During the Second World War all British citizens were called upon to do
their part for their country. Despite facing the discriminatory 'colour
bar', many black civilians were determined to contribute to the war
effort where they could, volunteering as air-raid wardens,
fire-fighters, stretcher-bearers and first-aiders. Meanwhile, black
servicemen and women, many of them volunteers from places as far away as
Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Nigeria, risked their lives fighting for
the Mother Country in the air, at sea and on land.
In Under Fire, Stephen Bourne draws on first-hand testimonies to tell
the whole story of Britain's black community during the Second World
War, shedding light on a wealth of experiences from evacuees to
entertainers, government officials, prisoners of war and community
leaders. Among those remembered are men and women whose stories have
only recently come to light, making Under Fire the definitive account of
the bravery and sacrifices of black Britons in wartime.