At the start of World War II many West Indians wanted to enlist in the British military. However the British War Office was reluctant to recruit black people from the colonies, despite the fact that West Indians had fought in World War I. Winston Churchill had sent a telegram to every Embassy and High Commission, telling them to find administrative means” to reject black volunteers.  Eventually, due to the shortage of manpower and the fear of serious protests in the Carribean, some hundreds of well-qualified men were recruited as air crew and about 5,000 as ground crew for the RAF. Seventy became commissioned officers and over 100 were decorated for their bravery.

Many thousands of West Indians also served in merchant navy ships bringing food and raw materials to Britain. After much discussion between Caribbean leaders, the Colonial Office and the War Office, a special unit was raised in April 1944 — the Caribbean Regiment. A significant number of West Indians also enlisted in the Canadian and United States armed forces to get around the British colour bar.