Troops from the east African division serving in Burma. Photo Credit: DW<\/p>\n
The U.K. recently unveiled a monument in remembrance of the thousands of African and Caribbean soldiers who fought and died in the service of the kingdom during the First and Second World Wars. <\/p>\n
The monument, formed of two 6-feet (1.8m) long obelisks, is sculpted from Scottish whinstone and weighs just under 5 tons, according to the BBC. <\/p>\n
Described as the first of its kind in the U.K., the monument carries the names of the African and Caribbean regiments in both wars. <\/p>\n
The world wars memorial in Windrush Square, Brixton Photo Credit: BBC <\/p>\n
U.K. Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon described the recognition as long overdue Thursday. <\/p>\n
I hope this memorial will remind us of the ongoing contribution of our African and Caribbean communities to our country and to the defense of our country, Fallon said. <\/p>\n
Black Service <\/p>\n
A photo of three African soldiers taken during the Second World War. Photo credit: BBC <\/p>\n
Thousands of able-bodied young men from British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean volunteered to serve in the Army and Navy, after Britain joined World War I in 1914. <\/p>\n
In some cases, though, men were forcefully conscripted when they went to visit a local market or through the orders of a local chief. <\/p>\n
The bulk of their numbers came from British colonies, including Nigeria, the Gambia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nyasaland (Malawi), Kenya, the Gold Coast (Ghana), and Jamaica. <\/p>\n
Many men would go on to fight in the deserts of North Africa, the jungles of Burma, and over the skies of Germany. <\/p>\n
A group of colored Royal Air Force officers during World War II. Front row, from left: [1] unknown, from Jamaica or Belize; [2] Dusty Miller, from Guyana; [3] S\/L Corbett (liason); [4] Ulric Cross, from Trinidad; [5] Johnny Smythe, from Sierra Leone; [6] Mark Walker, from Trinidad; Second row from left: [1] E.A. Gordon from Jamaica; [4] Percy Messiah, from Trinidad; [5] possibly his brother C.A. Messiah from Trinidad; [6] Vivian Thomas from Manchester, Jamaica; [7] Jellicoe Scoon from Grenada. Third row from left: [1] E.R Braithwaite from Guyana. Photo credit: Caribbean Aircrew <\/p>\n
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Mayor of London Sadiq Khansaid, Britain owes an enormous debt to the African and Caribbean service men and women who fought alongside their British-based peers during the First and Second World Wars. <\/p>\n
These brave individuals, who came from what was formerly the British Empire, sacrificed an enormous amount to defend the freedoms that we now enjoy. <\/p>\n
The Department of Communities and Local Government provided 80,000 in funding for the project, which is located at the Windrush Square in Brixton. <\/p>\n
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UK Unveils Memorial for African, Caribbean Soldiers Who Served During World Wars - Face2Face Africa<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Troops from the east African division serving in Burma. Photo Credit: DW The U.K. recently unveiled a monument in remembrance of the thousands of African and Caribbean soldiers who fought and died in the service of the kingdom during the First and Second World Wars. Continue reading