The Forgotten Generations

Lest We Forget Project

The Lest We Forget Project celebrates the contribution of seven black veterans of the West Midlands to the history of the Royal Air Force. The oldest veteran, Prince Albert `Jake ‘ Jacob, age 100 (2025), arrived to train as RAF Ground Crew as a teenager from Trinidad in 1944 during the Second World War. The last veteran to retire was John Winston Clark who rose to the rank of Wing Commander and left the service in 2011. Together all the veteran`s careers span much of the history of the Royal Air Force as an institution from when it was founded during the First World War in 1918.

The Lest We Forget Project has tried to set the individual careers of each veteran in the context of the history of the Royal Air Force since 1918 which explains the need for such recruits in the first place and the reasons for their deployment in particular places at particular times, home and abroad.

Decade-by-Decade Timeline

To access a brief decade by decade timeline accompanying the public exhibition in the Library of Birmingham and referring to landmarks in RAF history and its recruitment and treatment of black veterans since 1918 click here
VIEW EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Detailed Timeline

To access a more detailed timeline, click here
VIEW DETAILED TIMELINE

History of the RAF

To access the complete documentary The History of the RAF since 1918, click here

WATCH DOCUMENTARY

Caribbean Recruits of the RAF

To access the complete documentary Caribbean Recruits of the RAF, click here

WATCH DOCUMENTARY

Decade-by-Decade Timeline

To access a brief decade by decade timeline accompanying the public exhibition in the Library of Birmingham and referring to landmarks in RAF history and its recruitment and treatment of black veterans since 1918 click here

VIEW EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Detailed Timeline

To access a more detailed timeline, click here

VIEW DETAILED TIMELINE

History of the RAF

To access the complete documentary The History of the RAF since 1918, click here

WATCH DOCUMENTARY

Caribbean Recruits of the RAF

To access the complete documentary Caribbean Recruits of the RAF, click here

WATCH DOCUMENTARY

Prince Albert 'Jake' Jacob

John Winston Clarke