Cryptic crossword clue
Illnesses later devastated island group 6,8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 plus 8 letter word LESSER ANTILLES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
E
S
S
E
R
A
N
T
I
L
L
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "island group" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case island group = lesser antilles.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations