Black history roadshow at RAF Marham unveils plaque in memory of Squadron Leader Ulric Coss and presents two men with their WWII medals
A special event was held at RAF Marham on Wednesday to honour the most decorated West Indian serviceman of World War II and to give long-overdue medals to two fellow veterans.
As part of Black History month, a plaque was unveiled to commemorate Squadron Leader Ulric Cross’ distinguished and brave career in the Royal Air Force.
In 1941, aged 24, Cross joined the RAF as one of 250 West Indian volunteers, and became a navigator, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Service Order over the next four years, in recognition of his bravery over 80 sorties.
Cross, who was born in May 1917, went on to be a lawyer in Africa, eventually rising to become a High Court judge in Trinidad.
He also co-founded the Cotton Tree Foundation charity to fight poverty in Trinidad and give children a better chance. He died in October 2012, aged 96.
His family gathered at the Norfolk RAF base during the ‘Black History Roadshow’ along with serviceman, dignitaries and children from Cherry Tree Academy, Marham Junior School, with his daughter, Lady Sue Woodford-Hollick OBE, unveiling the plaque.
The Last Post was played on steel drums after tributes were made.
Nicknamed ‘The Black Hornet’, Trinidad-born Cross was posted to RAF Marham after volunteering himself to the RAF, and was legendary for his part in preventing 200 bombers from being shot down over an air raid in Germany.
Cross’ daughter Lady Hollick said how much it meant to her to have her father’s plaque unveiled.
She said:”It’s an honour and a privilege to be here. My dad was a hero, he was one of 250 of them and really he had been forgotten. I’m so delighted.”
Lady Hollick said her father didn’t discuss the war much when she was growing up.
“I think like a lot of people who were in the war, they wanted to come out of it and get on with their lives. I don’t think they wanted to keep going on and on about it.
“It was only later in his life that he started to talk about it and my sister and I started to get stories out of him.”
RAF Marham’s Black History Roadshow started off with Steve Roberts MBE and Ian Bridge from the Aviation Heritage Centre telling stories about Cross’ life in the Second World War and bomber aircraft Mosquito.
'There are no black chaps or white chaps in the RAF, there are just members'
Two West Indian veterans in their nineties were presented with their campaign medals during the special service.
Ralph Ottey (98) and Alford Gardner (96) both served in the RAF in 1944 and both were from Jamaica.
Ralph trained as a driver and later was appointed as the chauffeur to the senior technical officer.
He said how welcoming members of the RAF were to him.
“The truth is, some people had problems with colour and race. In the RAF, I didn’t have any problems.
“One sergeant said to me, ‘let’s get one thing straight, there are no black chaps in the RAF, there are no white chaps in the RAF, there are just members of the RAF’.”
The 98-year-old expressed how much he enjoyed his time in the service.
“I had a very good time in the RAF and they’ve been very good to me.
“The Jamaicans I served with have all died off. My best friends were in the RAF.”
Alford, who now lives in Leeds, was a motor mechanic in the RAF and started when he was just 14-years-old.
He said: “I had a very good time. I met a lot of very nice people.
“It wasn’t something I was expecting. I never gave it any thought. My eldest son looks after these things.”
Ralph and Alford were presented with their medals by Captain Frederick Wigglesworth and Lady Hollick.
A blessing was made by Rev Jonathan Stewart, the station chaplin at RAF Marham, and tributes and reflections were also made by Capt Ola Fashade and Capt Frederick Wigglesworth.
The Aviation Heritage Centre at RAF Marham, where you can see Ulric Cross’ plaque, is open every Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-4pm and every last Saturday of the month free of charge.
