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HMT Empire Windrush
21 June marks the anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush docking in Tilbury, UK. The voyage transported one of the first large groups of post-war West Indian settlers to the United Kingdom. HMT Empire Windrush was not the first post WWII ship to bring passengers from the West Indies to Britain, The SS Ormonde and the Almanzora had previous brought around 300 people from the West Indies.
HMT Empire Windrush had over 800 passengers who gave their last country of residence as somewhere from the Caribbean. On board the ship included many other passengers of different nationalities. Passengers only disembarked HMT Empire Windrush a day later on 22 June with many starting new lives in Britain, this date is now officially celebrated as Windrush Day. Newreel footage interviewed several passengers who arrived from the Caribbean including a famous interview with then budding Calypso singer Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) who sang his new composition 'London is the Place For Me'. Other notable Calypsonians who arrived on the same voyage included Lord Beginner and Lord Woodbine.
Originally named the Monte Rosa the ship was built in Germany in 1930. It was built by Blohm and Voss who also built the battleship Bismarck. The Monte Rosa was originally a cruise ship and took passengers on Nazi approved holidays to Europe and South America. Until 1936 the ship still took passengers between London and Hamburg. At the outbreak of WWII the Nazis requisitioned the ship to transport troops for the German invasion of Norway. It has been reported that in 1942 the Monte Rosa was used to transport Norwegian Jews to Auschwitz. The Monte Rosa was torpedoed by British forces in 1944 and received damage. The ship was captured as a prize of war in 1945. It was renamed Empire Windrush and used as a troop transport ship.
In 1948 HMT Empire Windrush was en route from Australia to Britain. It docked in Kingston, Jamaica to pick up returning British Service personnel. As the returning ship was largely empty, passenger fares were advertised. Many were taking advantage of the British Nationality Act 1948. In the aftermath of World War Two, definitions of British nationality were re-assessed, often to encourage colonial residents to come to Britain to help with post-war reconstruction. The British Nationality Act 1948, which came into force on 1 January 1949, introduced the status of citizen of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) whilst retaining the term British subject to cover every citizen of a Commonwealth country, including the UK and the Colonies. This gave those citizens the right to live and work in the UK.
The fares were relatively expensive so only those with income could travel. Jamaican Oswald M Denniston explained to a reporter,
"The very poor can't leave Jamaica. They must have £28 for their passage and another £5 on them when they sail," he said, adding, "It wasn't poverty that brought me here."
Throughout the early 1950s the Windrush continued to be used as a troopship. In 1954 it set off from Yokohama in Japan. This would prove to be the ships final voyage. An explosion in the engine room caused a massive fire. Sadly four members of the crew were killed. A dangerous rescue mission was undertaken. The 1276 passengers were saved along with the rest of the crew. Despite attempts by the Royal Navy to tow the ship to safety, it sank on March 30th 1954.
The Windrush's arrival has become symbolic of the generation of Commonwealth citizens who came to live in Britain between 1948 and 1971 and helped to rebuild the country after years of war.