amjamin

Memorial to Jamaican soldiers who died in WW1 at Montego Bay Parish Church  Rays from the morning sun filtered through a patch of clouds, lighting up the inscription - "Remember the love of them who came not home from the War: 1914-1918". These poignant and sombre words are inscribed at the base of a 20-foot, whitewashed column at the Montego Bay Parish Church - a silent memorial to Jamaican soldiers from St James parish who lost their lives in World War I. Built in 1921, the Calvary, which has an octagonal base and column, in England, on the four panels at the base are inscribed the names of those who fell. "For me, World War I is personable, in that, if we search our family histories," said Captain Stacy-Marie Dehaney, force curator, Jamaica Defence Force, cleaning off a film of lime to get a better look at the names etched on the stone, "there is a good chance that you could come across a surname like your own in your parish," she remarked. T...

World War I Trench Mortar The gaping 240mm barrell of the trench mortar, riveted to the ground, points to the sky and looks as cold and menacing as it did a century back, spewing bombs that were notoriously called 'flying pigs', and the results were catastrophic. The trench mortar, among several other pieces of weaponry and effects, have found a final resting place in Jamaica. These are reminiscent of World War I, which changed the face of the world, and the science and art of warfare. "First thing that came to my mind was, 'I wonder what stories these can tell, where they saw action how they came here to Jamaica'," says Captain Staci-Marie Dehaney, force curator, Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The Great War, spanning from 1914-1918, was entrenched, literally and figuratively, in testing the limits of human endurance and resilience. This is evident in the evolution of the warfare and the weaponry from that era - large and lethal. Though silent and r...

The men and women in the armed forces have always exuded awe, epitomised and oft romanticised. The click of the gleaming boots, the crisp creases of their uniform, the precise and well-coordinated movements all give a sense of pride and discipline. At the Up Park Camp headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the fatigues and camouflage blend with the lush greenery, a well-manicured facade with two retired armoured personnel carriers and a pair of cannons adorn the entrance to Jamaican Military Museum and Library (JMML). The museum, housed in the Nissen Hut, similar structure to an aircraft hangar, encases and captures - like the Sun Tzu, Art of Warfare with equipment, uniforms, insignia and weapons - the history of the JDF over the years. "The exhibits," says Captain Staci-Marie Dehaney, force curator, JDF, "not only show the history, but the transition from the Tainos to the modernised and evolving force." An illustrated history book A walk...