Two of the graves belong to Byron Martin and Wilfred Octavius Dawns, who were both overcome by severe illnesses while training at RAF Hunmanby Moor, Filey. It is believed that 19-year-old Martin died of Meningitis on 7 August 1944, and 24-year-old Dawns of pneumonia on 17 January 1945. [2] Both were likely transported to one of the many military hospitals in North Yorkshire before they died, which explains their burials in Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate.

The other two graves belong to servicemen Vivian Florent and Patrick Constantine Marshall, who perished within a month of each other after separate flying accidents. London born Florent had joined the RAF in 1941 and after two years was promoted to Sergeant Air Gunner.[3] On 8 June 1944, he boarded a Halifax bomber at RAF Pocklington listed as a flight engineer. Shortly after the aircraft had taken off, it ran into difficulties and the plane crashed at Home Farm, Seaton Ross. Sadly, Florent and the rest of the crew perished. He was laid to rest in Pocklington Burial Ground. A month later, Jamaican Patrick Constantine Marshall who trained as an Aircraftsman Second Class at Filey in the summer of 1944 suffered the same fate. Unfortunately, we know very little regarding the circumstances of his death. However, the inscription on his grave suggests that he perished in a flying accident while in East Yorkshire on 21 July 1944. He is buried with the other Jamaican recruits in Harrogate.

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.