Uncovered: How Black British Soldiers were erased from history

In a recent YouGov survey (link below), the majority of Britons severely underestimated the length of time that black people have been present in the UK. More than a third of Britons believe that the first Black people migrated to Britain within the past 200 years, despite archaeological evidence dating back to Roman times.
Furthermore, the role that black British soldiers played in the FWW is often not discussed or celebrated, despite many great achievements. By the end of the FWW, in November 1918, around 15,000 black soldiers had served in the British West Indies Regiment alone. However, no black units from the West Indies or from Africa were invited to take part in the victory parades in London on July 19th, 1919 - The centrepiece of the celebrations marking the end of the First World War. Already, black soldiers and their achievements were being deliberately forgotten.
So, who were the black soldiers who fought for Britain during the First World War? What did they achieve and why don’t we know more about them?
The video includes photos of George Arthur Roberts and his family, including a group photo featuring Cyril Roberts at approx 4.54 into the film.
Many thanks to the family of George Arthur Roberts, for their help with this film. Here is the family's website where you can find out more about George Arthur Roberts:
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How are we represented in statues around the UK? Find out at the Public Statues and Sculpture Association:
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Read more about the YouGov survey here:
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Watch Before Bletchley Park | The code-breakers of the First World War:
• Before Bletchley Park ...
How did WW1 Start? | Causes of the First World War:
• How did WW1 Start? | C...
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This video contains archive material from the Library of Congress, as well as public domain images from Creative Commons. Read the copyright tag here: commons.wikime...
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The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
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