There was no one else quite like Alford Gardner. This has been reflected in the outpouring of grief as well as the many, many affectionate stories and memories that have flooded in from people not just here in Leeds but all over the world, following the news that the Jamaican-born WW2 veteran and HMT Windrush passenger had passed away at the age of 98.

Here is a selection of the many tributes from the great and good:

The Prince of Wales: “I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Alford Gardner, one of the last surviving passengers of the Empire Windrush. I was delighted to spend some time with him last summer and hear his story. As a leading figure in the Caribbean community in West Yorkshire, he changed the lives of so many with his courage and positivity. He leaves behind a legacy for us all to be proud of and will be remembered for his warmth, his courage, and of course his unwavering love of cricket!”

Baroness Floella Benjamin: “I have total respect and admiration for #Windrush pioneer Alford Gardner… He encapsulated joy, dignity and courage. He will be remembered and celebrated each #BlackHistoryMonth for his legacy.”

Lord Mayor of Leeds: “I am so sorry to learn of Alford’s passing. He was a true pioneer who made a lasting impact on Leeds while blazing a trail for so many members of our Caribbean community.”

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB): “A pioneer and a trailblazer. A founder of Leeds Caribbean CC, and someone who did so much for the Black cricketing community in this country.”

Leeds Rhinos: “On behalf of all at Leeds Rhinos we would like to send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He inspired so many particularly through his love of sport and its power to bring people together.”

There were also moving tributes in the press including this one from The Yorkshire Evening Post: Alford Gardner: Leeds legend and one of Britain’s last surviving Windrush passengers dies aged 98 (yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk)

Leeds was Alford’s home for the last 76 years of his life. He was the city’s last surviving West Indian World War Two veteran and HMT Windrush passenger, though this is only a fraction of the remarkable story of a life well lived.

Alford, or “Ford” as his friends knew him, was born in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, on January 26, 1926. At the age of 17 he volunteered to help Britain’s war effort – following in the footsteps of his father Egbert who fought in the Battle of the Somme during World War One.

In June 1944, Alford was amongst the first contingent of thousands of Caribbean RAF ground crew who were based initially at RAF Hunmanby Moor, near Filey, followed by his younger brother Gladstone a few months later.

After the war, Alford started an engineering course in Leeds and so began his love affair with the city that became his home. He met Leeds woman Norma McKenna (whom he would go on to marry and raise nine children with) shortly before he and Gladstone returned to Jamaica after being demobbed in 1947.

Eager to return to Leeds he returned to Britain on board HMT Empire Windrush which docked at Tilbury in June 1948. He headed back to Leeds where despite his war service he found, like many returning Caribbean RAF men, his search for accommodation met with discrimination. In 2002 Alford recalled being told, “‘Sorry but you’re not in the RAF anymore. The neighbours won’t like it’. No matter where you went, nobody wanted to know.”

Undeterred he found a place to live in Hyde Park and a short time later got a job as an engineer and went on to work for several firms including Yorkshire Imperial Metals (Copperworks) and Harvesters International, until his retirement.

It is away from the workplace where Alford’s biggest legacy lies, for as one of the first veterans from the Caribbean who settled in Leeds after the war, he unwittingly played a key role in laying the foundations of the city’s West Indian community.

Alford was one of four Jamaican war veterans – along with Charlie Dawkins, Glen English and Errol James – who set up the Caribbean Cricket Club in 1948. This became a hub for the city’s growing West Indian community in the 1950s and 60s and today is the city’s longest running, black-led organisation and the oldest of its kind in the UK.

Alford was an early supporter of Jamaica Society Leeds events following its inception in 1977. We have held him in the highest esteem over the years and in recent years, in particular, as his pioneering generation has dwindled in size, he became an even more important figure – a real-life link to our past and where we come from.

Over the years, Alford has made huge contributions to the Society’s work centred on the history of the city’s Jamaican and wider Caribbean communities. He played his part in 1998’s Windrush 50 commemorations and provided invaluable oral history for the Society’s 2003 A Journey Through Our History project. In 2019 his memories and keepsakes were a huge factor in the success of our Eulogy exhibition and project.

In demand across the country in 2022 Alford helped to unveil the national Windrush monument at Waterloo Station in  London. He was a special guest for King Charles’s visit to our Rebellion to Romance exhibition that November too.

Despite 2023 being a busy year for the veteran as the country marked Windrush 75, Alford continued to support our work in Leeds. He was a central figure in Here, our acclaimed Windrush Generation outdoor poster campaign.

 

Thousands have seen the poignant and moving For King, Country & Home exhibition  which he officially opened in April last year as part of the Out of Many Festival and for which he provided first hand memories of his WW2 service.

He also joined a handful of surviving Caribbean WW2 veterans in Filey to witness the unveiling of a plaque honouring 4,000 Caribbean men who, like Alford, were based at nearby RAF Hunmanby Moor in 1944 .

Last October, Alford was one of a very select few recipients who received the Pride of Britain Outstanding Contribution Award, his for his trailblazing role in the Windrush Generation’s contribution to sports and, of course, as one of the last surviving Windrush passengers. HRH Prince William surprised Alford at his home to announce the award and to record footage for a special TV documentary with him  

Alford also received the prestigious Leeds Award, allowing his adopted home to show just how proud the city is of him, as a Caribbean war veteran who answered Britain’s call for help in its hour of need, as well as a member of the Windrush Generation and their contributions.

In June this year we were able to show the Society’s own mark of thanks and respect by making Alford our first honorary lifetime member, with a framed citation accepted on his behalf by son Howard and a plaque now permanently installed at our Jamaica House headquarters.

We are honoured to have known Alford Gardner and proud to have been his friend. We know, too, that his inspiring story will be passed down through the generations for many years to come.

Thank you, Alford, for everything.

We Salute you.