Filey memorial for Caribbean WWII RAF ground crew to go ahead

Those behind the plaque say they hope people will learn about the volunteers from the West Indies and Caribbean

A plaque to remember 4,000 Caribbean men who volunteered to join the RAF in World War Two and who trained near Filey in North Yorkshire is to be erected after a home for it was found.

A campaign to create the memorial had been led by Glenn Parsons.

His uncle, Gilmour Westcarr, trained at RAF Hunmanby Moor in 1944 and 1945.

He said: "I want this plaque to serve as a reminder to all people about the contributions to the war effort by people of colour."

Mr Parsons said the men had travelled "thousands of miles to help" and he felt it was only right they were recognised for their contribution.

Gilmour Westcarr, who trained at RAF Hunmanby Moor, later joined the Jamaica military police but returned to the UK

After Filey Council said it could not install a plaque in the town's memorial garden, Mr Parsons put out a plea to find another home for it.

"I'm delighted to say we've had a fantastic response from people all over the country, but especially from people in Filey, many of whom didn't know about this history or our campaign," he said.

A woman who owned a property on Queen Street in Filey had come forward to offer a space for the wall memorial, he added.

Glenn Parsons has led the campaign for the new memorial in Filey

The RAF Hunmanby Moor training camp started out life as a Butlin's holiday park, but was requisitioned by the government in 1941.

According to the Africans in Yorkshire project, some of the Caribbean recruits at the camp were white, but most were of African descent.

Alford Gardner, who was an RAF mechanic who arrived in Filey from Jamaica in 1944, said he was pleased the plaque would now go ahead.

"There's so many lads, so many who passed through Filey. It is very, very important that people remember," he said.