Caribbean aircrew in Bomber Command

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello all,

I’m looking for information on Flying Officer Errol W. Barrow, who served in Bomber Command from 1942. He’s said to have been Navigator on Lancaster’s, squadron as yet unknown.

Also was navigator on Sholto Douglas’s personal aircraft in the immediate postwar period.

 

He would also become the first Prime Minister of Barbados.

any information would be greatly appreciated, especially on Sholto Douglas personal aircraft. Was it a Dakota, or York, or another type?

 

Tony

[Beard]

This, from the RAF museum, states Barrow served with 88 squadron:

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/pilots-of-the-caribbean/heroes-and-sheroes/stateman-flying-officer-errol-walton-barrow.aspx

 

 

 

[Vicarage Vee]

William Sholto-Douglas' post-war Dakota is at Cosford. Might be worth investigating.

[Tony Whittingham]

Thank you, gentlemen!

That helps considerably!

[gruffy]

That’s a subject I’d love to see in a book! I’ve seen almost all British and empire aircrew mentioned but never seen anything regarding the West Indies? 

[Troy Smith]

On 24/12/2017 at 21:15, gruffy said:

That’s a subject I’d love to see in a book! I’ve seen almost all British and empire aircrew mentioned but never seen anything regarding the West Indies? 

 

there was a BBC 4 documentary on this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05v08b7

 

not on iplayer but maybe on youtube, IIRC they mentioned a chap who went on to be become the Prime Minister,   so I presume it's the same  one?

On 13/12/2017 at 11:44, Tony Whittingham said:

He would also become the first Prime Minister of Barbados.

 

there is this blog

http://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/

 

which may have some useful info, or you could ask.

HTH

 

[Guest]

Cy Grant (aka the voice of Lieutenant Green in the 60s Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons) also served in the RAF as aircrew on Lancasters.  IIRC he was shot down and captured, remaining as a guest of the Luftwaffe until 1945.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Grant

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello gruffly and Troy,

There are 2 books I have found useful:

”The motherland calls” by Stephen Bourne,

and “Caribbean volunteers at War” by Mark Johnson.

One other Caribbean prime minister, Norman Manley of Jamaica, served in the RAF.

Other notables were E.R. Braithwaite of Guyana, the author of “To Sir with Love”,

and Flt. Lt. Arthur Wint, became the middle distance champ in the 1948 & 1952 Olympics

 

 

[Sydhuey]

There is a good web site on this http://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/ , covers many aircrew and ground crew from the Caribbean who served in the RAF.

[gruffy]

On 27/12/2017 at 6:53 PM, Tony Whittingham said:

Hello gruffly and Troy,

There are 2 books I have found useful:

”The motherland calls” by Stephen Bourne,

and “Caribbean volunteers at War” by Mark Johnson.

One other Caribbean prime minister, Norman Manley of Jamaica, served in the RAF.

Other notables were E.R. Braithwaite of Guyana, the author of “To Sir with Love”,

and Flt. Lt. Arthur Wint, became the middle distance champ in the 1948 & 1952 Olympics

 

 

Thanks for that! Those 2 books have been ordered!

[Graham Boak]

Mark Johnson's book is available at less than half price from Postscript books - a fairly good source for a variety of subjects.

[Jonny]

You might be interested in "The Eigth Passenger", by Miles Tripp.  He was the Bomb Aimer of a 218 Gold Coast Squadron Lancaster, and the Rear Gunner was a West Indian, Harry McCalla.  Tripp and McCalla stayed in contact after World War 2.