Recruitment in The British Army - Empire and Commonwealth

Empire and Commonwealth

During both World Wars, subjects throughout the British Empire volunteered to help the United Kingdom. During World War I the Dominions raised their own armies, but were under the British command structure, and very much integrated into the British fighting forces. Over 2.5 million men, which included Canada sending 418,000 men overseas, Australia sent 322,000,South Africa sent 230,000, New Zealand 124,000, and other volunteers from the Crown Colonies.

During peacetime the British Empire soldiers were usually recruited into indigenous regiments to garrison their own land, thus ensuring that the Army did not have to allocate its own units to garrison the territories. Such as the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, one of the oldest regiments raised from the empire was the West India Regiment raised in 1795, and was formed as an integral part of the regular British Army. The recruits of West India Regiment were originally raised from freed slaves from North America and by purchase of slaves in the West Indies, it was disbanded in 1927. Other units such as the Fiji Infantry Regiment, raised in 1920, garrisoned the Pacific territory, consisting of one battalion. One of the largest was the Royal West African Frontier Force which garrisoned British West Africa, consisting in 1928 of The Nigeria Regiment.