The Royal Air Force recently joined community and charity groups to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and the generation of Caribbean volunteers that helped to defend and rebuild Britain in the post-war years.
The event took place in Edgbaston and included keynote speaker Air Commodore Pickering, High Sheriff of Nottingham, and 98-year-old Mr Prince Albert Jacob, a World War II RAF veteran.
Air Commodore Pickering, Honorary Air Commodore of 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron said:
The cultural landscape of Britain is unimaginable without the Windrush Generation. Their commitment to the UK, in every area of life, is something everyone can be proud to celebrate.
This was a wonderful event, which honoured the RAF. Aside from their extraordinary military service, the veterans of the Windrush Generation were pioneers; their voices and experiences are important to our understanding of their journeys from the Caribbean and their contributions to the UK.
It is 75 years since His Majesty’s Transport Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, on 22 June 1948, bringing people who would come to be known as The Windrush Generation. During World War II, thousands of Caribbean men and women volunteered for the British Armed Forces, with some 6000 serving in the RAF alone.
The Windrush Generation adopted Great Britain as their new home and their contributions were varied, significant and lasting. Many who came to the UK had previously served in the British Armed Forces during World War Two. They were skilled workers in every area, many becoming nurses in the newly established NHS. And some broke new ground in representing black Britons in society.
Attended by influential figures from the Birmingham community and representatives from across the RAF, the event was a celebration of all these achievements and contributions. Some powerful stories were told, with justifiable pride and enthusiasm, along with some inspired dramatic performances and brilliant music.
The organisers or sponsors of the event included the Royal Air Force, the Windrush Foundation, the Why Are West Indians Project, Recognise Black History and Culture, and the Caribbean Family History Group.
