Three Black Soldiers in World War One

By John D Ellis

Joseph Alexander (Wilmerdinge) Peterson

Joseph Alexander (Wilmerdinge) Peterson was born at St Croix/St Thomas (both are islands in the US Virgin Islands) c.1872. He was employed as a steward on a gentleman’s yacht at Portsmouth in 1900 when he had a much-publicised affair with Letty Lavinia Howell (neé Smart) the wife of his friend – Charles Howell, a Gunnery Instructor on HMS Excellent. A personal observation, informed by years of exploring newspaper reports, is that in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the print media appear to have been quick to publicise anything about Black people which was connected to crime or sex. Most Black people I have identified in my research led completely blameless lives and if they appeared in newspapers they were invariably the victims of crime.

Following her divorce, Letty married Joseph and by 1911 they were living at 5 Liverpool Street, Kingston, Portsmouth. Joseph was a 39-year-old assistant-storehouse man (of British parentage) employed in the Government Dockyard. Lottie Lavinia Peterson was 30 years of age and had been born at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. They had four children, all born at Portsmouth: Florence Beatrice Peterson (born c.1902); Ena Maud Floyd Peterson (born c.1904); Arthur Reynell Dennis Peterson (born c.1907); and Joseph Sidney Peterson (born c.1911). The family lived in six rooms and had a lodger: Elizabeth Carey, a 48-year-old, unmarried laundry worker born at Clapham, London.

During the Great War Joseph served as a Lance-Corporal in the 15^th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, with the number #17350. He survived the war, being awarded both the Victory Medal and British War Medal (dating his campaign service to after 1915). As an infantry Lance-Corporal he would have been second in command of a section of 8-12 individuals. Giving him authority over White soldiers – clearly he must have been a competent soldier, although his age, experience at sea and being a parent would also have helped – and it is to the credit of the Hampshire Regiment that they promoted him.

Residing at 30 Orange Street, Portsea, he died in October 1920 and was buried in a Commonwealth War Grave (indicating that his death was a consequence of the wounds he received in action) at Portsmouth (Kingston) Cemetery, Hampshire.^[1]For Joseph Alexander (Wilmerdinge) Peterson see: Hampshire Telegraph, 10 November 1900. findmypast.co.uk 1911 England & Wales Census. Kingston and East Southsea. Portsmouth, Hampshire. GRO RG … Continue reading

Two Black soldiers of The Welch Regiment in The Great War

Eustace Rhone was born in Jamaica c.1889.^[2]For Eustace Rhone see: The National Archives (TNA) WO 329/120. findmypast.co.uk Also Lives of the First World War 1914-1918. findmypast.co.uk Prior to the First World War he was employed as a merchant seaman. In October 1909 he was a Fireman (working in the engine room) on the SS Yola (Elder Dempster Shipping Ltd., Liverpool) when it arrived at Albany, West Australia from Durban, South Africa. Aged 25 years, he was one of a number of crew described as “Coloured”. (All the ‘coloured’ sailors were employed in racially defined roles, e.g. in the engine room and as cooks and stewards). When the Yola docked in November 1909, Jamaica was identified as being Eustace Rhone’s place of birth.^[3]Western Australia, Australia, Crew and Passenger Lists, 1852-1930. Series 13278. Inward Passenger Lists. Reel 2048: 1909 Oct 01-1909 Nov 30. ancestry.co.uk According to the South West Daily News he then spent four years serving as a seaman on SS Camlake. At some point he formed a relationship with an Emma Jane Thompson. He referred to her as his wife, although it might have been a ‘common-law’ relationship. At Liverpool in early 1915 he enlisted in ‘The Welch Regiment’.^[4]‘Welch’ is an archaic spelling of ‘Welsh’. The Welch Regiment was formed in 1881 from the 41st (Welch) Foot and the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Foot. The former became the 1st Battalion and the … Continue reading

He was given the regimental number 34120 and the rank of private. His basic training was undertaken with the 3^rd Battalion at Cardiff and Porthcawl. In July 1915 the South Wales Daily News printed a brief biographical piece on him entitled “A Patriotic Negro”:

Private Eustace Rhone, 3^rd Welsh, is a negro, who had been for four years a seaman on the SS Camlake prior to enlisting at Liverpool into the 3^rd Welsh. He was very popular at training quarters at Cardiff and Porthcawl and has now left for active service. He is married, and has made his home in Maughan Street, Penarth.^[5]South Wales Daily News, 22 July 1915. findmypast.co.uk

The article failed to mention that many Black men had volunteered for military service in South Wales but were rejected due to the ‘Colour Bar’.

Private Eustace Rhone joined the 2^nd Battalion Welch Regiment in France in July 1915. On the 27^th of September 1915, after receiving a wound to the thigh and being gassed, he died whilst being treated by 29 Field Ambulance (RAMC).^[7]South Wales Daily News, 28 October 1915. findmypast.co.uk The ‘Radyr Chain’ states that Eustace Rhone was gassed when a British attempt to use poison gas against the Germans was accidentally blown back into British lines.^[8]Radyr Chain. Number 274. November 2024. radyr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Chain-274.pdf He is buried in Plot J.9. in the Sailly-Labourse Communal Cemetery, France.^[9]www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/188389/e-rhone/ The sum of £3/4s/9d was left to Emma Jane Thompson.^[10]UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929. 1914-1915 Shrewsbury 217001-218500. ancestry.co.uk He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star and both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The medals were not claimed.

Joseph Edwards was  identified by the ‘Radyr Chain’ as a second Black soldier from South Wales who enlisted in the Welch Regiment. He was born in Barbados c.1894.^[11]For Joseph Edwards see: The National Archives (TNA) WO 363. findmypast.co.uk Radyr Chain. Number 274. November 2024. radyr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Chain-274.pdf The Northumberland Fusiliers … Continue reading A seaman by occupation, he enlisted in the 12^th Battalion Welch Regiment at Barry on 11^th of March 1915 when he was given the number 24906. On enlistment he was 21 years and 2 months of age, 5/5 and ½”. (His complexion was not recorded –almost certainly a deliberate omission). His next of kin was identified as Miss Laura Edwards (also identified in different documents as Laurel and either being his aunt or his sister) of Eagle Hall (Eaglehall) Corner, Bridgetown, Barbados. He was stationed at Home from 11^th of March 1915 until 16^th February 1916 when he joined the 8^th Battalion as part of the Mesopotamian Campaign (1916-1918), during which the battalion served at the siege of Kut (1916), the capture of Baghdad (1917) and the battles at Jabal Hamrin (1917). He then transferred to 2^nd Garrison Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on 8^th of May 1918 and was given the number 77342. His only incident of misconduct was in December 1918 when received 10 days detention for disobeying an order and destroying a document. He embarked for Home on 29^th January and arrived on 13^th March 1919. He was discharged on 6^th of July 1919 and his character was described as “good”. His fate remains unknown.