Black aircrew in RAF Bomber Command WW2

You’re right Arclite03 – have edited post.

I think it is ‘Darky Gilkes’ not Giles – don’t have my copy to hand at the moment

Not just Bomber Command, but there were black aircrew in the other commands as well

From an earlier thread (2009) http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?88812-Coloured-pilots-in-the-RAF

Pen & Sword currently have this newish release – http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Caribbean-Volunteers-at-War/p/6184/

Not sure about the ‘subtitle’. Seems to be a marketing grab of sorts but whatever sells more of these the better. Shines a light on some lesser known chaps and that’s always a good thing.

Cy Grant was someone else I was trying to think off. Passed away a few years ago.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/17/cy-grant-obituary

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/7245357/Cy-Grant.html

In Garbett and Goulding’s ‘Lancaster At War 2’ there is a fine photo of 2 9 Squadron Air Gunners at Bardney before a raid, Canadian Sgt Jack Dickinson with Sgt ‘Darky’ Gilkes from Trinidad. Sgt Dickinson survived and returned home sadly Sgt Gilkes paid the ultimate sacrifice. In Jon Lake’s ‘Halifax Squadrons of World War 2’ one of the colour profiles is of a 76 Squadron Halifax LW648 MP-A, it’s crew had a Nigerian Wireless Operator so the aircraft was named ‘Achtung The Black Prince’ which later failed to return from Bochum on 4th November 1944.

The RAF Museum has been running the following display:

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/support-us/rafmaf/news/pilots-of-the-caribbean-rafmaf/

cy grant -from wikipedia

In 1941, Grant joined the Royal Air Force, which had extended recruitment to non-white candidates following heavy losses in the early years of the Second World War. One of approximately 500 young men recruited from the Caribbean as aircrew, he was commissioned as an officer after training in England as a navigator. He joined 103 Squadron, based at RAF Elsham Wolds in Lincolnshire, becoming one of a seven-man crew of a Lancaster Bomber. In 1943, on his third mission, Flight Lieutenant Grant was shot down over the Netherlands during the Battle of the Ruhr. He parachuted to safety into a field but was captured by German forces and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III camp, 160 kilometres (99 mi) east of Berlin. He was liberated by the Allied Forces in 1945.[8] In 2007, Grant participated in the filming of the documentary Into the Wind (2011), in which he discusses his experiences as an RAF navigator.

Was lucky enough to meet the family of Grey Doyle Cumberbatch from Barbados, who is buried in our village Churchyard, here’s his story written by his nephew…..http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/paying-tribute-to-an-only-son-who-died-in-lancaster-bomber-ed-549-barbadian-sergeant-grey-cumberbatch/

Just to add this (page 17) http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/suns-prod-images/file/1297312867413_Tribute_Booklet.pdf

Martin

Was lucky enough to meet the family of Grey Doyle Cumberbatch from Barbados, who is buried in our village Churchyard, here’s his story written by his nephew…..http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/paying-tribute-to-an-only-son-who-died-in-lancaster-bomber-ed-549-barbadian-sergeant-grey-cumberbatch/

Some (in the order of dozens? out of thousands that served in Europe) of Maori/part-Maori aircrew as well. Difficult to identify from records, as race not recorded.

Ulric Cross (amongst many) who died recently.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/squadron-leader-ulric-cross-pilot-who-went-on-to-become-a-judge-and-diplomat-8872480.html

Some info on this website

http://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com

Certainly there were, in small numbers. The Eighth Passenger by Miles Tripp documents the wartime experiences of a crew that included a gunner of colour, and their postwar experiences.