A Visit to the National Archives

Last week, I visited the National Archives in Kew to gather information on the West Indian recruits who trained at Filey and the small contingent of Black American G.I’s based at Cottingham during World War Two. While records relating to the conflict are in abundance and the majority are very well preserved, after trawling through a large number of files kept by the Air Ministry, Colonial and War Offices it became increasing apparent that finding any specific information was going to be very difficult.

Thankfully, on the second day a file arrived which contained a list of men who were recruited in the West Indies and came to Britain to help with the war effort, with further analysis we will shortly be revealing the names of those who trained and worked in the region. Information on the Black G.I’s was more elusive and while no evidence was collected on the soldiers based at Cottingham, records created by the Prime Minister’s Office gave a general overview of their experiences in Britain. In particular, it highlighted anxieties about the development of inter-racial sexual relationships. This prompted research into the League of Coloured Peoples and their investigation into homes for illegitimate Black children. Although, their correspondence highlighted that there was no ‘problem’ in Hull and East Yorkshire we understand that Black babies were born during and after the war. However, it is possible that women in the region chose to raise their children.

The stories of the West Indian recruits and the Black American G.I’s are coming soon. Please click the contact us button to the right if you or your family have any memories of these men in the region. We would love to hear from you.

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