Monument

African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Erection date: 22/6/2017

Inscription

{On the vertical obelisk:}
In memory of the service men and women from Africa and the Caribbean who served alongside the forces of the British Commonwealth and her allies during WWI and WWII.
Remembering the forgotten.

{On the top of the horizontal obelisk:}
Remembered
Africa and its diaspora has been part of Britain's military history since Roman times from the North African legion stationed at Hadrian's Wall in the third century to the descendants of the Windrush generation. This fallen stone is in honour of those service personnel from Africa and the Caribbean who aided the United Kingdom in both world wars on sea on land and in the sky.
Merchant Navy
African and Caribbean Merchant Navy Seaman {sic} 1914 – 1945, Nigerian Marine Department 1914 – 1918, SS Mendi 1917, Trinidad Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve 1939 – 1945.
African Carrier, Labour, Pioneer and Native Military Corps.
Over 2,000,000 men 1914 – 1945, provided in the two world wars from Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
West African Frontier Force and Royal West African Frontier Force Gambia Regiment 1914 – 1918, Gold Coast Regiment 1914 – 1918, Nigeria Regiment 1914 – 1918, Sierra Leone Regiment 1914 – 1918, 11th and 12th (African) and 81st and 82nd (West African) Divisions of the British Army 1941 – 1945
Military Service: Togoland, Cameroon and East African Campaigns in WWI and East African and Burma Campaigns in WWII
Malawi KAR Battalions 1914 – 1945, Kenya KAR Battalions 1914 – 1945, Uganda KAR Battalions 1914 – 1945, Somaliland Camel Corps/Scouts 1914 – 1945, Somaliland KAR Battalions 1939 – 1945

{On the front of the horizontal obelisk:}
Tanzania KAR Battalions 1017 – 1945, Northern Rhodesia Police/Northern Rhodesia Regiment 1914 – 1945, Rhodesia Native Regiment/Rhodesian African Rifles 1914 – 1945, Sudan Defence Force 1939 – 1945, 11th and 12th (African) and 11th (East African) Divisions of the British Army 1941 – 1945
Military Service: East African Campaigns in WWI and WWII invasion of Madagascar, Western Desert, Italian and Burma Campaigns in WWII West India Regiment and British West Indies Regiment
Drafted from the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Guiana, British Honduras, Grenada, Jamaica, the Leeward Islands, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago
Military Service: Western Front, Cameroon, East African and Palestine Campaigns
Air Crew and Ground Crew
African and Caribbean pilots and ground crew of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force 1917 – 1945
West Indies Auxiliary Territorial Services
Caribbean women in the women's branch of the British Army 1943 – 1945 Caribbean Regiment Caribbean branch of the British Army including the Bermuda Militia Artillery and Infantry 1944 -1945.
Military Service: Italian Campaign Egypt
And to all the forgotten

Unveiled on Windrush Day. A very simple design, we think the horizontal obelisk may represent the fallen.

Site: African and Caribbean Armed Forces (1 memorial)

SW2, Effra Road, Windrush Square

Originally intended to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of WW1 and the contribution made by Caribbean people; and to be placed at Tilbury Docks (where the Windrush landed). But the remit expanded to include both world wars and those from Africa as well as the Caribbean, so this Brixton location was chosen.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Subjects commemorated i

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came a...

Read More

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

Read More

African and Caribbean Armed Forces

After the outbreak of WWI, black recruits could be found in all branches of t...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Created by i

Jak Beula Dodd

Born St Mary's Hospital Paddington, to parents who were both from Jamaica, Jo...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

St Mary Magdalene Richmond - war memorial

St Mary Magdalene Richmond - war memorial

TW9, Church Walk

This free-standing monument is to the north of the church. From War Memorials Online: "A tall Gothic structure of Barnack ragstone, with ...

2 subjects commemorated
King's Cross war memorial - 1. pre-renovations

King's Cross war memorial - 1. pre-renovations

N1, Euston Road, King's Cross Station

There are 937 names, listed alphabetically (with a few out of sequence) in 11 columns. These names were in the original WW1 memorial whi...

War dead | WW1
941 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Highgate United Reform Church war memorial

Highgate United Reform Church war memorial

N6, Pond Square, Highgate United Reform Church, forecourt

2015: We read that the cross is being refurbished.  13 or 14 of these names are also on the nearby Highgate Camp memorial.  Two of the na...

War dead | WW1
28 subjects commemorated
Holy Trinity war memorial - WW1

Holy Trinity war memorial - WW1

N4, Granville Road, Holy Trinity church garden

The 1920s photo of the church shows the WW1 memorial in place in front of the church, facing south west. The plinth supported a tall pill...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Machine Gun Corps memorial

Machine Gun Corps memorial

W1, Hyde Park Corner

The statue is of the boy David holding Goliath's sword (the clue is in the size of the sword). The model for this statue used to be on pu...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Arthur Stanley Wint

Arthur Stanley Wint

SW5, Philbeach Gardens, 22

Arthur Stanley Wint 1920 - 1992, RAF pilot,doctor & diplomat, gold medal olympian, lived at this address 1949 - 1960. Chinara Enterpr...

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
Isleden House - 1

Isleden House - 1

N1, Prebend Street, Isleden House

From City of London : "Isleden House was built in 1948 by the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities. In 1953 the Trustees conveyed t...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Lloyd's of London WW2 memorial

Lloyd's of London WW2 memorial

EC3, Leadenhall Street, 12

This arch was the entrance to Lloyd's 1928 building. 37 feet high, of Portland stone, it was retained and now, rather incongruously, sits...

War dead | WW2
219 subjects commemorated
Charles Square

Charles Square

This Square was laid out at the same time as Hoxton Square and in 1922 Charles Square still contained at least some houses from about 1685 - 1745.   Only no. 16 remains.  Shown in the picture, it w...

Place, Property

1 memorial
Hackney Empire pavement plaque - Frank Matcham

Hackney Empire pavement plaque - Frank Matcham

E8, Mare Street

The round plaque is on the wall under the main entrance canopy, high up, near the first "E" of Empire. The three brass plaques are in the...

1 subject commemorated