Story They Don't Bother Telling You About The Windrush
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- The Empire Windrush brought 800 Caribbean immigrants to Britain in 1948.
But have you heard the whole story about this ship?
She has a more interesting history than you might think.
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The Empire Windrush isn't simply the short-hand for Carribean immigration to Britian or multi-cultural Britain.
She was also a troop transport ship taking British soldiers to the Korean War and participated in the Queen's Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead in 1953.
But before all of that, she had served in World War 2...on the German side!
And that was because she started life as a German ship and her name wasn't the Empire Windrush!
Launched in Hamburg in 1930, ans named the Monte Rosa, she had been a liner taking German emigrants to South America before providing holiday cruises in the seas around Northern Europe.
During the Second World War , the Monte Rosa was commandeered by the Kriegsmarine and served as a troopship ferrying soldiers between Germany and Norway. She also provided accommodation and recreation support to the battleship, Tirpitz.
And she also had a darker chapter, which I will tell you about in the video.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:41 Monte Rosa
4:35 Kriegsmarine Service
5:45 Dark Chapter
6:35 Unsinkable Ship
8:40 Becoming The Windrush
9:58 Windrush Generation
13:11 British troopship
15:31 Spithead Review 1953
16:21 Final Voyage
17:31 Sinking
20:22 An Incredible Story
Sources used to make this video include:
National Archives
Culture Pl - The Windrush Poles - Juliette Breton
National Maritime Museum
Royal Airforce Museum
Durham University, Dept of English Studies, article 21 June 2023
Wikipedia
Wikimedia Commons
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/ thehistorychap
My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or UA-cam animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
My Mother went out to India to join my Father on her in '46.
" the Windrush, more Wind than Rush ", she used to say !
It certainly was prone to mechanical problems!
How it stayed afloat was amazing !
... during it's life, that is ...
God Bless your Mum & all of us as well...
That was fascinating and - as always - impeccably researched. I knew some of the story because my Dad was on a contemporary troopship (the 'Dilwara') at the same time whilst he was on National Service. In fact, he was very nearly posted to the "Empire Windrush" instead of the "Dilwara". Another contemporary British troopship from that era has a long and eventful story to tell - the "Empire Fowey" which began life as the German liner "Potsdam" in the early to mid 1930s. Captured by the British at Flensburg, she was refitted, renamed, and served as a troopship from the war's end until the 1960s. Incredibly, when her British service was done, instead of going for scrap she was sold to a Pakistani concern in Karachi, renamed "Safina-E-Hujjaj" and served for a further 20-odd years as a Pilgrim transport. She finally went to the breaker's yard in the mid 1980s, by which time she was at least 50 years old! If you were able to find out more about her to "fill the story out" she would, I am sure, make as equally fascinating a video as the "Empire Windrush" - very few of even the most heavily-built ships manage to reach a half-century of nearly constant service!
That's a fantastic post. Thanks so much for taking ther time to share.,
@@TheHistoryChap my pleasure.
I travelled on the Windrush to Singapore aged 7 with my mother and sister leaving Southampton in December 1948 to join my father at RAF Changi. Remember being taken to the bridge by a ships officer when he saw myself and another boy up to mischief on deck! lol. Also her eventual sinking in the Med in 1954.
Thanks so much for sharing
Thank you Chris, for another great story. As retired Merchant Navy officer I know what a lot of research has gone into this story....! Great!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent video as always Chris, and you are correct, I knew very little about this ship.
Glad you enjoyed it. thanks.
What an amazing story she has. Thank you.
My pleasure. Thanks for your support.
Thanks Chris. Delightful as always. I never miss your videos and I am yet to be disappointed. 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks.
A lucky ship whose luck finally ran out! Thank you for yet another interesting video, Chris, this one proves that there is far more to the story than "popular culture" gives credit to.
Thanks for watching my video & for your comment.
“I bet there are bits of this story you were not aware of” … that is an understatement of epic proportions. Just wow! That was a superb piece of work .. fascinating & thought provoking.
Researching this story was like opening a Russian doll.
What a fascinating and storied history that the Empire Windrush lived, I was in St. Kitts-Nevis which I believe was a former colony of the Empire. Thank you for telling her story so eloquently and with gusto. I think her brief involvement in the Holocaust can be forgiven as this ship brought numerous civilians and military personnel safely home. Kudos to you, amigo!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
I did not know the story of this ship.
thank you for telling it!
Did you really need to quibble on that point?
