Second World War Service and Sacrifice

Westmaas Family l_r David Donald Denis Rory

The Westmaas Family

George Hamilton Westmaas and his wife Winifred raised eight boys in Georgetown, Guyana (then British Guiana). George’s grandson,…


Pilots of the Madras Squadron. Group including Sgt. (later Flt. Lt.) Billy Strachan (extreme left). Billy’s plane was named Vizagapatam after the town in India which paid for it.

Billy Strachan (1921- 1998)

Born in Jamaica as William Arthur Watkin Strachan, Billy left school in December 1939 with a desire to…


Gilbert Clarke, who lives in Plaistow, shared his memories of D-Day as a young RAF recruit training in Britain.

Gilbert Clarke

Born in Jamaica, Gilbert, his brother and sister lost their father when Gilbert was three. A bright pupil…


ROYAL AIR FORCE FLYING TRAINING COMMAND, 1940-1945. (CH 2430) Air Marshal L A Pattinson, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Flying Training Command, talking to Babatunde Alakija, the first Nigerian to join the RAF, at an RAF Receiving Depot at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. His name is Babatundo Alakija, but he is known as 'Ali' by the other cadets. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205210040

Second World War Service and Sacrifice – Babatunde O. Alakija

Born in Nigeria, Alakija was educated at Oxford and was to hold the British Public School High Jump Championship. Alakija’s father,…


Videos & Film VIEW ALL

Black History Month

2025 LISTINGS

Leeds 20 May–24 May 2025

Kinky Boots

The Broadway and West End phenomenon, Kinky Boots The Musical, is strutting into Leeds Grand Theatre in a brand…

Photo © Lewis Ronald
Cambridge Thursday 22 May

Museum Late: Future Legacies

Join us after-hours at the Museum for a lively evening of art, music, conversation and engaging workshops inspired…

Lambeth Friday 23 May

Mix & Move: Hip-Hop Grooves

Showcasing dance styles and dancers from across the globe, Mix & Move is our monthly programme of accessible dance workshops…

Westminster Saturday 24 May

Black History River Cruise

3 hour cruise along the Thames from Temple to Greenwich and back showing the thousands of years of…

Jahnavi Inniss, Representation: Black British History Quilt, 2020-2024. © Jahnavi Inniss
Cambridge Saturday 24 May

Quilting workshop: Jahnavi Inniss

Immerse yourself in our patchwork and quilting workshop led by exhibition artist Jahnavi Inniss, award-winning textile-based graphic designer…