The Barbados Second Contingent

Thank you Gentlemen for what you did. We owe our freedom to your sacrifice.

In 2008 the Barbados Postal Service issued commemorative stamps, one of which showed ‘The Barbados Second Contingent’. These men were recruited to serve with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Twelve men are shown.

Back row: C.P. King, J.S. Partridge, A.A. Walrond, J.L.L. Yearwood, M.R. Cuke, E.W. Barrow.
Front row: G.D. Cumberbatch, A.P.C. Dunlop, H.E.S. Worme, G.A. Barrow, A.O. Weekes, B.F.H. Miller.

Six men would lose their lives.

Sergeant Charles Parnell King (back row, 1st from left).
Killed in a No. 9 Squadron Lancaster on the night of 25/26 June 1943. Charles is buried in the Harderwijk General Cemetery in the Netherlands.

Sergeant Arthur Adolphus Walrond (back row, 3rd from left).
Killed in a No. 15 Squadron Stirling on the night of 28/29 June 1943. Arthur rests in the Heverlee War Cemetery in Belgium.

Sergeant Mark Radford Cuke (back row, 5th from left).
Killed in a No. 51 Operational Training Unit Blenheim on 17 November 1941.

Sergeant Grey Doyle Cumberbatch (front row, 1st from left).
Killed in a No. 100 Squadron Lancaster on the night of 4/5 March 1943. Grey rests in Long Bennington (St. Swithun) Churchyard.

Flying Officer Andrew Peter Cathcart Dunlop (front row, 2nd from left).
Killed in a No. 10 Operational Training Unit Whitley on 10 December 1942. Andrew is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Pilot Officer Bruce F.H. Miller DFC. (front row, 1st from right)
Killed in a No. 103 Squadron Lancaster on the night of 22/23 October 1943. Bruce rests in Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.

We Will Remember Them.

(Sources. W R Chorley’s ‘Bomber Command Losses’ series, https://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com, www.cumberbatch.org, https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk)