Members are said to mimic the British Navy, dressed in naval uniforms and marching and performing to the music of the Tuk band.
The organization was started in the island of Barbados after Emancipation, by the earliest plantation workers of African Descent to help them develop socially and economically.
This would account for the interpretation of Land-ship maneuvers as re-enactments of the Middle Passage, an experience that would have been embedded into the minds of the first shipments of enslaved Africans to Barbados.
The Land-ship was said to have been formed by Moses Wood, a retired Bajan seaman who had served in the British Royal Navy and then lived in Cardiff and Southampton.
It is reckoned that the Land-ship as it is known today, started in October 1863,[3] but it is not feasible that Moses Wood was the originator, since his records show his birth as 21 January 1860.
However, his fame may have come because the Land-ship had become low keyed (almost underground) by the time Wood returned and the then Governor Hodgson, had previously issued an edict forbidding "the wearing of quazi-military uniforms".
[5] Hence Wood was being openly defiant in starting a Ship because he wanted to continue wearing his naval uniform and the Land-ship provided that perfect opportunity.
When pooled together these small contributions became significant and allowed the organization to develop the resources to help each member in times of need.
[8] After all this time, not much is known by the Barbadian public about the Land-ship outside of its visual impact of lily-white uniforms decorated with colorful cords, and animated performance with the accompaniment of the Tuk Band known as its "engine".
This traumatic experience of the enslaved West Africans, who were brought to Barbados mainly during the seventeenth century, created this re-enactment to ensure that their children never forget from whence they came.
It demonstrates the predominantly African provenance of the Barbados Land-ship which origins can be traced to the traditional maritime organization of the Fante peoples from the Gold Coast region of Ghana known as the Asafo.
It has been a long process of research, trying to identify the connections from the past, addressing the period from slavery to Emancipation and into the present.
The evidence gathered from research demonstrates the similarities in the framework of these institutions and their divergence after the impact of British colonization.
The structure of the Land-ship organization mirrors the structure of the British navy, with each unit known as a "ship", which is based at its own "dock" (a wooden house similar to a chattel house), and leaders known as Lord High Admiral, Admiral, Captain, Boatswain, Quarter Master, Commander, Doctor, Matron, Engineer and other navy ranks.
Land-ship performances symbolize and reflect the experience of the Middle Passage, where Africans were brought from the West Coast of Africa by ships to be slaves in the Caribbean and Americas.
In Akan cosmology, the colors of red and white, which are king and queen in the Land-ship maypole dance, are highly significant and have special spiritual meaning when used together.
The adaptation of the British maypole into the African culture can be identified as a poignant memory of the mast of the slave ship, but more predominantly the Akan story of Kweku Anansi, the spider man.
The web thus became the symbol of the life-giving rays of the sun, and was also used as a metaphor to bind individuals by ties of blood, clan, village and the state, to form a strong group.
They perform maneuvers to the command of the Captain while on parade with the Tuk Band (Engine) providing the music to power the ship.
The present leader of the Landship is former Captain Vernon Watson, who was promoted to Lord High Admiral when the BLA celebrated its 145th anniversary in 2008.
Admiral Watson, who was also awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen in 1998 and is a Justice of the Peace, was a keen follower of the landship movement as a young child.
Lord High Admiral Watson recalls in the early days that there was a Landship organisation in every parish of Barbados, with great interest among young Barbadians.
At present there are 30 active members in the BLA who parade, and overall there are 40 persons involved in the movement, with the original crew of the Director forming the core of the group.
They have been on stage at Government House, Ilaro Court, Harrison's Cave and more recently De Heart uh Barbados.
This dedication has led to awards from both organisations, along with honours from the Ministry of Tourism for its significant contribution to Barbados' cultural and historical landscape.
The Landship to the lives of Barbadians was a Credit Union, a Bank, a Welfare Department, a Counsellor, Entertainment on special occasions, a coordinator of training and apprenticeship and, in general, a friend and family when one is needed.
The Lord High Admiral has been instrumental in getting the Landship into the schools and teaching the craft to other groups including the Yoruba Dancers,[13] Pinelands Creative Workshop and Dancin' Africa.
The Secretary General of BANGO has placed great emphasis on officially documenting the history of the Landship and was very instrumental in publishing its first book, written by Editha G. (Nancy) Fergusson-Jacobs in September 2013, to coincide with its 150th anniversary.
Prior to this, he completed the first written record of its rules in 1991 and produced a draft handbook for members, but this remains unpublished.
The Landship is a testimony to Barbados' unique history and culture and every effort must be made to ensure that its contribution to this nation is never forgotten.