The 'so important' efforts to ensure the contributions of ethnic minorities in wars are never forgotten

Bethany Gavaghan
Sun 3 November 2024 

-Credit: (Image: Richard Swingler Photography)

"One of the main things I took from it is being more conscious of being black, but because of some of my experiences I had to think about who I am in terms of my identity as a black person. That made me stronger." Meet Clifton Depass, one of the lead founding members of Black History Month in Wales, who is regarded as an elder statesman amongst lots of community members.

He was talking about being in the British Army as he and others gathered for an annual event in Cardiff. Every year, Race Council Cymru (RCC) hosts a memorial service for minority ethnic and Commonwealth servicemen and women in Cardiff, uniting communities in remembrance and gratitude for the brave people who fought and continue to serve in our forces today

The 2024 service took place on Saturday, November 2, at Alexandra Gardens and all kinds of veterans who spent time in the army from Wales attended to show their respects, including Clifton. He was born in Jamaica and came to Bristol in 1968 when he was 15. After going to school for a couple of years, he decided to join the army.

Clifton Depass -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

Clifton recalled: "There were these beautiful advertisements and in those days Britain had colonies in places like Cyprus and Hong Kong and there was this beautiful advertisement of it projected on the telly and I decided to join for six years. There weren't many black people in the army at that time when I joined in 1970.

"There were 10 soldiers from minority ethnic groups in my regiment at the time but we stuck together because it was difficult for us at times in the army. There was lots of discrimination, name calling etcetera but there were also lots of things that I learned. It was a bittersweet experience but I'm very pleased that I joined, and one of the things I've taken away is being aware of adversity and making an effort to recognise others.

"It's important for me that their sacrifices and their contribution will never be forgotten. So it is a marker and it is a way of remembering and it is also a way of ensuring that the young generation is aware of the contributions of their ancestors and their legacy will continue forever. "

Errol Alexis was the oldest veteran in attendance at the event and shared exactly what life was like for him as someone from an ethnic minority. Now aged 88, Errol was born in the West Indies, on the Island of St Vincent, previously a British colony, in 1936. Errol’s father, a seaman, sent for him to come to Britain in 1957, when he was around 21 years of age.

Errol Alexis, aged 88, who joined the Welsh Regiment aged 22 -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

But he never thought he would join the army, and it wasn’t until he was dismissed from college that he saw it as a possibility. He said: “I was one of only two black soldiers in the Welsh regiment at that time. It was a bit strange. I thought there would have been more black soldiers but there was a lot of racial tension at that time, so it was different for us. There was a bit of an attitude of ‘why should we join?’”

When asked if Errol felt like he was shown appreciation for his service when he initially came back from his time spent at the army, Errol replied: “No, no. There wasn’t any reaction.”

There were speeches and a number of people came to place poppy wreaths in front of the monument installed in 2019, commemorating the contribution of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority service personnel who served during the First and Second World Wars. And one key message being pushed was the significance of the event to connect people’s stories from the war with younger generations.

People listen to the speeches being made -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

Uzo Iwobi, chief executive of Race Council Cymru -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

Uzo Iwobi, chief executive of Race Council Cymru, said: "It's so important that young people hear about the stories from people from ethnic minority backgrounds who lost their lives in the war, and sacrificed so much for the freedom that we take for granted.

"My husband's uncle who died in the war, I thought his story will never be told. Major Phillip served and died and carried the impact of the war and it is an honour to utter his name and acknowledge him alongside so many families that have lost loved ones. We honour the military because they gave their freedom, they gave their safety to keep us safe and comfortable.

"We cannot do enough for the veterans and all their families so it's a joy to do this year on year. I did it the first year with Patti Flynn, who campaigned so hard for the monument to be installed, and she wrote a beautiful speech to be read out before the one year anniversary of it being here. But, sadly, she died before the anniversary and I read her words out, which was an honour."

Army veteran Roma Taylor -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

Sadly - not all of those who sacrificed their lives in war from minority ethnic groups got the recognition they deserved at the time.

Also at the event was veteran Roma Taylor, who was born in Antigua in 1943. She moved to Cardiff when she was 15 and quickly became an integral part of the community. Her early life was marked by her dedication to nursing, leading to her joining Queen Alexandra Nursing Corps, serving the Queen and country for 25 years.

During her military career, Roma worked in various countries, including Germany, Belgium, and France, and when she retired, she continued to serve her community through various charitable and community initiatives. Roma founded the Windrush Cymru Elders group in 2017,with the support of Race Council Cymru.

Discussing what made her join the army, Roma said: "I used to take my daughters to tap and ballet dance lessons and one day when I was there, this young lady walked in in a uniform and I said; 'oo, what uniform is that?' and she said 'I'm in the territorial army' and I wanted to join instantly.

"She said if I wanted to join I could come with her at their next meeting that Wednesday, so I did. Went up, signed the papers and it was fabulous. I was a nurse, did my nurse's training, got married, had my family and loved it. I wish I could be there now but, age, you know."

She strongly believes that people from minority ethnic groups deserve more recognition for their contribution in the war, noting: "They gave their lives, and we must respect that. They gave their lives. And Patti Flynn strived for 26 years to get that memorial stone. So we've got to respect what they did and what she's done to give them more recognition."

Keabetswe Sekati -Credit:Richard Swingler Photography

Keabetswe Sekati is also a veteran from the army. Originally from south Africa, he came to the UK in 2006 when the army was recruiting. Keabetswe had always wanted to join as a child but never got the chance in south Africa, so when the opportunity came to join the British army he jumped at it.

He said: "As someone who is an ethnic minority person from south Africa, I do feel there's not much representation from people like myself highlighted as much. For instance, the SS Mendi ship which sank in World War I, there were so many people from south Africa coming to the UK who died to help out with the war at the time, and that story has barely been heard. So, as a south African recently hearing that story it seems like, although we have always done our best to help out, we have not really been represented as much."

Looking ahead and considering what more could be done outside of events like this one, Keabetswe said: "It is interviews like this which will help first of all. And I myself am trying to highlight the work of commonwealth soldiers. So I think conversations can play a vital role, because some people can cringe a little bit even when I'm trying to talk through their stories and over the past few years I've been trying to break that barrier as best I can.

"And what would be wonderful is if people can be more comfortable talking about Sikh communities, Muslim communities, Caribbean communities, African communities and all of these different communities which need to be recognised for the work they have put in."