As part of the Ministry of Defence's 'Black History Month' campaign, RAF veteran Sam King - originally from West Indies - spoke about his experiences coming over from Jamaica to fight for the UK in World War II.
Sam King was born in Jamaica in 1926. He travelled to Britain in 1944 to serve with the Royal Air Force as ground crew, repairing planes that had come back from the France and Germany. Throughout the war, King was stationed at various locations across the UK. King was among over 17,500 male and female volunteers from the West Indies and Caribbean who volunteered to serve in the RAF during World War II.
Speaking about his service with the RAF, Sam King, 89, said:
England said it needed men and I took the test for the RAF and passed. My mother said son, the Mother Country is at war, go and if you live, this will have been a good thing. More than 15,000 of us volunteered. They wanted me to be a rear gunner. But my mother said no as the average life was six months. I’m glad I could help. I did my bit for King and country.
Black History Month remembers and celebrates people from the past, and those who contribute to our society today. For the UK Armed Forces, this is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of black personnel past and present in keeping the nation safe. As part of this celebration, the Ministry of Defence has compiled imagery from WWI and WWII, and profiles of key figures from past and present personnel: http://defencehq.tumblr.com
The UK Armed Forces has over 6,000 black personnel in a range of jobs from combat roles, like solders, sailors and pilots, to non-combat roles including medics, mechanics and engineers.