Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

This ship was built as a German cruise liner SS Monte Rosa, later used as a troop ship for both sides and ultimately lost to a disastrous fire in the Med as result of which she sunk with a loss of four lives.
Much more obviously, to anyone who watches, listens, to the news, she was the first of several ships to bring Caribbean, particularly Jamaican, recruits, lets not call them immigrants, immigration is an active but unilateral decision to migrate. Our Caribbean friends were invited here and what a fine job they have done ever since.
The point I want to make, which our resident Diver will back me up on, is that we all, we are all in it together, have celebrated the contribution of Jamaica, and the Caribbean, for the past 3 or more Victory Days in HMS Belfast recognising what they did to help us well before the current retrospective Govt guilt (ingratitude).
We have no abilities to create a memorial to the Caribbean peoples who came here, but better than a memorial is that we actually remember them and every year will continue to toast them in our own gratitude for them just being them, and helping us when we desperately needed to be helped.

Raise our tots and say three cheers for our comrades from the Islands in the Sun.

Well said Tim. Up Spirits.

Jim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMT_Empir ... nd_sinking

the story of the ship; all part of where we are today. And lets not forget the poor chaps who perished in the emgine-room where the fire started (diesels)

a grand bunch Jim, and thanks to them everyone was able to toast the shared Victory in proper overproof, 67%, rum

Yes Tim , a great bunch, with forgiving temperaments as I recall when the countries product was swopped for H2o by the crew of HMS Coventry whom we sat by ,........ perhaps Pirates of the Caribbean still abide these waters ....they were certainly on the Thames that night

A Great night shared by many FRIENDS in a common cause

Well said Tim , In this country of ours today many tend to forget the support we have benefited from our Commonwealth [formerly Colonial] Citizens .

I share your views and I deplore the hostility parts of our community show towards peoples of nations we owe a debt of gratitude .

Dave

spot-on Dave, so often you hear that Britain fought on alone between the fall of France and Pearl Harbour but of course it was hugely more complicated than this. The "Empire" was with us from day-1, most obviously notable was Canada but the rest were with us as well and now so readily overlooked and forgotten but not by us!

Well without traversing the difficult road of right and wrong my hostilities are not with our commonwealth saviours who without their help would have lead to collapse of the UK let alone what was the empire , but my personal view is the asian encumbrance who swamp our services and then claim our culture is offensive to them and that we should change to their beliefs , and then claim colour prejudice when the host country tells them what the birth right residents object to .