First apologies for posting in threads before introducing myself. I had Server problems which have now thankfully been resolved, and previously could only enter 1 line of text! I am a member of your sister forum ww2F (hope relations are cordial!) and have only now joined due to time constraints. I am involved with the Chaguaramas Military Museum here in Trinidad and am presently undertaking 4 simultaneous research projects - which is a real pain. Am helping Cy Grant and caribbeanaircrew with data that I have, researching Southern Caribbean Forces in North Africa, the history of our Cenotaph - nearly done, and the really difficult one, what was Brig A E Stokes-Robert's real job here in WWII? I was delighted to find an active thread discussing the role WI played and the really good information posted. I will be back for more! For now, many thanks for the cordial welcomes.
Welcome Jerome. I think we can forgive you considering the earlier posts were excellent I have been trying get photos of the Memorial to the WI airmen - I believe it is in the grounds or near Chaguaramas. Do you have any that you could share with us. In particular I would like to know the names on the memorial. BTW we are completely independent of all other forums, including the one you mentioned We are setting up a sister site - Warfare Today - and we hope that will develop over time too
Hi Jerome ... lovely to meet you ! I'm wondering and thinking out of the box ! ........ I found this ...... I have no idea what the papers contain .... but maybe they will give some clues to the answer to your question .... LIDDELL: 1/658 1933-1935 Correspondence between Lt Col A E Stokes-Roberts and Liddell Hart Liddell Hart 1/1-780 Major Correspondents, 1927-1970 As Leslie Hore Belisha was Secretary of State for War and Liddell Hart was his personal assistant for a time .... could he have been trying to persuade the West Indians to join up .... ? ! ( or is that too simple ?? ) Leslie Hore Belisha (1893 - 1957) - Find A Grave Memorial But then .... he wrote a book :noidea: I just can't tie it all up together !! STOKES-ROBERTS, BRIGADIER A. E A Short History of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, Putney: A Short History of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, Putney: - STOKES-ROBERTS, BRIGADIER A. E
Hi Jerome, You are involved in some time-consuming projects. Look forward to hearing and seeing more. Cheers Geoff
Kyt: When completed will be pleased to forward a copy about the Port of Spain cenotaph to you, together with photos I intend to take. Total names on it, from WWI was 168. I still need to confirm whether WWII names were included. Our Cenotaph is actually located about 75 yards East of the National Museum and Art Gallery (Royal Victoria Institute in Imperial days) in Port of Spain. LA: I contacted the custodians of the Liddell Hart correspondence about three months ago and they forwarded my request to their Archivist – but no reply received since. I live in hope. The intriguing bit about Stokes-Roberts is that he does not appear on the British Army List (as a Brigadier – his WWI rank is listed), notwithstanding he was here during the war as a Brigadier with appointments as : Inspector-General of all British Troops in Trinidad; Commander Southern Caribbean; Commander Home Guard. Some time during the War, John Logie Baird, spotted in Trinidad by someone who met him in the 20’s when he was first here, wearing what appeared to be British Army Uniform, with no insigna or badges of rank, had meetings with Stokes-Roberts. Later Stokes-Roberts, together with an unnamed TRNVR Officer, John Logie Baird and Prof. C Y Shephard (awarded a CBE in the 1948 New Year’s Honours List), Economist, Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (his wartime duties in Trinidad was apparently teaching “Navigation” to students of the ATS at Piarco), turned up at Tarawa, PTO,to “inspect the damage caused to the coconut plantations”. Requests for information on Baird’s inventions and wartime work, (Officially none), return the same response – “Sorry, most of his stuff is still classified”. We feel that Stokes-Roberts main job was in Intelligence and with the Logie Baird connection, most likely also SIGINT. I suppose we will all have to wait until at least 2020 before it is declassified. In closing, here is an interesting question: How is it, the most closely guarded secret of the War, ULTRA, was declassified and released in the 70’s, but Baird’s inventions and work (Officially only on TV) is still classified? Is it a modification of Churchill’s “In wartime, the truth is such a precious commodity that she should always be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies”, in that higher authority preferred to give up ULTRA to protect a greater secret – Baird’s development work on television and its implications on SIGINT?
Thank you Jerome, I look forward to seeing the pics. As regards Logie Baird have heard mention of his work on RDF, and I have a few books on radar, so will have a look. However, as you haven't had much luck gaining access to information, I doubt the books will have anything except rather oblique references. It would be interesting to speculate when he was in the WI and whether it was during the U-boat rampage - that may have links to ASV. BTW whilst looking around for info prompted by your posts I came across Caribbean Wars Untold: A Salute to the British West Indies by Humphrey Metzgen and John Graham. Have you seen it? Is it any good?
Heres some snippets Jerome ! John Logie Baird During WW2 he worked on Radar, high speed coded signalling, and a product now at the forefront of todays communications systems of cable telephone and television, Fibre optics on which he took out a patent John Logie Baird Logie Baird's Secret WW2 Role Researchers at Strathclyde University have found evidence that John Logie Baird, who invented television in January 1926, was also involved in the development of radar and signalling devices during WW2. The development of radar is usually credited to another Scot, Robert Watson-Watt. Much of the documentation relating to radar is still within secret files but some recently released papers show that Baird and his company worked on secret electronics during the war. The new information is to be published by Strathclyde University on CD-Rom. Baird Family
I am now very confused, this is worse than trying to find out anything about Polish aircrashes and the Meacon systems. Welcome to the forum Jerome.
Sorry Kitty !! Heres a bit more Jerome !!.......... A biopic of the Helensburgh-born inventor's life is now scheduled to go into production late next year, with an expected 2010 cinema release, and is likely to star a "household name" Scottish actor as the inventor What the film is likely to bring to public notice is Baird's formerly unrecognised wartime work, some of which is still classified, but which, as recent research has revealed, made a significant contribution to the development of radar. As far back as 1926, Baird was taking out patents for radar-type equipment, while in 1939 his company, Baird Television, fitted out a French bomber with an airborne TV camera for reconnaissance purposes. [Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman]
I should have mentioned that Peter Waddell visited Trinidad when doing research for his book on Baird and conferred with my boss on the Stokes-Roberts angle. Since official info is so hard to come by, I am taking a back door approach to the Stokes-Roberts enigma by checking the local Society Pages and after Xmas, will seek access to the wartime records held by our Defence Force - I figure I should be done in about 5 years time - one way or another! Glad to hear about the film on LB-will look out for it. Oh and Peter waddell's book mentions that Watson Watts post war applied for a gratuity for his invention of RADAR. The amount finally paid to him was far less than he requested and for his development of radar! Sorry about the headache Kitty!
new person here. I am a member on ww2f , I came here. So welcome to this website you wiil like it here:nod:.
