Flash Back – Jamaican Immigration To Britain

Jamaican immigrants arriving at Tibury Docks in Essex, 22 June 1948.’The former troop ship ‘Empire Windrush’ arrived at Tilbury Docks this morning with 450 Jamaicans, mostly Royal Air Force ex-servicemen, aboard. They have come to Britain to escape their island’s unemployment problem. Until they are absorbed into British industry, some of the men will be accomodated at the Colonial Hostel in Wimpole Street in London, whilst others will be staying in the deep air raid shelters on Clapham Common. Some of the immigrants on board the Empire Windrush.’ Photograph by Jones. (Photo by Daily Herald Archive/SSPL/Getty Images)

News Americas, LONDON, England, Fri. Aug. 11, 2017: As the Caribbean island of Jamaica this week celebrated its 55th independence anniversary from Britain, on August. 6, 2017, we at News Americas thought it also apt of look at the early migration of Jamaican immigrants to their former colonizer in the 1940’s. Here are some moments in history from the early migration of Jamaicans to Britain and London.

Jamaican immigrants arriving at Gatwick Airport, 22nd March 1962. Hundreds of Jamaicans flew on the chartered Boeing flights to arrive in Britain before the Immigration Bill became law. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In their bedroom in the Clapham Shelter, Kenneth Murray, Eric Drysdale and Aston Robinson, recently immigrants from Kingston, Jamaica, adjust their ties and prepare to go out in London. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

1st July 1948: Jamaicans arriving in Britain to look for work living in an ex-air raid shelter on Clapham Common in London which has been adapted to function as a temporary hostel. (Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images)

Tilbury, Essex: The 492 Jamaicans who arrived here from Kingston (Jamaica) were preparing to disembark from the transport Empire Windrush and will travel to London under the care of the Colonial Office. They sailed for Britain when they could not find work in their homeland. Fifty two of them will volunteer for the Services, over two hundred have friends who can give them prospects of employment, and most of the remainder are to seek work in Britain after interviews with the Ministry of Labour. Among the party were a number of boxers, with their manager. (Photo by Planet News Archive/SSPL/Getty Images)

Unemployed Jamaicans In London During The Forties (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)