In 1942, 19-year-old Ralph Ottey came from the Caribbean to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) and became part of the World War 2 Dam Busters. What inspired him to get on that ship to fight for Britain?
Ralph was raised by his grandparents in Little London (Jamaica). He was raised thinking that they were already in Britain. He left school at 16 but was too young to join a teachers’ college.
Ralph saw the advertisement for joining the war effort when he was 16. In an interview with Windrush Lincoln, Ralph said, “At 16, I would have been upset if Winston Churchill made a decision and didn’t have a word with me first. My grandfather would get two newspapers, and I would read everything about the war and what Churchill was getting up to. I can still recite one of his speeches “If this nation, or a part of it, is overrun or conquered by the Nazis, our empire across the sea will continue to fight until the new world shall come to the redemption of the old.”
After feeling as if Churchill had spoken directly to Ralph, he decided to go to Britain, feeling it was his duty to help the “Mother Country”. So did many others, as he joined over 10000 people who wanted to support the war effort.
Now Ralph, a sprightly 100-year-old, lives in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Ralph Ottey fought with Britain in the war because he thought it was his civic duty to the King and country. However, there were many more reasons why people came to Britain on the Empire Windrush. Some were promised jobs and houses, and others wanted to come to Britain for a new life.
For further information on Windrush and to watch interviews with Ralph, visit Windrush Lincoln.
By
Scarlett (Yr9), Alice (Yr9), and Carmen (Yr8)
Boston High School Newsroom
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