Mr Sidney McFarlane, a father of three, a trained engineer with a British firm, had been brave enough to come to England from Jamaica in 1955. He was one of thousands of Caribbean people who answered the ‘Mother Country’s’ call for assistance during and after the Second World War. Once in the UK, he was told that there were no jobs available for people of colour, so he had no choice but to become a bus conductor in London.
Later, in 1958, he was called up for National Service in the Armed Forces. He joined the Royal Air Force, progressing from aircraftman to squadron leader in 30 years’ service. During his distinguished RAF career, he was awarded three Commanders-in-Chief commendations for outstanding service.
Mr McFarlane said, “Myself and four friends were more or less adventurers coming to help the Mother Country. The RAF was the furthest thing from my mind.” Sidney, whose wife Gwen arrived in the UK a year before, served in Bahrain, Cyprus, Germany, Holland and across the UK. He used his own time and expertise to support charitable and civic duties, especially in the areas of racial equality, family life, housing, and criminal justice. Lincolnshire Live reported, “He was awarded the MBE in 1999 for voluntary service to the community and for service with the Ministry of Defence.”
Thousands of Caribbeans travelled to the UK following an “opportunity” to become citizens here, they were met with problems such as racism, struggling to find homes, barely any job opportunities, no NHS care and more.
Fast forward to 2012, when then, home secretary, Theresa May stated, “The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration” this statement intended to concentrate on those arriving illegally has also been seen as part of the climate, that brands all migration as negative.
Mary Atkinson, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) Campaigns and Networks Manager told the Guardian, “This report lays out in the cold, clinical language of the Home Office what communities of colour have been saying for over a decade: this government’s hostile environment is racist.”
For more information about Sidney McFarlane’s journey and other stories connected with Windrush visit www.windrushlincoln.today
By Katie Yr9