Caribbean WW2 veteran 'thrilled' by memorial

A 101-year-old veteran has said he is "thrilled" after a plaque honouring Caribbean servicemen was installed in a North Yorkshire memorial garden.

Prince Albert Jacob, known as Jake, left Trinidad to serve in the RAF in 1943, when he was just 17 years old.

He was one of about 4,000 recruits from the West Indies and Caribbean who trained as ground crew at RAF Hunmanby Moor, near Filey.

Following a six-year campaign to recognise their contribution in the town, a plaque has been given pride of place in Filey Memorial Garden.

"I'll be honest, I thought it was time that this should have been done," Jacobs said.

"I'm pleased, thrilled."

Reflecting on his memories of Yorkshire, the veteran, who now lives in the West Midlands, praised the "very friendly people" and looked fondly back on his days dancing in Scarborough.

"As one of the first places we have been, coming into this country, it was delightful. It was a very good start," he said.

Glenn Parsons, whose uncles Gilmour Westcarr and Edwin Samuels trained at the base, led the campaign to get the plaque in the memorial garden.

Originally, Filey Town Council had said any new memorials would be restricted to people from Filey who had lost their lives while serving in the armed forces.

Last year, the policy was reconsidered and updated to allow the plaque remembering Caribbean servicemen to be moved from a house on Queen Street to the gardens.

During Sunday's Remembrance service, it could be seen in its new home.

"It is extra special because this is the first time that we've been able to celebrate together," Parsons said.

"It cements the joint history of the people of Filey and the people of the Caribbean who came over to this country in World War Two as volunteers, to help England turn the tide in favour of its allies and win the war.

"The history that's normally been written concentrates on the Windrush, but this shows there was a pre-Windrush history, that many people who came on the Windrush had been to this country before and had helped win the war for this country, but yet have not got the recognition they deserved."

Parsons hoped young people would come to the gardens and be educated on who "fought side by side" with people from Britain during the war.

Filey Town Council confirmed a second plaque had been commissioned to commemorate the service and sacrifice of all British and Allied military personnel and civilians who served and trained at Filey and its environs during the world wars and other conflicts.

It would be installed by the end of November and stand beside the Caribbean servicemen's plaque.

An official unveiling of both plaques will take place in early 2027, the authority said.

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