1259312 – E.A. Gordon – Jamaica – attested 26.7.40 – W.Op/A.G. – commissioned 26.8.44 – S.Inj. 5.4.4?
[Source: NA AIR 2/6876 – Nominal Roll of Coloured Candidates, October 1944]
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] [Names courtesy P.L.U. Cross a.o.; Photograph courtesy Audrey Elcombe, copyright unknown – click to enlarge]
The gentleman in the second row left is my father, F/O Egbert Arthur Alexander Gordon from S. Mary, Jamaica. He was born on January 26th, 1919, and migrated to the U.S.A. in 1950 (New York City, Brooklyn) where his mother, my grandmother lived. He later moved to Jamaica, Queens (1957), and then on to Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) with my English mother where they both died. My Dad was a bombardier – navigator. He also ran track in the R.A.F.
[Source: Mr Andrew Michael Gordon, Jamaica}
MelissaGordon adds:
The 2nd row 1st on the left is my Dad, F/O Egbert A Gordon from Jamaica. He left Jamaica to join the RAF with his lifetime friend, Vincent A Bunting and they flew and served with distinction together. Both married British ladies and had British born children, Dad had 3 in England 1 in New York, Vin had 1 in England, 1 in Antigua and 1 in Jamaica. At the end of the war, Dad took his family to New York where his Mother had migrated, and Vincent Bunting moved to Antigua, and then later back to Jamaica. This photo has always been in our family along with many more from Dad’s RAF days and we are proud of his service and to identify our loving Father on this site. [Source: Melissa Gordon]
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