In many colonies and territories, however, regular troops could not be withdrawn as the threat from belligrent nations or neighbours was more imminent, or because native insurrection would surely have resulted. This made it crucial that garrisons be reduced in the more loyal and pacific colonies, however important they were to the Imperial Defence.
EXTENSION OF VOLUNTEERISM TO THE COLONIES
Bermuda had 3,000 soldiers and marines to protect the Royal Navy's HM Dockyard and the Cable & Wireless trans-Atlantic telegraph station. Once the threat of retaliation by a US Government, angry at the part that the UK, and Bermuda particularly, had played in its recent civil war, had subsided, and the parallel threat of US-based Fenian terrorism had likewise faded, the Army set itself the task of halving its garrison in Bermuda. Part of this was achieved by shifting much of the role of the Army's coastal artillery defences onto the Navy's own ships. Bermuda had previously been seen by the Navy only as a base for ships operating the breadth of the Western Atlantic. Actually defending that base had largelly been left to the Army. With the number of Artillery pieces being drastically reduced with each re-armamnent of its batteries with more effective guns, the Army turned its sights on the infantry, and other components of the Garrison. With little in the way of new fortifications to build in this period or rationalisation and retrenchment, and no more projects like the Causeway, or the Gibb's Hill Light envisioned, the Royal Engineers detachment was removed. The infantry battalion, however, could not be reduced without a corresponding increase in the non-existent local militia.
No Militia Act had been passed by the Colonial Parliament, in fact, since the end of the War of 1812. No effort of the Imperial Government, or various Governors had encouraged the Colony to resume the organization of a Militia, and the attempts by Governors to circumvent the Colonial Assembly and raise Militia's directly under themselves without colonial funding had all ended dismally. A Volunteer unit of 60 men with 4 drill instructors (3 retired from Regular forces, one still serving,) was raised privately in Saint George's in 1867. Although supported by the Governor, their request for official authorisation was denied.
FORMATION OF RIFLE CLUBS IN BERMUDA
To the Secretary of State for Colonies (SSC), this was a minor annoyance. For the Military it was somewhat more galling. With no legal instrument by which to compel the Colonial Assembly to form a Militia, the War Office attempted, instead, to foster in Bermuda the same Volunteer spirit that had sprung unbidden in Britain. The first step came in 1887 when Governor Gallwey created five rifle clubs in an attempt to raise a body of musketry-trained citizens. The following year he forwarded to the SSC the request of one club to form a rifle corps. The Secretary of State for War had already undertaken to supply Service Rifles and ammunition, but the request was refused as it was felt that a rifle club could not substitute for a properly trained military force.
The Colonial parliamentarians, however, had other concerns on their mind. The first was that the formation of a volunteer force would allow the complete removal of regular forces, which were a source of revenue to the colony. They also feared they might be expected to shoulder the entire financial costs of the military garrison (a thought which the War Office was certainly considering). Their last concern was how the creation of such a corps would be managed in light of the racial division of Bermuda society of that day. The Rifle Clubs were private organizations, and could restrict their membership as they saw fit. A Rifle corps was a different matter. It was worried that allowing a racially integrated Corps would lead to a great deal of racial animosity and aggravation within it, and that segregating it - barring Blacks - would only inflame the passions of that portion of the populace. Neither scenario pleased the MCPs.
FORMATION OF LOCAL VOLUNTEERS
This had only the effect of inflaming the passions of the Secretary of State for War, who bided his time 'til he saw a suitable opportunity to force the issue. This came in 1890 when the Secretary of State for Colonies required the rubber stamp of the War Office on a pair of requests vital to the envisioned economic growth of the colony. These were a widening of a channel into Saint George's harbour to allow it to continue to be used in the age of the steamship, and a waiver of a law forbidding foreigners from owning land in Bermuda. This latter was a restriction meant to keep a belligrent government from using the interests of its Nationals as a pretext for invasion. The United States, which would infuriate a much later British Government by doing precisely this in Grenada, was, even then, the chief concern.
With the slow death of its shipbuilding and merchant shipping industries, however, Bermuda was reaching rather desperately for any means to support itself. It had even turned to agriculture, which was an act of desperation that is unlikely to be grasped by a non-Bermudian. Almost unnoticed, however, a tourism industry, enabled by the new steam ships, had sprung up on the island. With the winter visit of the wife of the Governor-General of Canada, who was also a princess, and the daughter of HM, Queen Victoria, the island was rapidly becoming the wintering ground of choice for the wealthy of North America.
Cottoning on to this, the Bermudian parliamentarians, and the Colony's leading commercial men - who were, in fact, one and the same,) realized this could become the pillar of the local economy, which was then, in fact, largelly dependent on Imperial Defence expenditure. Unfortunately, the development of the tourism industry was hindered by the lack of a proper hotel, suitable for the elite of New York and Conneticutt. It was decided to build a large, new hotel on the outskirts of Hamilton, but it soon became apparent that American investment would be needed to finance the project. The hotel, named the Princess after the recent illustrious visitor, was to be owned by a joint stock company, and in order for Americans to own shares in that company the Bermuda Government needed the Secretary of State for War to approve an exception to the legal restrictions then in effect.
This the Secretary of state refused to do. In a letter in reply to the Secretary of State for Colonies, it was tersely stated that as long as Bermuda made no contribution to her (read, Imperial,) defence, then nothing that could weaken the defensability of the Colony, or rather, the Station, could be envisaged. This creative bargaining position had the desired affect and the Colonial Government soon passed Acts creating three volunteer units. The first of these to be created was the Bermuda Voilunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC), though a Garrison Artillery unit, the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA), and a small unit of Sappers and Miners to tend the submarine mine defences were close on its heels.
FORMATION OF THE BERMUDA VOLUNTEER RIFLE CORPS
Whereas the BMA recruited from the Black population, it was desired to restrict the BVRC to Whites, but this was considered injudicious to do this by letter of the law. Instead, the effect was achieved by recruiting only from members of the Rifle Club, as all of these still restricted their memberships to Whites.
The organization of the Corps followed the pattern set by the Volunteer Army in England, except in that it was formed by Act of Parliament. It was overseen by the Governor and CinC, and was funded by the Imperial Goverment . Three companies were raised. Number One at the East End, in Saint George's, Two in the central parishes, in Hamilton City, and Three at the West End (these were renamed A, B and C Compamies in 1896). Later D Company was formed, joining with B Company to make up the Headquarters Companies.
The Corps' permanent staff was to consist of a Regular adjutant and three sergeant instructors attached to support a Volunteer Major. Captains were appointed to command each company, each with junior officers. Total strength was to be 304. In Nov., 1894, Captain E. Evans-Lombe of the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment arrived to oversee the Corps' formation. Meetings were immediately begun at the various rifle clubs where men began to sign up. Recruits were between 17 and 50 years of age, though officers could normally serve 'til sixty. In February, 1895 appointments of commissioned officers were made; the first C.O. being Major Sir Josiah Rees, with Captain Evans-Lombe as Adjutant. Regulations were published in the Royal Gazette on 15 January, 1895.
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