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By: 4th March 2009 at 19:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-More than just one i'd imagine - I once had a supply teacher whose grandfather, a black Jamaican, flew Lancaster's
There's the story of a Jamaican Lanc pilot here http://www.mgtrust.org/car2.htm
By: 4th March 2009 at 19:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Cheers for that. There's also a story regarding an African navigator, Johnny Smythe, on this page: http://www.mgtrust.org/afr2.htm
By: 4th March 2009 at 19:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-At least one Typhoon pilot.
I have a unit group image.
Mark
By: 4th March 2009 at 19:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-P/O W.E. Recile from Trinidad and Tobago flew Spitfires with 64 and 1 Squadrons in 1944/45
Peter
By: 4th March 2009 at 20:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-E. R. Braithwaite, the author of "To Sir With with Love" (a book remembered for its film and theme song) was a pilot with the RAF.
By: 4th March 2009 at 21:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Coloured Pilots
There were a number of aircrew from the W.I's.that served in the RAF during W11. The 1948 Olympic 400m Gold Medalist Arthur Wint who represented
Jamaica at the Wembley games served as a Pilot Officer, I believe he was a
Fighter pilot. Wint ran for GB during the 50's. He qualified as a Doctor at London'
St Bartholomew's Hospital and later became the Jamaican High Commissioner to
London.
By: 4th March 2009 at 22:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Thanks for the info, chaps.
It just strikes me that I've never seen anything about coloured pilots in the RAF at all (save for the odd Indian)....
By: 4th March 2009 at 22:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Halifax LW 648 was named after her Nigerian wireless operator "The Black Prince". As she was 'A' of 76 Squadron "Achtung!" was placed before "TBP". This info comes from 'Halifax Special' by Bruce Robertson. Unfortunatly his name is not mentioned.
Peter
By: 4th March 2009 at 23:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's surpising how many different nationalities served in the RAF.
In the Roll of honour for Foulsham nfk airfield
is Sgt R.Mc Boswell 180 sqdn Fl672 27th Feb 43 (argentina)
F/O J.P. Toeg 98 sqdn FL216 24th June 43 (Shanghai China)
so guess it was a real mixed bunch.
By: 5th March 2009 at 00:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-263 Sqn had an Indian (though I always believed he was a Sri Lankan) who flew both Whirlwinds and Typhoons, Sgt Sayanapuram Duraiswamy Thyagarajan . He is buried in France close to where he crashed.
See here for more information :- Tiger
By: 5th March 2009 at 00:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Flt Lt Htin Yain Lao was a Burmese RAFVR pilot on 257 (Burma) sqn. According to Roger A Freeman's "The Royal Air Force of World War Two in Colour", he was the only Burmese airman in Europe. He was killed when his aircraft crashed in a snowstorm returning from an Op on 20 Jan '45.
Picture below shows him standing on the stbd wheel.
By: 5th March 2009 at 01:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Don't know how many served in the RAF but there were many that came over to Canada, trained in the BCATP and then went on to serve overseas.
One that definitely comes to mind is our former Lt Gov. The Right Hon. Lincoln Alexander.
A great man, much loved in Ontario and a member of the Order of Canada.
By: 5th March 2009 at 07:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-At least one Typhoon pilot.I have a unit group image.
Mark
Jamaican, Howard Kelsick of 175 Squadron here at B.5.
Foreground second left.
Mark
By: 5th March 2009 at 08:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-http://www.electricegg.co.uk/Photography#pic19
Cy Grant of course and Ulric Cross
Ulric here http://www.search.co.tt/trinidad/ulriccross/index.html
Cys website has some details of his wartime experiences
http://nestene1.users.btopenworld.com/cygrant/index_01.html
best wishes
Steve
By: 5th March 2009 at 08:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-http://www.electricegg.co.uk/Into_the_Wind
brief comments by Cy in the video too.
best wishes
Steve
By: 5th March 2009 at 08:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-IIRC there was one Jamaican listed as flying in the Battle of Britain.....I don't know if it's the same guy that appears in that well known photo of the clutch of pilots in winter flying gear standing with Malan...??
By: 5th March 2009 at 10:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Excellent stuff, guys.
I'm not sure the BNP would appreciate the irony, somehow! :diablo:
By: 5th March 2009 at 10:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-The Imperial War Museum, Lambeth, has 'From War to Windrush' on show at the moment:
http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.2377
"To mark the sixtieth anniversary of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush in Britain in 1948, this exhibition will tell the personal stories of the involvement of Black men and women from the West Indies and Britain in the First and Second World Wars."
The black contribution to Britain's freedom is often underestimated.
By: 5th March 2009 at 23:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Scan of an old snapshot from my collection....At the left Jim Tallala, Spitfire pilot with 234 Sqn...anyone know details of his wartime career?
Chumpy.
Posts: 18,353
By: DazDaMan - 4th March 2009 at 19:25
Having read about the new developments concerning George Lucas' Red Tails film project, I feel compelled to ask a question that could turn out to have a very straightforward answer - but then again, maybe not.
Were there ever any black/Afro-Caribbean pilots in the RAF during the Second World War?
I recall one of the characters in the HBO TV-movie, The Tuskegee Airmen, having had some combat experience with the RAF (like so many Americans did before the US entered the war). But, of course, this is a film, albeit one based on actual events.
So, the question remains: did a black pilot ever serve with the Royal Air Force during the war??
does HBO is also supporting Smart TV App? HBO go will work on TV?
HBO GO on Smart TV, Android TV, and Apple TV