They served the ‘mother country’ with distinction

Gilbert Clarke

Growing up in Jamaica, Gilbert always had an interest in mechanics and electrics. In 1943, when news broke of the Second World War, he signed up to join the RAF and left behind his old job at a bookstore.

His journey to Britain was marred by threats of torpedo attacks from German U-Boats but he safely docked in 1944 amid the woes of the war. He remembers it being cold, but said it was expected.

“It was exciting [joining the RAF]; I learnt mostly electronics and of course military training like how to use a rifle and how to shoot from the reins, we sorted planes and ships,” Gilbert tells The Voice

On his way to Britain, Gilbert had to pass through the United States and says the “colour bar” couldn’t have been more evident across oceans but settled in the training camp in Filey, North Yorkshire. He remembers vividly when D-Day erupted and the sky was filled with aircrafts.

As he started his new life in Britain, he said leaving behind his family in Jamaica was still “heartbreaking” but tried his best to get used to it and even chose to stay in Britain after the war.

The now 97-year-old has been “in demand” and spends his time ensuring that the memory of the ex-veterans from the West Indies is still kept alive today. He spoke at the 77th an- niversary of D-Day which also marked the opening of the British Normandy Memorial and is due to attend a royal celebration of the Windrush generation at Buckingham Palace.

John Desmond Crawford, ‘Jack Crawford’

Jack was born in Lucea, Jamaica in 1923 and first read about the outbreak of the Second World War in The Gleaner. He quickly joined the Jamaica Home Guard in Kingston and by 1944 he voluntarily began training with the Royal Air Force ground crew as the war raged on.

Jack recalls his journey to Britain as he arrived at Filey.

In a piece for the African Stories in Hull and East Yorkshire Project, Jack writes: “I travelled in a troop ship from Jamaica to New York where our ship joined a convoy to Glasgow.

“It took 3-4 days to get to New York and a couple of weeks to get to England. We were in a 20 ship convoy. The only thing we were afraid of was being torpedoed…The weather was freezing. I’d never seen snow before and on my first morning I slipped on the ice in my “hobnailed” boots!”

Jack was stationed at Filey for six weeks, but on his departure he developed bronchitis and had to stay in a convalescent home. A young Jack would go on to experience his first Christmas in Britain in the winter of 1944.

He recalls that despite the rationing caused by the war, he and his fellow veterans had the trimmings and “the lot” on Christmas day. After his six week stint at the convalescent, Jack returned to training with the RAF.

After the war, Jack returned to Jamaica in 1946 where he worked for Customs and Excise in Kingston, but arrived in England once again in 1953 as part of the blossoming Windrush generation.

He rejoined the RAF and worked his way up to become a Chief Technician and made enough money for his wife and children to join him in his new life in Britain.

Jack, now 100, has four children and six grandchildren and says he’s most proud of his achievements made during the Second World War.

“I am particularly proud of my four medals including my Long Service medal and my B.E.M gained in recognition of my achievements in the RAF,” he says.

‘Prince’ Albert Jacobs

‘Prince’ Albert Jacobs says he first heard stories about England while on the small island of Trinidad from his great-grandfather who was a Scotsman. He got news of the war brewing and signed up to join the RAF soon after when he was just eighteen. He travelled to the US, Liverpool and finally to Filey where he worked as an Equipment Assistant on aircrafts and machinery.

Prince Albert tells The Voice that he missed his family back home in the Caribbean, but like thousands of others he “took the chance” to see what was on the other side.

While in England, he met his wife, Mary, who was a local typist and they eventually went to settle in Birmingham, in the West Midlands. They married on April 27 1948 at Oldbury Registry Office with just the two of them. Despite dealing with racism, Mary who is now 92, and ‘Prince’ Albert, 98, have been married over 70 years. The ex-war veteran, who now lives in Solihull, says he’s upset about how the Windrush generation arrived and some that returned have faced hostility over their immigration status and even deported as the country prepares to mark Windrush Day.

‘Prince’ Albert says his contribution to the war effort was “genuine” whether it worked out for him or not, but he says after 75 years since the war ended he “did the right thing at the right time”.

“You had to work your way, you had to prove your point. That’s why I found it in Britain and I think it was a good thing,” he says.