The British Commonwealth and the Second World War
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Overview:
The Modern Records Centre has a small number of documents relating to race relations in Britain during the Second World War, including the employment of Commonwealth nationals on war work. Examples are given below.
Selected sources:
, October 1942
Article published in the anarchist journal 'War Commentary'. It refers to British attitudes to segregation within sections of the US Army stationed in Britain, rather than to Commonwealth workers in the UK.
, 1942
Pamphlet by A.R. Watson
, 1943
Leaflet for a protest meeting against racial discrimination, issued by Holborn Trades Council. It includes references to the cases of Amelia King and Leary Constantine.
, 1943
Report on the conditions, treatment and morale of the West Indian wartime workers, written by Cedric O.J. Matthews of the International Labour Office. This copy of the report was sent to the British Trades Union Congress.
, undated [1943-1945]
Text of lecture by Dr Harold A. Moody (founder of the League of Coloured Peoples) on racial discrimination, particularly in Britain.
, 1940-1946
Trades Union Congress file. It contains correspondence, etc., regarding the training of Indian munitions workers and technicians in Britain under the Bevin Training Scheme; threat of industrial action at Alfred Herbert Ltd, Coventry; and training of Indian civil servants.
, 1946
Letter from C.F.N. Pinto to his former employer A.P. Young after his return to India (including information about the employment situation), with letter from Ernest Bevin to Young commenting on Pinto's letter.