long-serving officers and non-commissioned officers, who had built up ties of mutual respect with their men, had mostly dispersed or retired and in its final years of service the WIR was also led by officers seconded from other British regiments for relatively short assignments. Battle honours Dominica, Martinique 1809, Guadeloupe 1810, Ashantee 1873–74, West Africa 1887, West Africa 1892–93 & 94, Sierra Leone 1898 The Great War (2 battalions): Palestine 1917–18, E. Africa 1916–18, Cameroons 1915–16. In June 2017 a memorial to the African and Caribbean soldiers of World War one and World War Two was unveiled at Windrush Square, Brixton, London. Victoria Crosses Private Samuel Hodge of the 2nd WIR was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1866 for courage shown during the capture of Tubab Kolon in the Gambia. Private Hodge was the second black recipient of this decoration—the first being Able Seaman William Hall of the Royal Navy. In 1891, Lance Corporal William Gordon of the 1st Battalion WIR received a VC for gallantry during a further campaign in the Gambia. Promoted to sergeant, Jamaican-born William Gordon remained in employment at regimental headquarters in Kingston until his death in 1922. Regimental Colonels Colonels of the regiment were: 1st West India Regiment (1795–1888) 1795–1804: Gen. John Whyte 1804–1830: Gen. Lord Charles Henry Somerset 1830–1834: Gen. Sir Peregrine Maitland, GCB 1834–1839: Lt-Gen. Hon. Sir Henry King, KCB 1839–1842: Lt-Gen. Sir William Nicolay, KCH 1842–1843: Lt-Gen. Sir Henry Frederick Bouverie, GCB, GCMG 1843–1844: Lt-Gen. Sir Gregory Holman Bromley Way 1844–1855: Gen. Sir George Thomas Napier, KCB 1855–1876: Gen. Sir George Bowles, GCB 1876–1888: Gen. Sir Arthur Borton, GCB, GCMG 1888: Regiment amalgamated with 2nd West India Regiment to form the West India Regiment 2nd West India Regiment (1795-1888) 1795–1805: Lt-Gen. Sir William Myers, 1st Baronet 1805–1808: Gen. Richard Lambart, 7th Earl of Cavan, KC 1808: Lt-Gen. Eyre Power Trench 1808–1809: Gen. Sir Brent Spencer 1809–1818: Gen. Sir George Beckwith, GCB 1818–1822: Maj-Gen. Sir Henry Torrens, KCB 1822–1828: F.M. Sir John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford, GCB, GCH 1828–1841: Gen. Francis Fuller 1841–1843: Gen. John Maister 1843–1848: Lt-Gen. Effingham Lindsay 1848–1860: Gen. Sir Robert John Harvey, CB 1860–1863: Lt-Gen. John Wharton Frith 1863–1864: Maj-Gen. Botet Trydell 1864–1870: Lt-Gen. Robert Law, KH 1870–1881: Gen. Brooke John Taylor 1881–1888: Gen. Sir Patrick Leonard Macdougall, KCMG (continued in West India Regiment) 1888: Regiment amalgamated with 1st West India Regiment to form the West India Regiment