The Log Book Journey

On Sunday 21 November, the signing of The Log Book by Jamaican born WWII RAF veteran Albert Jarrett and 36 year RAF veteran Donald Campbell, also originally from Jamaica, was therefore a special occasion.  That the event should be witnessed by 104 year old Ena Collymore-Woodstock, thought to be the oldest British Female veteran alive, who is also Jamaican born, made the occasion positively surreal.

With a combined age of 271 years between the 3 honored guests, The Log Book Project (TLBP) marked yet another astounding chapter in what can only be described as an enchanted journey. Also in attendance were Ena’s daughter Marguerite Woodstock-Riley, TLBP founder Nick Devaux, TLBP webmaster Lars McKie, and Dee Vyas, an avid WWII veteran story collector.

The participants connected from Barbados, St Lucia, England & Sweden. Roughly 11 months earlier, in December 2020, Collymore-Woodstock graciously added her name to The Logbook in Barbados. https://thelogbookproject.com/ena-collymore-woodstock/ Since then the journey has taken the book to appointments in Japan, the US, New Zealand, France and now the UK where Jarrett and Campbell would sign on the exact same page as Collymore-Woodstock.

There are probably few in the UK who can match Campbell’s sheer determination to constantly recognize and highlight the service record of Caribbean and African service men and women. His website continues to give much deserved attention to this often-overlooked sector https://theforgottengenerations.com. As a great supporter and facilitator of TLBP with his own distinguished service record, we are absolutely honored to count him as both and associate and a signatory.

This wonderful occasion allowed us to recognize and thank the stoic veterans for their remarkable service. It also provided a remarkable forum for Jarrett 97 and Collymore-Woodstock 104 to interact across oceans, time zones and lifetimes. It was an absolute honour and privilege to witness. Thank you Lord for this day.