SNIPPETS OF HISTORY – PIGEON ISLAND

Historic Pigeon Island National Landmark is a microcosm representing the classic military period in the West Indies, i.e. the period from the American War of Independence through the French Revolution to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, 1776-1814. Pigeon Island as an entity is the best-preserved examples from that period. In the case of Pigeon Island, it is the only relatively complete surviving site in St. Lucia that is representative of this classic period of the late Eighteenth Century. Only the Powder Magazine on the Morne holds the distinction of being the second oldest and longest used military structure in St. Lucia and is all that remains of the classic period of military architecture on the Morne.

Pigeon Island holds other important distinctions. For example, at least twice in its history it was more intensely inhabited per square meter than even Carénage or Castries. This occurred over a thousand years ago when the Caribs used the islet to grow Cassava and to catch Lembi. The extensive middens or refuse heaps left by the Amerindians support this theory. It occurred again when Admiral Rodney decided to use Pigeon Island as a Naval Base and Headquarters from 1779 to 1782. There were literally hundreds if not thousands of soldiers and sailors and a considerable number of military labourers engaged in building the extensive defensive works on the islet. Another distinction might be the fact that Pigeon Island was first occupied by Europeans about 1550, over half-a-century before the mainland of St. Lucia became settled.

Pigeon Island was the scene of two important battles. The first occurred in 1781 when the British defenses on the islet put on such a heated bombardment of de Bouillé's invading forces in Gros Islet Bay that the French were compelled to withdraw without effecting a proper landing of their ground troops. The other occurred in 1795 when the Brigands attacked the outpost on Pigeon Island. They encountered so feeble a resistance from the fever stricken and demoralized British defenders that the Brigands succeeded in reducing the islet to ruins. Pigeon Island might have figured once again in a serious modern day conflict had Admiral Robert in Martinique not acquiesced to American military pressure during the German-Vichy occupation of Martinique. It seems that in 1943 an invasion of Martinique was being planned and rehearsed by the Allied forces in Trinidad with the intention of launching the invasion from Gros Islet Bay.

Pigeon Island holds yet another distinction. Until its designation was changed, the islet was considered St. Lucia's first National Park, which was officially declared open by Her Majesty the Queen's representative, Princess Alexandra, as the penultimate official function of St. Lucia's Independence celebrations on 23 February 1979.

© Compiled and written by Robert J. Devaux, OBE