Prince Albert Jacob

When war was declared in 1939, West Indians played their part for Britain. Both men and women volunteered to protect their islands from the possibility of a German invasion – a real worry given that U-boats were patrolling the West Indies and sinking ships. Others joined the Merchant Navy or came to work in the munitions factories of north-west England.

After the war ended, most of the RAF servicemen were demobbed to the colonies, but some months afterwards, many made the journey back to Britain. Eighteen months before the ship ‘Empire Windrush’ docked at Tilbury, hundreds of them became pioneers of the post-war West Indian settlement in Britain. Amongst them was Prince Albert Jacob, known as Jake.

He was born in Trinidad in 1925, and among 14 brothers and sisters. Jake volunteered for the RAF at seventeen and a half years, travelled to Jamaica for initial training, and then to Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia, USA, for further training with others. Canada was the next stop and then they journeyed to England. They landed at Liverpool and sent to various training camps. When he was stationed in Carlisle and had gone to a Christmas Eve dance with friends, some men from the British Navy entered. There were about ten West Indians in his group and a fight started. The police were called and Jake with his friends were taken to prison where they spent Christmas Eve.

After the War, Jake was demobbed in Trinidad, and worked for the Government in the Prison Service. But as there was no promotion prospects for him, he considered returning to England. He did so in 1947, settled In Birmingham and obtained a job in the telecommunications branch of the Post Office. When looking for accommodation, especially in the Bristol Road area, there were notices on some of the buildings: ‘No Irish, No coloureds, No dogs. Many of the British people had forgotten West Indians served King and Country. He remembered when staying in the Causeway Green Hostel in Oldbury that there were often fights with Polish residents.

Jake married Mary Gore on 27 April 1948 at Oldbury Register Office, in spite of opposition from her father, Claude. No family member attended the wedding. However, as Mary was under 21 (the age of consent), her father gave his permission for the marriage to take place. They live in Knowle, a village situated in the West Midlands.

Jake also used to be an outstanding athlete.

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