There is an Acting Flt. Lt. Raymond Lind in 1945 mentioned on Forces War Records website, but it is uncertain if this is the same person.

[Source: Caribbean Roll of Honour]

Ray with his aircrew

Ray with Duke of Edinburgh (out in south east Asia possibly Malaya)

MARCHAND, CHESTER JOSEPH FRANCIS

Nationality: British Honduras
Rank: Flying Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit
Text: 7 Sqdn. Date of Death: 26/08/1944
Service No: 158046
Additional information: Of British Honduras.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial
Reference: Panel 207.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL,UK.

[Source: Caribbean Roll of Honour]

[Source: Unknown pulication, courtesy Nadia Cattouse via Audrey Dewjee]

‘As far as I know my granddad was born in Christiana in the parish of Manchester in Jamaica and moved to the UK to serve with the RAF – I believe he lied about his age so he could enlist!

The exact details of his role during the war remain a bit of a mystery as he rarely spoke about it.  However there were hints that he was involved in searching for U-Boats’

[Source: Leon Thomas]

A group of colored RAF-officers. Front row, from left: [1] unknown, from Jamaica or Belize; [2] Dusty Miller, from Guyana; [3] S/L Corbett (liason); [4] Ulric Cross, from Trinidad; [5] Johnny Smythe, from Sierra Leone; [6] Vivian Rivero, from Trinidad; (previously erroneously identified as: Mark Walker, from Trinidad);
Second row from left: [1] E.A. Gordon from Jamaica; [4] Percy Massiah, from Trinidad; [5] possibly his brother C.A. Massiah from Trinidad; [6] Vivian Thomas from Manchester, Jamaica; [7] Jellicoe Scoon from Grenada. Third row from left: [1] E.R Braithwaite from Guyana? The rest are as yet unknown to us. We invite our visitors to share the names of any person they recognise. [Names courtesy P.L.U. Cross a.o.; Photograph courtesy Audrey Elcombe, copyright unknown – click to enlarge]  

Servicemen and women from the West Indies pictured in a BBC studio broadcasting messages home on the weekly overseas service, 19 October 1943. From left to right: Private Norma Marsh and Aircraftman Arthur Chin (both from Kingston, Jamaica); Private Nellie Forrester (from Montego Bay, Jamaica), Sapper Darnley Watts (of St Michael’s, Barbados); Nurse Vernice Lewis and Aircraftman Edwin Angus (both of Kingston, Jamaica); Pilot Officer Charles Egerton-Eves (of Stann Creek, British Honduras). On the far left of the photograph is Una Marson of the BBC.

[Source: Imperial War Museum]

[Source: Unknown pulication, courtesy Nadia Cattouse via Audrey Dewjee]

Brigadier General Alberto A. Nido (1 March 1919 – 27 October 1991) is a former United States Air Force officer who during World War II served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, the British Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Forces. He was also the co-founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.^[1]

Military Career

After he graduated, he was given a job as an aviation instructor in the institution. An officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) who was in Tulsa looking for recruits asked Nido to consider joining them. Nido accepted the offer and on September 1941, he received a telegram from the RCAF office in New York City, requesting his presence at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Nido traveled to New York and on 7 September, was sworn in as a member of the RCAF.^[1] After 3 months of intense training in Canada, Nido was commissioned a Flying Officer and sent to an air base in Quebec, where he served as an aviation instructor to bomber pilots and artillery gunners.^[1] Nido returned to his homeland, to spend 15 days with his mother and three brothers Rafael, Pedro and Thomas, who were members of the United States Armed Forces. During his stay he met his future wife, Alile Colon, a university student at the “Colegio del Sagrado Corazon”, from the town of Yabucoa.^[1]

World War II

Type of P-51 which Nido flew for the USAAF

On 24 December 1942, Nido was sent to London, England, and participated on the European Theater of the war as a bomber pilot. He was transferred to 610 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force and participated in various combat missions as a Supermarine Spitfire pilot. In November 1943, Nido, then a Captain, was among 10 pilots of the 67th Reconnaissance Squadron who were sent to weather school at RAF Zeals under the command of Colonel T. S. Moorman. His unit participated in 275 missions.^[2] Later, in 1943, Nido and 59 other American pilots were transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces. He was assigned to the 67th Fighter Group as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot. Nido baptized his P-51 with the name of “Alile” in honor of the girl that he left back home.^[1]

[Source: Freebase.com;  Wikipedia; Courtesy: Wayne Saunders]

Brigadier-General Mihiel “Mike” Gilormini (August 3, 1918 – January 29, 1988) born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, was a United States Air Force officer who served in the Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was the recipient of the Silver Star Medal, the Air Medal with four clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross 5 times. He was also the founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.

