75 years since the arrival of SS Empire Windrush on these shores, guest writer Stephen Poleon is bringing the story to life, ensuring it is no longer hidden from the annals of history
, a former troopship returning on a voyage from the Caribbean with over 1,000 passengers including 492 West Indians. Mostly ex-servicemen who answered Britain’s call during her hour of need during World War II, these passengers came back to Britain to find work and help rebuild an ailing war-torn economy. Those that did not reenlist in the armed forces and mostly worked unskilled menial jobs that British workers were unable or unwilling to fill. One of her passengers came to Preston.
Stowing away on a banana boat was incredibly dangerous. Anyone embarking on this venture took their own lives in their hands. An article in the newspaper discussed how penniless West Indians wearing tropical clothes were usually discovered when they banged for attention after shivering for one or two days. A Geest Industries spokesperson explained that after three days of extremely cold conditions in the hold, it would be a struggle to keep them alive.
The stowaways hidden amongst the bananas on the Bjornstein alerted the crew to their presence in a pique of panic. After three days at sea, Captain Larsen decided to have a fire drill. Unbeknownst to him he had extra passengers. After sounding the fire alarms pandemonium broke out below decks. As much as the crew was unaware of their uninvited guests, they were equally clueless about the fire drill. Thinking it was a real fire they scrambled out of their hides very quickly.
The photo accompanying the article depicted six of the eight stowaways. At least three of them wore coats, and two wore jumpers whilst one man wore a shirt. This was the only clothing all of the men possessed. All were British passport holders, therefore, were free to remain. The eight men were Paul Richards, Steven Williams, Bernard Bruney, Helious James, Moses George, James Hesketh Boston, Henley Jerome Joseph, and Joseph Jacques.
Dave Williams, a son of one of the Bjornstein stowaways has recently embarked on a voyage to educate the wider public about the story of the Windrush history in Britain. Founder of Dominica and Friends, Dave and I have joined together and formed Windrush Education. It is our mission to bring the story of the Windrush generation to life and ensure it is no longer hidden from the annals of history but placed at the heart of the curriculum.
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