Sat 8 Aug - Under Fire -Black Britain and the war effort in WW2 - Stephen Bourne

Under Fire, a new book on Black Britain and the war effort in WW2. The historian Stephen Bourne shares first-hand testimonies of black servicewomen and men and black civilians. Despite the fact many black civilians faced the discriminatory ‘colour bar’, many were determined to contribute to the war effort where they could, volunteering as air-raid wardens, fire-fighters, stretcher-bearers and first-aiders. Meanwhile, black servicemen and women, many of them volunteers from places as far away as Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Nigeria, risked their lives fighting for the Mother Country in the air, at sea and on land. We hear from recently collected accounts that shed light on the range of experiences from evacuees to entertainers, government officials, prisoners of war and community leaders. 'Under Fire' is available from the History Press.



Listen Again - Sat 8 Aug 2020 - Black Britain in Wartime