Upon the outbreak of World War II, Gilormini offered his services to the Royal Air Force and served with them until November 30, 1942, when he joined the United States Army Air Corps with the rank of second lieutenant. In October 1942, he was assigned to the 346th Fighter Squadron and flew the P-39 interceptor. In March 1943, he was transferred to the 345th Fighter Squadron of the 350th Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy, to replace pilot losses. He stayed with the 345th “Devil Hawks” and flew a P-47 Thunderbolt until February 1945. During the war he was promoted to captain and flew a total of 200 combat missions over England, North Africa, Corsica and Italy. On May 19, 1943, Gilormini was involved in an aircraft accident when his P-39 went down over Maison Blanche, Algiers.^[2][3]

In an interview, Colonel Earl Miller, a former buddy and roommate of Gilormini, recalled the following:

“Gilormini was the commander of “A” Flight while I was commander of “C” Flight. We sometimes flew together. In fact, our last combat mission was attacking the airfield at Milano. I led the attack. The flak was real heavy. The 88 shells were bursting all around and also hitting a high bank (we were flying real low) to my right. Mike said, “Dutch, you better bail out, you are on fire!” Followed immediately with, “Don’t bail out, it’s another guy.” Unfortunately, my wingman crashed and was killed.”

^[4]

Gilormini and Miller flew their last flight in Italy together giving air cover for General George C. Marshall‘s visit to their group at Pisa. They both returned to the United States on the same ship. Gilormini was awarded a Silver Star Medal and five Distinguished Flying Crosses. The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in combat in support of operations by “heroism” or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.

[Source: Nationmaster.com; Courtesy Wayne Saunders]

LAC (P) William Caesar Oquendo
Serial No. R125792
Born 20 June 1915 at Catano, Puerto Rico
Killed 20 June 1942 while undergoing training at No. 2 SFTS Uplands, Ontario in the crash of a Harvard near Brockville, Ontario.

[Courtesy Wayne Saunders]

Flight Sgt Navigator, 1397411, flying Mosquito no 739, when he crashed (there may have been a change to his service no after his commision)

Frederick Thomas WESTON was born on the 9th November 1908. He was educated at Cardiff University gaining  B.A Hons in French and Education. He served as assistant master at Wallingford grammar school before being appointed as Master at Queen’s College Georgetown where he remained for 6 years.Known as”Taffy” and described as”the greatest all rounder” the College ever had. During his time at Queens he introduced swimming sports revived boxing and became Scoutmaster to the 27th Q.C.scouts. He also became Commisioner for Scouts for Guyana,served on the Boxing Board of Control and became Scout Commisioner for Guyana and represented Guyana at rugby football. He left Guyana in 1941 to return to Britain to serve with the RAFVR in WW2. Throughout his service he wore the British Guyana name on the shoulder of his uniform,wearing it on the day that his plane crashed killing him and his pilot Barney Joblin on 31st August 1943. It was always his intention to return to Guyana after the war to further his carreer at Queens. The pupils and staff at Queens bestowed on him the great honour of naming one of the new school houses after him,”Weston House”. Although not a native Guyanese he carried Guyana in his heart to the grave.

[Source: Fred Weston]

RCAF – Hudsons from Iceland – also flew Catalinas from 7 islands

[Source: Hugh Robison, 2011]

RCAF – Lancasters (from water beach near Cambridge) – POW

[Source: Hugh Robison, 2011]

Piliot Officer – RCAF – Service no. J/92951 – POW  in Stalag Luft 7, Bankau near Kreulberg, Poland – POW no. 814

[Courtesy AD]