Vehicle    From 4/12/1930  To 30/3/1954

Empire Windrush

Categories: Race Issues, Transport

Countries: Germany, Jamaica

Liner, built in Hamburg with the name 'Monte Rosa' as a luxury cruise ship. Many of the passengers in the early days were privileged members of the Nazi Party. She saw active service in WW2 and was captured by the British in May 1945. The Empire Windrush was acquired from Germany at the end of WW2 and was used as a troopship until 1954 when it sank in the Med. as the result of a fire.

But the ship’s claim to fame was its arrival on 22 June 1948 at Tilbury Docks carrying 792 passengers from Jamaica, people responding to an advertisement to work in England in the post-war reconstruction. This was the first large-scale arrival of black people and it caused a stir.

"The Windrush Generation" describes the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK from 1948 to 1971.

See Diamond Geezer for where the travellers slept on arrival, and an explanation for why so many settled in Brixton. On what turned out to be her final voyage, a fire broke out on board and she sank while being towed to Gibraltar.

18 June 2018: The government announced that "national Windrush Day will take place on 22 June every year to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants." This announcement was made in the midst of the media storm caused by the discovery of just how badly the Windrush immigrants had been treated by that very government. We believe the day was already being celebrated by the black community, on that date, back in 2017, possibly earlier, but in 2018 it was officially recognised and some funding provided.

2020: While statues of slave-traders are being taken down as a response to the Black Lives Matter campaign, one new memorial is being planned. The New Statesman (paywall) reports that a shipwreck hunter is hoping to find funding to search for the anchor of the Windrush, for erection somewhere yet to be determined: "Tilbury Dock, Windrush Square in Brixton, or a spot in central London as possibilities."

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Empire Windrush

Commemorated ati

Bronze Woman

This was the first statue of a black woman to be on permanent display anywher...

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The Drum

Subbrit gives more information.

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Tottenham and West Green - Windrush

It looks familiar but we cannot determine the significance of the jigsaw puzz...

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Windrush & Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives Statue

London Post has drawings for the sculpture and informs "16 pieces of granite,...

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Windrush fruit

The plaque is laid into the paving to the east of the fruit. Reading our phot...

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Show all 8

Other Subjects

Henry Sylvester Williams

Henry Sylvester Williams

Anti-slavery and civil rights campaigner.  Born Trinidad.  After the USA he arrived in London in 1896 to study.  Qualified in law.  Elected in 1906 for Church Street Ward, the first black councillo...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Caribbean Islands

1 memorial
Black Music Congress, etc.

Black Music Congress, etc.

A number of groups related to black music history seem to have come and gone; it's difficult to disentangle them. These links were working in 2021: Black History Month, IRDUK (mentioned on the post...

Group, Community / Clubs, Music / songs, Race Issues

1 memorial
Cetshwayo

Cetshwayo

Ruler of the Zulu kingdom. Born Cetshwayo kaMpande at Mlambongwenya. His birth year is approximate. Succeeded as king on 1st September 1873. His refusal to disband his army as demanded by the Briti...

Person, Armed Forces, Race Issues, Royalty, South Africa

1 memorial
Brixton nail bomb

Brixton nail bomb

The bomb which injured 48 people, was planted by neo-Nazi bomber David Copeland. Copeland, who was also responsible for the nail bomb attacks in Brick Lane (24 April) and at the Admiral Duncan pub...

Event, Race Issues, Terrorism, Tragedy

1 memorial
Zachary Macaulay

Zachary Macaulay

Anti-slavery campaigner. Born Scotland. Aged 16 emigrated to Jamaica and saw slavery first hand as a slave overseer on a sugar plantation. Returned to England 1789. Sister Jean’s husband, Thomas Ba...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Africa, Jamaica, Scotland

4 memorials