Last modified: 2024-10-05 by rob raeside
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Defence Forces in imperial usage were small local forces for
colonial defence consisting of part-time colonials and sometimes
natives, and completely separate from full-time "imperial
forces" whose service liability included overseas ventures.
Defence Forces often existed in the absence of Colonial Forces (a
more substantial army of colonists and natives available for both
defence and external service.) Defence Forces reported
to the local colonial government, but Colonial Forces were
sometimes under direct War Office control in London.
"Imperial" forces usually meant British forces when
serving overseas in order to distinguish them from all the others
they served with, but the term eventually came to vaguely embrace
full-time native forces (e.g. King's African Rifles in East
Africa, the regular Indian Army, etc.). Most Brits
today would not recognize "imperial forces" as applying
to them.
As small countries with no regular forces became independent,
they kept their "Defence Force" (including the name)
while elevating at least some liability to full-time regular
service.
The local "regiment" and the DF are often
indistinguishable.
For instance, "The Jamaica Regiment" and the
"Jamaica Defence Force" are essentially one and the
same. At independence, the JDF absorbed one battalion of the West
India Regiment (the other battalion becoming the army of Trinidad
and Tobago) to become The Jamaica Regiment. As the name 'Defence
Forces' implies, these forces are still too small to invade
anybody. Virtually none of them at independence
included naval and air elements. When these were
formed later, they remained under the umbrella of the
predominantly land DF.
Jamaica doesn't have an "air force." It has an
"Air Wing" of the Defence Force (JDF), which is
considered a support arm.
The JDF is too small to have separate services.
In other words, the navy and air are branches of the army.
T.F. Mills, 11 March 2009
image by Hemendra V. Bhola, 1 June 2021
After [smi75b]. This is now
the military flag, but is derived from the badge of the Colonial
Police Force in Jamaica. The inscription on the badge on the flag
is "DEFENCE FORCE". Ratio 3:5.
David Prothero, 26 September 1998
Armed forces in Jamaica (1997): 3.320 (Army, 90.4%; Coast
Guards, 4.5%; Air Force, 5.1%).
Source: Encyclopaedia Universalis Yearbook (1998).
Ivan Sache, 27 February 2002
image by Hemendra V. Bhola, 6 August 2023
Badge
image by Hemendra V. Bhola, 6 August 2023
From partial images of the flag, it appears that the JDF Air Wing flag is a
sky blue ensign with the national flag in the canton (however the national flag
in this position does not occupy a full quarter as would typically be the case
in British styled ensigns), with the JDF Crest on a dark blue square off-centred
on the field. Both the use placement of the JDF Crest on an Air ensign/flag is a
bit unusual, however it appears that the layout mirrors the berets worn by the
Air Wing personnel: sky blue berets with the JDF badge on a dark blue square
patch.
Hemendra V. Bhola, 6 August 2023
image by Hemendra V. Bhola, 21 January 2022
The new Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force Rear Admiral
Antonette Sandra-Lee Wemyss Gorman took office today. The new flag has 2 stars
to reflect the two-star rank of the current Chief of Defence Staff, instead of 3
used for former Chief of Defence Staff Lt General Rocky Meade who held a
three-star rank.
Hemendra V. Bhola, 1 June 2021
Based on this article, the Chief of Defence Staff of Jamaica has been
promoted to Vice Admiral, so the three-star flag is valid again since 10 May
2024:
https://nationwideradiojm.com
Zoltan Horvath, 3 September 2024
image by Hemendra V. Bhola, 1 June 2021
Horizontally divided red-light blue-dark blue-black, the national flag in a
reduced canton as wide as the red stripe, the arms centred on the red and blue
stripes with three yellow stars below.
Hemendra V. Bhola, 1 June 2021
The Jamaica Regiment (infantry) is the main component of the Jamaica
Defence Force, and each of the three battalions carries two colours in
the British tradition.
The Queen's Colour is the national flag with a central red circle
inscribed with the name of the regiment and surmounted by a crown.
The battalion number (roman numeral) is in the middle of the circle.
The Regimental Colour consists of the same circle, regimental name and crown,
but inside the circle is the regimental badge (a crocodile). The whole is
surmounted by a wreath of a design peculiar to Jamaica (in keeping with
Commonwealth tradition), but I can't figure out what the wreaths are. The laurel
or wreath of the 2nd Battalion is made up of a composition of Ferns and
Periwinkle found in the town of Moneague, St. Ann where the Battalion was first
raised. It was based on the design work of a young female art student (whose
name escapes me at the moment) and adopted by the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col
Nestor Ogilvie. They appear to be different for each battalion. Also unusual are
the different facing colours for the 1st and 2nd Battalions (blue and maroon).
Normally all battalions of a regiment have the same colour. Blue is reserved for
"royal" regiments (which Jamaica is not), and red is normally unknown since a
regiment with red facings would carry a Colour in the form of a St. George
cross. You can see the Colours at www.jdfmil.org.
Only a Queen's Colour is shown for the 3rd Battalion, and it is
possible that is all that was ever presented.
The 3rd Bn,
(National Reserve), to my recollection also has Regimental
colours.
T.F. Mills, 22 September 1999 and eljko Heimer,
23 February 2002
Some corrections made by Barrington Haynes, 5 May 2010
In addition, the Regimental Colour of the 1st Battalion, presented on 23rd
November 1963, had the motto 'Forward' in a straight white scroll across the
junction of the wreath. The wreath on this colour was the conventional British
wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks.
Apparently, the Regimental Colour of the 1st Battalion is blue because blue
facings were granted to the Jamaica Militia in 1694 in recognition of their
services in repelling an invasion of the island by the French at Carlisle Bay.
The 3rd National Reserve Battalion was presented with a Regimental Colour; both
colours were presented on 30th July 1965 by the then Governor General Sir
Clfford Campbell GCMG. Just to add to the confusion, the regimental colour was
green. According to an informant of Dr Stoker's (see source below), this was
because the battalion's first training major (a Regular Army officer attached to
the battalion, responsible for training) belonged to the Sherwood
Foresters, whose facings were green. Stoker does not comment on the components
of the wreath, but a photo in the article clearly shows they are different from
those on the 1st Battalion colour - the wreath does have the same motto across
the base.
Source: Stoker, G.E., 'The West India Regiment colours and uniform', in:
Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, no.82 (1970) pp33-39
Ian Sumner, 17 May 2010
In late November 2021, the Jamaica Defence Force
reorganized its structure and created four new ‘formations’ in addition to the
Caribbean Military Academy. The new formations would contain various units and
Battalions of the Jamaica Regiment (JR) and the defence force which previously
existed into more specialized formations.
Hemendra Bhola, 27
December 2021
Queens Colours
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
1st Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
2nd Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
3rd Battalion
Regimental Colours
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
1st Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
2nd Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 4 July 2021
3rd Battalion
Flags for Every Day Use
image by Hemendra Bhola, 1 June 2021
1st Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 1 June 2021
2nd Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 1 June 2021
3rd Battalion
image by Hemendra Bhola, 1 June 2021
image by Hemendra Bhola, 1 June 2021
image by Jens Pattke, 29 September 2012
Source:
http://www.caribjournal.com/2012/04/03/jamaica-adopting-new-procedures-in-bid-to-decrease-shootings-by-police/
Jens Pattke, 29 September 2012