Black British Soldiers

Dear Kate,

I presume you've read the previous posts on Page 1 of this topic but you'll see a link to a boxing website with a picture of your great uncle - and several mentions of him in other posts. I'm happy to help and point you in any directions I may have come from. I also presume you know about any Ashuns in Liverpool as you posted on Ancestry a couple of years back - take two, you've also found the boxing references....

 

Who'd have thought the Victorians were so PC eh?

First VC from Canada was a black fellow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_Victoria_Cross_recipients

Right, is there anyone who has not genuflected an the PC alter that would like to do so?

 

Stuff about black British (and foreign black) sailors at Trafalgar here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-black-heroes-of-trafalgar-320576.html

Canadians segregated their non-white soldiers up until WW2, but whether that was them following the British ruling line or not I don't know - and of course equality of service doesn't end discrimination. By the way, I don't see it as 'PC' and I don't genuflect to anybody or anything.

 

Diane, I'm presuming this is referring to soldiers recruited in West Africa and their eventual destination - i.e not Europe? I know 82nd Division arrived in Burma in spring 1944(?) after General Giffard had lobbied for some time for the combat deployment of west and east African troops outside Africa.

 

I'll dig out David Killingray's book, Fighting for Britain - African soldiers in the Second World War and see if he's got anything to say on the subject - my assumption would have been in line with yours. I should also have that item as Drew copied the file for me some time ago....interesting.

 

Just to cover all the bases - I understood it as wanting to avoid sending non-white British soldiers to West Africa as it would create an awkward grey area in an otherwise black and white situation.

 

Hello omg i didn't think anyone would get back intouch with me


This is awesome.. I can look alot more into it now...
It's mad how people find all this information out...

Thank you very much and I would love too hear from you all

If there's anymoee information people could pass on to me. My email is kateashun95@gmail.com or Facebook is kate Louise ashun


Looking forward too hearing from you all

 

Hi Kate
Hope you can read this.
A bit more of excerpt from letter to my father serving in G Battery RHA mentioning Gordon Ashun

Bryan

Sorry my PC has gone mad with multiple postings

 

Hi Kate
As promised G Battery 5 RHA pre D Day embarkation list, Looks like he was at West Ham London
Gordons name is toward bottom of 2nd list looks like his rank may have been Sgt.
Somebody may well have a better copy.

Hope this only posts once
Bryan

 

Having watched a programme on the Victoria Cross last night I felt this needed adding to this thread:

Name: William Hall
Birth Date: 25 Apr 1829
Birth Place: Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada
Death Date: 27 Aug 1907
Death Place: Avonport, Nova Scotia



TD

 

Ken Roberts was from abbey Hilton Stoke on Trent he was a friend of my mothers 4 brothers this was through boxing his mother was also a friend of my grandmother

 

Ken Roberts was from abbey Hulton Stoke on trent

 

I am a Niece of Private Kenneth Roberts who served in 21 Ind. Para. Coy. and unfortunately the photo which Paul posted on 3rd January 2012 is not he but his Brother, Leslie who served in the North Staffs. (Prince of Wales) Regiment during WWII. Whilst the links posted by englandPhil are not to my Tree as this is currently Private, they are my photos. Uncle Ken's Father came from Sierra Leone, possibly Freetown but as yet have to confirm this. Uncle Ken was born in Etruria Road, Hanley, Staffordshire.

 

I've been looking for black British soldiers/servicemen and women in WW2 for some years since I started writing about a relative of mine who was a Trooper in the 10th Hussars, killed in France in 1940. So far I have identified about a dozen, maybe fourteen - including Kenneth Roberts - and now you have a family connection that reveals Leslie is another. Kate Ashun added two more family members, that I only knew vaguely about.

I understand if your family tree is private, but do think about posting pictures - putting names to faces is really important historically - I have never had a photo of Trooper Joe Small, just tantalising glimpses in people's stories. A lot of schoolkids and students have no idea that black, mixed race, and Asian British soldiers fought for their country in both World Wars. There are precious few photographs of black and Asian servicemen of any description, but it always gets a response from the most hardened schoolkid when I show pictures of black RAF officers or Sikh tank crews.

 

How do I upload picture's I finally have a pic off my great granddad Sgt Philip William Ashun ♡

 

Hi Kate

If you 'reply' to this post then in the bottom right hand corner are the options 'POST' & 'More Reply Options', select the latter and that provides a new screen , and at its base is the option 'Choose File' if you select this then you have the option to select files from your computer - just make sure that the file you wish to download does not exceed the max then when you have downloaded it select 'add to post' and the system will add it to wherever the cursor is situated, then finally select 'Add Reply'

TD

 

Middle row too the left is my uncle gordon

 

Ahhhhh, it won't let me upload any pics