Robbie Clarke: Britain’s First Black Pilot

During the First World War, Sergeant William Robinson Clarke from Jamaica became the first Black pilot to fly for Britain. His story was discovered by chance in the Archive of the Royal Air Force Museum.

Volunteering for the ‘mother country’

William Robinson Clarke was one of 15,600 Black Caribbean volunteers who enlisted to fight during the First World War. Like young men all over the Empire, some enlisted for economic or personal reasons or to seek adventure. Others, however, had a deeper understanding of what was at stake. Despite the horrors of slavery and the injustices of colonialism, many Black people still considered Britain the ‘mother country’ and strongly identified with her culture, institutions and professed ideals. For them, the war was being fought to defend civilisation against tyranny, and they would do what they could to help. They would also show that, as loyal subjects of His Majesty, they deserved better treatment and perhaps even independence from British rule.

Despite the horrors of slavery and the injustices of colonialism, many Black people still considered Britain the ‘mother country'.

‘[the balloons] can’t do anything unless it’s a clear day, which is very rare now as it’s still winter’

William Robinson Clarke

Joining the RFC

Clarke arrived in Britain to find that the bar against non-European enlistment in the UK Armed Forces had been relaxed; and on 26 July 1915, he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). At first, Clarke served as an air mechanic, but on 18 October, he was posted to France as a driver with an observation balloon company. In a letter to his mother written in early 1917, Clarke described the company’s work directing artillery fire, adding ‘[the balloons] can’t do anything unless it’s a clear day, which is very rare now as it’s still winter’. He enclosed a small piece of green balloon fabric as a keepsake.

Qualifying as a pilot

Clarke’s real ambition was to fly and, in December 1916, he was selected to undergo pilot training in England. Clarke qualified on 26 April 1917, receiving Royal Aero Club (RAeC) Aviators’ Certificate No. 4837. His RAeC photograph is held in the RAF Museum’s Archive with an accompanying index card that describes his nationality as ‘British.’

Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate index card No. 4837 — View image →

‘I was doing some photographs a few miles the other side when about five Hun scouts came down upon me, and before I could get away, I got a bullet through the spine…'

William Robinson Clarke

Operational flying

Promoted to sergeant, on 29 May 1917, Clarke joined No. 4 Squadron RFC at Abeele in Belgium. The squadron was engaged on artillery observation and reconnaissance duties and was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory RE 8s.

Sergeant Clarke began flying over the Western Front just before the opening of the Battle of Messines in June 1917. On the morning of 28 July, Clarke and his observer, Second Lieutenant FP Blencowe, were on a photographic mission aboard RE8 A4691 when they were attacked by enemy fighters. Clarke described the action in another letter to his mother:

‘I was doing some photographs a few miles the other side when about five Hun scouts came down upon me, and before I could get away, I got a bullet through the spine. I managed to pilot the machine nearly back to the aerodrome, but had to put her down as I was too weak to fly any more … My observer escaped without any injury.’

View image →

RE8 on display at the RAF Museum, London

Hidden hero

Evacuated to Britain, Clarke remained in hospital until November 1917. Recovering from his wounds he returned to duty with an RFC Reserve Depot, and then as a mechanic with No. 254 Squadron based at RAF Prawle Point in Devon.

Demobbed in 1919, Clarke returned to Jamaica to work in the building trade. An active veteran, he was eventually appointed Life President of the Jamaican branch of the Royal Air Forces Association. William Robinson Clarke, the first Black pilot to fly for Britain, died in April 1981 and is interred at the Military Cemetery at Up Park Camp in Kingston.

His story was only discovered by chance during a volunteer project researching the Royal Aero Club collection held on loan at the Museum.

This highlighted that if Robbie Clarke was there, then there might be stories of other African-Caribbean people in our archive, and in archives all around the world, waiting to be discovered.