Wow! so much i didn't know. Love this channel
That’s very kind of you. Please consider joining my membership channel for even more insights.
Thank you for this, I had never heard of this vessel and its history, so I could enjoy it without any prior knowledge or subconscious bias relating to it.
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to comment.
Thank you for the informative and interesting video, Mr. Green. I seem to be developing a fondness for British history. I would appreciate if you continued to make content, as you present your stories very well. Always a joy to watch. Take care!
Thank you for your very kind comment. I’m glad you’re enjoying my stories from British history plenty more to come.
What an amazing story. I obviously know of her, but nothing else. Fascinating, thanks Chris, looking forward to many more.
Thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
Such interesting history. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
What an amazing story, thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Just found your channel Chris and can’t stop binge watching. Superb channel , thank you Chris 👍
I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos.
Please make sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss future ones
An amazing and odd history for a ship. Well worth the listen. Thanks Chris. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Fascinating. Thanks Chris 🎉
Glad you enjoyed it
I had never heard of the Empire Windrush, so found this story fascinating. What an incredible journey she had.
Looking on Wikipedia I was amused to see that the "fate" of the Monte Rosa was to be Seized By The United Kingdom.
It’s an amazing story.
Thanks Chris, great education
Glad you enjoyed it.
Another great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it.
Such an interesting story and really well told, thanks and have a great weekend and stay well.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks very much for watching and have a lovely weekend too.
Fascinating. She seemed unsinkable, grounding, torpedoes, sea mines. Ironic that she destroyed herself in the end.
Glad you found it interesting. Thanks for watching.
Thank you this was really interesting, i had no idea about the history of the ship
Glad you enjoyed it. If you haven’t already, please do subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future videos.
I'm a naval history buff, enjoyed this story a lot , not being aware of this ship, thank you mr.Green!
Glad you enjoyed it
You have stated many of the passengers that came to the uk on the Windrush were ex servicemen and of the RAF. Also, making the point of how many people from the caribean fought for the british during the war. It felt to me like you were trying to justify them coming here and would like to see the evidence of how many of these passengers had indeed served in the war? Very interesting story of survival of a very lucky ship. I have to wonder how different the uk would be now, if the windrush had never visited the Caribbean?
Probably no different as it only made i voyage and 2 ships had already arrived.
The justification was that they were allowed to come as British subjects. I guess that was part of having an empire.
Another excellent video, these stories are niche and not always noticed but the shine a light on the past.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Took a bit a flak from some quarters for mentioning the Windrush. Not sure they had actually bothered to watch the video.
Excellent video Chris.. what a remarkable life the Monte Rosa / Empire Windrush had; the ship version of Carlton de Wairt
Speaking of whom, I will be telling his story in the non-distant future
Interesting post, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I just came here for the comments and I wasn’t disappointed.
Very interesting history of the ship although I think I like the original name better.
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to comment.
Quite a story. Thx.
Thanks for watching my video
What a fascinating story...i never knew that the"windrush"had such an interesting backstory...thanks so much for posting ,always something more to learn😊
I was aware of the troopship bit but as I researched I couldn’t believe it!
Truly Fascinating!!!
Thank you. Getting some flak in the comments 😆
Thanks!
You are welcome. Harry, I really do appreciate your support. Hope to see you on the live call today.
Thank you Chris for another fascinating video.🛳
Glad you enjoyed it.
I knew that she was German but never got the history. Thank you,
Glad you enjoyed it. It f you haven’t already, please subscribe to my channel.
I sailed to Hong Kong from Liverpool on the Empire Clyde and back to Southampton on the Empire Fowey. On the way out we had to stand at attention as we passed over the Windrush.
That’s a brilliant story. Thank you so much for taking the time to share.
My Dad brought his new family back to the UK in September/October from India in 1947 on the Empire Windrush. I had just had my sixth birthday in the embarkation camp, Bombay. I recall the awful steamed fish meals. boys diving for coins at Aden, passing through the Suez Canal and docking at Southampton. I don't know if he sailed on her again going to and from the Korean war. My son still has the Teak trunk marked "Not Wanted on voyage.". This is part of our family too.
Great story. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Sorry, forgot to say thankyou for such an important series of videos. Immensely enjoyable. Recently visited the bridge in Dandong over the Yalu river in China also in Shenyang where the Japanese had a POW camp for the Allies captured in the Pacific theatre. Nice to let the chaps they are not forgotten. Could be a video there?@@TheHistoryChap
What an interesting history , darkened though by the history of the jewish prisoners to Germany and the disastrous one and only Caribean run and all that has entailed for Britain in the intervening years . Thank you for the video .
