giving a fund raising performance, is the best word for it since the words "concert’ was strictly reserved for the classics and serious music in those days, and no one had ever heard of a "gig".

World War or no World War, Trinis came out to play their mas’ in ‘40 and ‘41 when the "Mighty Destroyer" was crowned Calypso King and carried away the Grand Prize of $10! yes, all of ten dollars.

However, by 1942 things were getting serious in the North Atlantic; the Governor, Sir Bede Clifford, was pilloried in the Calypso tents for banning Carnival until the end of the war.

While the US sent servicemen to Trinidad to help the British Navy (that retained a firm grip on Staubles Bay, and was the only part of the Chaguaramas Peninsula to continue flying the Union Jack), and the British Navy taught the inexperienced Yanks how to fight the U-Boat menace, some young Trinidadians, determined to fight for King and Country, made their way to Britain and volunteered to join the armed services.

It was not until February 1944, however, that Government decided to send a contingent of Trinidad troops to be part of the Battle for Europe. By this time the Allies (British, US, Canadian) were already fighting their way up the Italian peninsula, the Russians were clamouring for a Second Front to take the pressure off their armies. Americans, Australians and New Zealanders were beginning to fight back in the Pacific.

Units of Free French, Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Poles, Norwegians were straining at the leash for a return to their homelands with British, US and Canadian forces. Plans for "Operation Overlord" the D Day landings in Normandy were nearing completion.

The Allies needed every available man for support staff as well as on the beaches if the plan were to succeed.

On February 20, 1944 Government made the announcement in the next week or so the South Caribbean Regiment came into being, and the volunteers who joined the Regiment began intensive training.

On April 6, 1944, there was a farewell parade with the Regiment, in full battledress, marching from camp in Long Circular, to the Town Hall, past cheering crowds. Michael Anthony writes that some 20,000 people crowded into Woodford Square to see the men march past.

Gaylord Kelshall counts no less than 6,000 Trinidadians, men and women, abroad in the Armed Forces.

We’ll here more about them, the road to Maracas, and VJ Day next week