Tapestry of Black Britons

Lovely to catch up with Eddy Smythe at a celebration of the Tapestry of Black Britons, which commemorates the hundreds of thousands of African, Caribbean and Black British service people who fought in the Second World War.

This includes Eddy’s father Johnny Smythe who served in the RAF and endured 18 months in a POW camp after being shot down defending Britain. Johnny was then instrumental in organising the former troopship Empire Windrush, which brought nurses and former service people to Britain to rebuild our society.

We owe Johnny, and all those commemorated by the Tapestry, a huge debt of gratitude. They protected our society and shaped it for the better.

We will remember them.