Title:
Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018
Level: Category
Sound Archive
Level: Fonds
EVEWRIGHT ARTS FOUNDATION
Level: Series
Caribbean Takeaway Takeover: Identities and Stories
Scope and Content:
Interview with Allan Wilmot about his life in the military and in England since the 1940s.

[00:00:] His early life in Jamaica; his family background; colonial system in Jamaica; enlisting in the British Royal Navy after leaving college in 1941; working on a minesweeper the HMS Hauken; transferring to the Royal Air Force Marine Section.
[03:00:] First experiences in Europe; first sight of snow; reactions from British people and their ignorance about the West Indies; encountering poor White people.
[05:25:] Rescue missions to recover pilots from water; danger of military service and casualties; return to Jamaica at the end of the War; lack of opportunities for Black people in the Merchant Navy.
[08:00:] Lack of rehabilitation for Jamaicans who had served in the British forces; return to England because of lack of opportunities in Jamaica; negative reception from British people compared to when he was in military service; challenge of finding accommodation.
[10:45:] Finding job as dishwasher at the Cumberland Hotel; issue about citizenship for Jamaicans; West Indians being invited to come to England on the Windrush to work in factories.
[12:10:] Allan's brother's move to England on the Windrush; his appearance in famous picture on the deck of the Windrush; starting a singing group; gradual improvement in living conditions; joining together with other West Indians to pay deposits on houses in pardner savings scheme.
[15:35:] Travelling around Europe with singing group The Southlanders; encountering racism and ignorance; explanation of the group's name; some of the songs they sang.
[19:45:] Being targeted by police; successful records with The Southlanders; resignation from show business; working as telephone operator, difficulty of getting into the profession.
[22:25:] His retirement; his family; meeting his Jamaican wife when she moved to England to work as a nurse in the 1960s; spread of Black culture to White people, e.g. the Jitterbug; antagonism from White American servicemen in England.
[25:35:] Service with the West Indians Ex-Servicemen Association [now the West Indian Association of Service Personnel] after his retirement; stories of meeting politician Boris Johnson, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II; final reflections on his life; writing an autobiography [published in 2015]; message to young people, encouragement to get a good education.
Dates of Creation:
3 March 2018
Extent:
30 minutes 2 seconds
Creator Name:
Ionie Richards and Everton Wright
Admin History:
Allan Wilmot was born in 1925 in Jamaica. After leaving college, in 1941 he enlisted in the British Royal Navy, then moved to the Royal Air Force Marine Section. In 1946, he returned to Jamaica, but then moved to Britain to seek better employment opportunities. There, he was part of the singing group The Southlanders for many years. On leaving the group, he got a job as a telephone operator, which he kept until his retirement. In his retirement, he became a key part of the West Indians Ex-Servicemen Association, serving as President of the Association for some time.

He married a nurse from Jamaica and had four daughters.
Archivist Note:
SJM 18 December 2018
Custodial History:
Recording of oral history interview was edited into approximately 30 minutes before deposit.
Copyright:
Copyright Evewright Arts Foundation; ask permission before allowing publication or allowing profit-making organisations to use.
Physical Characteristics:
Digital MP3 file created from original WAV recording
Publication Notes:
Allan Wilmot, "Now You Know: The Memoirs of Allan Charles Wilmot" (2015)
Not Available:
Use digital copy available on Soundcloud

Key terms

TypeKey termsDescription
Subjects Music Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018 Former singer in soul group The Southlanders
Subjects Racism Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018 Incidents of racial prejudice in England in the 1950s
Subjects Second World War Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018 Military service during the Second World War
Personal Names Allan Charles
Wilmot 		Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018
Place Names America, West Indies, Jamaica Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018 Former resident of Jamaica
Document Types Sound recording Interview with Allan Wilmot, 3 March 2018