Baroness Floella Benjamin opens new exhibition at RAF Museum
On Friday 1st November a new exhibition entitled ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF’ opened to the public by Baroness Floella Benjamin.
In two World Wars black people from the Caribbean, Africa and from Britain volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force. These volunteers fought, and died, for the mother country and for freedom, and thereby helped to preserve the values and the heritage they shared with their white comrades. The tradition of service to the Crown continues today, and the RAF is proud to welcome new generations of black volunteers into its ranks.
In a brand new exhibition, curated in partnership with the Black Cultural Archives, the Royal Air Force Museum will tell in ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the Royal Air Force’ the inspirational story of these volunteers, commemorating and celebrating their vital contribution to the defence of Britain, her Empire and Commonwealth.
The exhibition will also highlight the RAF’s success in embracing diversity and also demonstrate how the rich, cosmopolitan nature of modern Britain owes much to the black men and women who wore air force blue.