Thanks for watching my video & for taking the time to comment.
Thanks
Thank you for your very generous support. Much appreciated.
I had absolutely no idea about this story other than the trip from the Caribbean.
Thank you so much for your excellent video sir.
Thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
Chris I truly was interested in this story and makes you think what else happened in the second world war. Keep making the great videos love watching them
Glad you enjoyed it.
Far too many in America have forgotten the Korean war too!
Thanks for watching my video.
My Dad came back from Libya on her in 1953 to be demobbed. I remember as a kid we had a Reader's Digest in the house (still the only one I've ever seen outside of a doctor's waiting room) with an article called "They Remembered The Birkenhead Drill", about the origin of the 'women and children first' protocal (HMS Birkenhead - 1852) and its rigid application when the Empire Windrush sank.
Thanks for watching my video & for your interesting feedback.
Brilliant 👍
Thank you very much.
If you haven’t already, please do subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future videos
Excellent story. It would make a good specialist knowledge round on Mastermind!
I’m chuckling at the idea! Thank you for your support and please make sure you subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future videos
Hi Chris have you made a video on the Royal Navy’s West African Squadron.? A tale of great hardship for all concerned.
It’s on the cards. Please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss it.
I thought it was unlucky to rename a ship, oh well bad memory on my part. Interesting video thanks Chris.
I guess it could be called unlucky seeing as it sunk within 10 years.
Indeed, The Empire Windrush would indeed qualify for the Kalergi Coudenhove award for its services to multiculturalism.
I haven’t thought of that. Thanks for sharing.
@@TheHistoryChap No worries, unfortunately, it seems too much uncontrolled multiculturalism, with too little assimilation, is the one thing that ends all empires... USA going the same way.
Excelent story. It was Max Manus and Gregers Gram who put limpet mines on her in Oslo. They later sank the "Donau" the same way. It's covered in the movie, "Max Manus", which is quite viewable, though slightly exagerated....
Thanks for watching my video & for your informative comment
Thanks Chris awesome as always
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Good video Chris, excellent story well told. Thank you. Regards Jim.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you - I do not know how you make such good videos - I never go away from you video without being more entertain, enlighten and edumacated
Very kind of you. And thanks for your generous support.
Mmm, Windrush, that's certainly a word... Mmm. Well, fishing later anyway, ships are a fitting topic when on the hunt for carp.
Thank you for taking the time to comment
Great video again, can you let me know if you have done any research into Job Henry Charles Drain V.C from the first world war, I believed he died at the beginning of the war saving two guns. he was a barking boy and has a statue out side the town hall. Once again great videos keep them coming I have enjoyed every one
Thanks for taking the time to comment & no, I haven't, but I will add him to my ever growing list.
Thank you so much for this video! I hope there will be many more of this era. I will be watching the Suez video next.😊
Thanks for watching my video
As an Australian old white man 64 lol I can honestly say say brilliant my friend would love a bit of a story about hmas Sydney doing the runs to Vietnam in our campaign and the 707 that flew to and from Australia to nam and return thank you Sir
I will add to my list for potential future videos. If you haven't already, please do subscribe so you don't miss futures.
Hi Chris... its Annette, and I watched this video with my Chris, I must admitt when I saw the title I thought it was going to be all about the men and women coming to the UK on the Widrush... but guess what I was 100 per cent wrong wasnt I..... my chris use to be a mercant navy officer.. ( 2 nd mate ) and he , like you has 100's of stories to tell .. one such story he told me is... normally he would sail under the red ensign and proud of it.. but on the particular voyage, because the captain was R.N. R... the ship flew the blue ensign.. and just like the Windrush... just after leaving the suez canal coming home... the Captain decided to do a man over board drill..... so when the alarm was given... that a man ( actually a barrel ) had falling overboard... the ship did a emergency hard a starboard ( so the the propellers would not hit the man ( or the barrel )... you must remember thwe ship had only just left suez so there were a lot of other ships in the immediate area... and my chris tells me... it was a bit like the keystone cops... they ( the other ships ) did a very hasty retreat in all directions... dont know about you.. but I can just picture it... cant you.
Thanks for taking the time to share your family story & for watching my video.
Fascinating, please do more of this kind of content. Your videos get better all the time. There is much more history to know than the narrative about Big A and his band of psychopaths.
