West Indians & the WWII RAF (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

"The general public in the United Kingdom and elsewhere is scarcely aware of the involvement of Caribbean crew in the airwar of 1940-1945. In 1940, no so-called ‘men of colour’ could have joined the Royal Air Force; but by the end of the war in 1945, there were between 300 and 500 aircrew from the Caribbean out of a total of around six thousand volunteers who served during World War 2. About seventy were commissioned and one hundred and three received decorations."


For more on this see:

http://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/


Flight Sergeant James Hyde of San Juan, Trinidad, a Spitfire pilot who arrived in Britain in 1942 to begin his training, here pictured in 1944 with his Squadron’s mascot, a dog called ‘Dingo’.

 

[PolarBear]

A recruit from the first contingent of ground staff volunteers for the Royal Air Force from the West Indies, holding his newly-issued kit at No 2 Receiving Centre, Cardington, Bedfordshire, England, 27 January 1944

 

[Mitch]

Excellent pictures and a great thread. I know a chap who is currently researching the role of the commonwealth (from similar countries as these) troops played in the RAF for his PhD. He has some great stuff and, its been very interesting seeing what he has dug up.
Mitch