Gilbert Clarke, a World War Two veteran and prominent member of the Windrush generation, has died at the age of 100. He joined the Royal Air Force at 17 from Jamaica to fight against Nazi Germany, serving as a Leading Aircraftman (LAC) and working on radar and radio systems. He vividly recalled seeing hundreds of planes in the air on D-Day.
In 2023, Clarke visited a cemetery in Belgium to pay respects to Caribbean colleagues, emphasising the debt owed to young men from the Caribbean who supported the Allied war effort. He was described by Paul Chambers, chair of the British West India Regiment Heritage Trust (BWIRHT), as a 'National Treasure' who dedicated his later years to ensuring Black Caribbean servicemen were not forgotten.
Clarke was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and grew up hearing stories of West Indian soldiers from the First World War. He travelled to Britain in 1944 to serve, and after the war remained committed to remembrance. British army veteran Sue Liburd noted his death marks the fading of a living generation who carried the weight of war and sacrifice.
Tributes have been paid by organisations including BWIRHT, with Chambers stating: 'Gilbert Clarke represented the very best of us. His loyalty, his annual participation in our CumByYah pilgrimage, and his unwavering commitment to remembrance touched everyone who had the privilege to know him.' Liburd added that his legacy will endure in the lives he touched and the historical visibility he helped restore for Caribbean veterans.