Glad you enjoyed it. Strangely enough I have taken some flak from certain quarters!
The Service Personnel and the Polish passengers were certainly different from those now known as "The Windrush generation"; afterall ther had been invited .
Thank you for taking the time to comment
That ship had quite the existence, good and bad. Her demise reminds me of the Titanic. I'd be up for a video on the Third Battle of the Hook.
Thanks for watching my video, & your comment.
Great to hear more about this famous ship
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching
Great Story Chris...
History is a Bitch ...we may not like what reflection she shows us...but we should learn from Her
Glad you enjoyed it.
Chris, is there any name for the biography or the life of a ship ? Your fine crafted story made me think of Hornblower and Graf Luckner .. Thx for the lesson again despite any propaganda or political ideas behind it, it was at least a very good history of a vessel! Ludwig
Not sure that there is. Nevertheless there are some great stories and I enjoy telling them.
I do hope this video does not get demonetized due to your mention of Germany in certain years and a certain warship
I doubt it.
Another excellent story, again revealing how History is "messy" - a lot more complicated than we think!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
Was she one of the Strength Through Joy ships in the 30s?
Yes, from 1934. She visited Norway and the fjords.....
She was not purpose built for it like the Gustloff.
Yes at some time in the 30's, but she was not built for that purpose.
Some time referred to as Empire Flatulance must have had something to do with wind ..
You missed your calling on stage -:)
Pictures of the Frozen Arsehole Brigade sailing for Korea
Thanks for your feedback.
D-Day
Didn't participate in D-Day, she was stuck in the Baltic.
Absolutely love your stuff. But am sick to the back teeth about the Windrush ?
So have you watched the video or are you just guessing about the content?
What a pity there were no icebergs around
Did you actually watch the video or are you just shouting your mouth off?
The arrival of the Windrush was the beginning of the end for Great Britain.
Thanks for your feedback
You seem to be getting it from both sides, Chris. I am sorry for my earlier comment on your previous video. The comment about your video on the Windrush is also lacking in justification. This is a very good video about the ship, not its supposed symbolism, which you address very clearly as lacking in justification. It was not the first ship taking immigrants from the Caribbean, it did it once but it was the one that got the publicity. That is a lot like how history is written. Great video, keep it up, Chap.😊
Thanks for your comments & for watching my video
I was on this ship with my mum in 1952,on our way to join my dad in Malaya
Thanks for sharing.
Whole story completely new to me. I was afraid it would end in tragedy, to be honest. Thank God all of her last batch of passengers made it safely home.
Thanks for watching & taking the time to comment.
"They (the Poles) had been detained by the Soviets after Stalin's occupation of Poland in 1939"
I thought it was Hitler's attack and occupation of Poland in 1939 that marked the start of WW2. Or do I need to watch another one of your educational videos to correct my thinking?
Thanks for watching my video.
Can't wait for the Gurkhas
I think a lot of people don’t realise how the relationship started
@@TheHistoryChap I'm not 100% but I think the British tried to conquer them for more land but they couldn't beat them in the end, I think the British just asked them to join us as mercenaries?.. I'm not good on military history that's why I rely on you 🤣
Shouldn’t that have been emigrants on the voice over?
Maybe
Chris, I love your videos, but the Windrush narrative is pure propaganda and I won't be watching this one.
How on earth can you judge my video without watching it? The whole story includes it being a British troopship, attending the Queen's coronation review at Spithead and being in the Kriegsmarine during WW2.
Very little of this video covers that voyage, this is the history of the boat, not the migration from the Caribbean.
@@TheHistoryChapWe don’t need racists like Alfonzridesagain on here.
@TheHistoryChap in his defense it is the only proper reaction to have these days as the lives of Western Europeans are filled with revisionist history, replacement & propaganda
The video is pretty good I'm about half way through but when one of us hears "Windrush" we know what to expect 99.9% of the time
Sometimes I despair for humanity... all it takes to trigger a negative attitude is the mention of the name Windrush?
Thanks for an excellently informative story that few would have heard about.
i'm at an age (i originally learned by reading so many long books🤫), that i kinda envy the youngers who are just learning such fond history tales.
tyvm again, Chris.
🫎🇨🇦😁
I’m glad you’re enjoying my stories.
Plenty more coming your way
Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? Did you know ... ? If that was a quiz, I got an F-.
Ha ha, I will try to make it easier next time! -:)
Thanks
Very generous of you, thanks.