As the UScommits to a 'sustained' engagement
to rid the world of terrorists, concerning the

War: Is CaymanSafe?

Mr Harry McCoy,OBE, BEM, JP.

The tragic events of 11 September in New York and Washington,DC demonstrate a departure from conventional forms of attack againstnations and such movement from the norm means that none may beimmune to attack and leads to the question: How safe is the CaymanIslands?

This is not a question to be takenlightly as in moving away from the accustomed manner of declaringwar on a nation the aggressors have ventured on to a zone of whichonly they know the bounds, therefore it becomes uncertain wherethe next attack will be and who is the likely victim.

For inhabitants of these islands which harbour no regular armyof its own, the sudden and relevant question of what to do inevent of an attack leads to a thinking that defence cannot comefrom within. "As you know, the defence of the Islands isone of the Governor's reserved powers and it would therefore bethe UK's responsibility to defend the Cayman Islands as with allthe Overseas Territories (the Falklands being a good example ofwhere this has happened in the past)," was the response of,Mr Kevin Mowbray, Staff Officer to His Excellency, the Governor,Mr. Peter Smith.

He added: "So much would depend on the perceived or actualthreat of attack as to what type of forces the UK sent to repelthe attackers or free the islands. But any forces (most likelyaircraft in the first instance as that would be the most obviousand quickest means of defence) would have to come from the UK.The only regional UK defence force is the Atlantic Patrol Task(North), Royal Navy Ship whose primary purposes are to providedisaster relief and to assist with drug interdiction but who could,if the need arose, provide assistance if one of the territoriesin the region were threatened".

This throwback on British forces coming to the Cayman Islands'rescue because the country remains a Dependent Territory is alsothe type of defence that senior Caymanians foresee.

This first day cover of Cayman Islands' stamps commemorating the50th anniversary of World War II, issued 8 May 1995, feature officersof the local Home Guard. Sir Vassel Johnson (left) and CliftonBodden.

"We haven't got any resources of our own. We have to dependon outside help," said Sir Vassel Johnson, KT, CBE.

"That is a situation that we couldn't stand and defend. Wewould have to depend on outside assistance for our defence,"he said. Sir Vassel's reasoning is that this country's proximityto the United States can see that giant neighbour somehow playinga role in the defence.

"Although they may not take active involvement the US willfactor in owing to geographical closeness," he said. Thefact of the US' Guantanamo Bay military presence on the nearbyisland of Cuba also is a close comfort.

Such dependence on British and US assistance does not mean Caymanianscannot take on battle or are without war experience, but thatthe restriction in numbers forces this country to look beyondits borders for assistance.

Sons of this soil served at various levels in World War II andthat war almost literally came to the nation's doorsteps at onestage when there was offshore a gathering of German submarines.

Sir Vassel, a non-commissioned officer in the Home Guard, wrotein his book, 'As I See It': "Between 1939 and 1942 the watersaround these islands became infested with German submarines; shipswere torpedoed and sunk daily. At about 10 o'clock on the morningof 14th May 1942, a ship was torpedoed south-west of George Townand left sinking, with a huge stack of smoke rising from the horizon."

This former Financial Secretary also detailed how a number ofCaymanians served during that war and a British Naval TrainingCamp in Trinidad had 201 Caymanians. Additionally there were 68of them with the family name, Ebanks, and they had to be numberedfrom Ebanks No. 1 to No. 68 to avoid confusion.

A Caymanian serving in the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reservewas Mr Harry McCoy, OBE, BEM, JP, the only Caymanian to have receiveda Royal award for military service, who told Cayman Net News thatamong his service in the first year of the war was on board shipsescorting British submarines from St Thomas to Trinidad.

After being on duty at sea for which he earned the Atlantic StarMr McCoy took up a posting on Grand Cayman as a Special Policeand served at the Lighthouse in the East End reporting in detailto the British Admiral in Jamaica descriptions of passing ships.
He explained that before the US entered the war it was sellinggoods to all buyers and German and Italian ships frequently attemptedpassing close to Cayman to beat a British naval blockade and getto America.

His proud service during World War II saw him as the only Caymanianto date who in 1946 received the British Empire Medal for outstandingmilitary service as a Petty Officer.

At just under 800 paramilitary officers in service, the CaymanIslands Royal Police with near 300 enlisted officers, a SpecialConstabulary of 55, Firemen numbering 140, Prison Officers 80,Customs Officers 102, and Immigration Officers 75 - these menand women could very well still be a formidable force to contendwith in the event hostilities would threaten our shores.

Return