Black British in World War I

This project will highlight British-born Blacks who fought in World War I.

Notables

Notable Black British soldiers in WWI include:

• Second Lieutenant Walter Tull (1888-1918) who was one of the first Black British officers. His older brother, Sapper William Tull (1882-1920), appears to have also served in WWI (his records are missing) which raises the possibility that they are amongst the first two Black British brothers to serve together.

Norman Washington Manley survived and was awarded a Military Medal. His brother Roy was killed.

Others are George Edward Kingsley Bemand also one of the first black British officers, and his brother Harold Leslie who both perished, and Ralph Ernest Vignalë and his brother Otto Rudolf (family surname sometimes recorded as Vignali) who both survived.

References

• Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War by Stephen Bourne 2014.
• Black Tommies: British Soldiers of African Descent in the First World War by Ray Costello 2015
• African descent soldiers in British regiments by historian Jeffrey Green