West Indies Calling (1944) Video

In this film, made during the Second World War by the Ministry of Information, a group of West Indians, led by Una Marson and Learie Constantine, assemble at Broadcasting House in London. They describe to listeners of a popular BBC radio series, 'Calling the West Indies', how people from the Caribbean are supporting the war effort. Constantine speaks about factory workers, and introduces some war-workers, including Ulric Cross, a bomber navigator from Trinidad. Cross tells of his work in the RAF and Carlton Fairweather introduces a film about lumbermen from British Honduras. The film ends with a dance in the BBC studio. (Stephen Bourne)

You can watch over 1500 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the BFI Mediatheque. There are Mediatheques at BFI Southbank, London, QUAD, Derby and the new Central Library, Cambridge: http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/bfi-mediatheque http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/online/bfi_media.htm

As a American from ...
As a American from the midwest I must confess that the these west Indian people speak the kings english much better than we do.!?

Even today ...
Even today europeans deny the existance of african people in? england - yet are quick to acknowledge african anti-social behaviour in the media. such racism was reason for muhammad ali refusal to go to vietnam. today eastern europeans UK migrants are called 'hard-working'. africans are never so described but abused by the indigeneous population divide and rule and white supremacy mind-set. ART IS PROPAGANDA. The elite will be there own undoing.

This? is so hip
This? is so hip

my dads family if ...
my dads family if from the west indies i think? :D

Thank you for ...
Thank you for you're civil reply, I see what you were detting at now People from Africa the West indies, and the Indian sub continent, have largely been forgotten, even by the British themselves. Films like these should be shown on TV more. I would also like to say that despite some of the comments you may find? on youtube, we also hold the Americans who fought in both wars in high regard too, don't listen too the you tube haters. Respect!

Gosh, i had to ...
Gosh, i had to scroll back to find what I'd said. It is absolutely true that people from all over the Commonwealth fought for freedom. What I was trying to say is that I don't believe people from the colonies were normally given as much respect by the British government as the soldiers in this film were. Do you see what I mean? I didn't say that Trinidadians, Indians, Jamaicans, etc., didn't fight in the war. I'm? very thankful they did!

Gosh, i had to ...
Gosh, i had to scroll back to find what I'd said. I certainly know, even as an American ;-), that people from all over the Commonwealth fought for freedom.? I believe that I was trying to say that I don't believe people from the colonies were normally given as much respect by the British government as the soldiers in this film were. Do you see what I mean? I didn't say that Trinidadians, Indians, Jamaicans, etc., didn't fight in the war. I'm thankful they did!

What do dyou mean " ...
What do dyou mean "if only", West Indians did serve the mother country, just like this video says, my Father and Uncles served in the war, my Father was in the royal air force, my uncles were in the Army,Royal and merchant Navies respecively and they spoke? of West Indians, Africans, Indians, that they met in the services. As an American, just what would you know about who served in the British armed forces during WWII ?

Of course Hitler ...
Of course Hitler would? have stopped after he had defeated the whites. Anyway, it was not a war about colour but values. You obviously have neither.

@okaaaiiiden Or the ...
@okaaaiiiden Or the other way round? ?????

An inspiring look ...
An inspiring look back. Have people given up? nowadays? A very positive film.

@okaaaiiiden Didnt ...
@okaaaiiiden Didnt happen much for a long long time. Theres a lot? of `propaganda` in this movie!

I adore the way ...
I adore the way colonial west? indians spoke, it so old fashioned.

Thanks for posting?
Thanks for posting?

Check out the story ...
Check out the story of Basil Rodgers, a black? British conscientious objector who was born in Devon, in Stephen Bourne's new book MOTHER COUNTRY - BRITAIN'S BLACK COMMUNITY ON THE HOME FRONT 1939-45 (The History Press).

I'm really proud of ...
I'm really proud of what my Country men did and what they endured - but I would never, ever fight in any whites man army nor in any white mans war,? period.

Interesting that ...
Interesting that the "EVIL IMPERIALISITC EMPIRE" of Britain promoted full integration and? inclusion from all parts of the globe whilst at the same time, daughter ally (the land of the free) was implementing a policy of segregation and exclusion on this same Island of Britain with her personnel. The only thing that is missing is full and proper history lessons in SCHOOLS. forget divali - show the VALUE - it is an indictment that places like You Tube and Wickipaedia are the reference points.

The baby at 5:53 ...
The baby at 5:53 has? a parting!!

idiot it's called ...
idiot it's called the British tea because the British "made it famous" - they took China tea to India, adopted tea as the National drink and spread it around the globe, Its nothing to do with who grew it, farmed it, transported it. But by "sponsoring" the national drink, they ensured plenty of employment. I am? drinking it, It's not fiction, it's right here.

We purchased, a few ...
We purchased, a few years back, a different version of this? film ("Hello, West Indies!") from the U.K.'s Imperial War Museum in which my Dad had a speaking part. In this version he is shown in a couple of cameos. Thanks for posting this!

I very much enjoyed ...
I very much enjoyed this film of West Indies, since I myself am from there and my family too. It brings back so many good memories and makes me think of how harder it was back then with not so many conveniences, so it inspires one to keep moving on. It also made me a tad sentimental.? Thanks very much!

I enjoyed this ...
I enjoyed this video especially since it featured Mr Carlton Fairweather whom i? know personaly, a true gentleman and loyal freind.

Thank you, it's ...
Thank you, it's nice to know that some one else is enilghtend, it should be taught in? schools.