The charity started the appeal because it felt the animals that die at war – which tend to mostly be horses and dogs – are often forgotten. There were also many occasions where black Britons served openly through a combination of will, moxie, and the luck of having dealt with a relaxed or open-minded recruiter. Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. She is the founding editor of the Military Spouse Book Review and a fiction and poetry editor for Wrath-Bearing Tree.

How come we know so little about that one-third of the men who fought for the British Empire who were not white? The Western Front Association (The WFA) was formed with the purpose of furthering interest in First World War of 1914-1918.

Many black soldiers were highly decorated in the War, including John Williams whose awards included the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Cross of St. In 1918, he said on behalf of the African Progress Union, an organisation he helped establish: “Our compatriots from Africa, America and the West Indies have been fighting on the fields of France against a foreign foe. By war’s end, we are told, the BWIR had registered 15,204 men (and had rejected 13,940 as unsuitable). A new illustrated edition of Black Poppies for young readers with a cover illustration by Tom Clohosy Cole who illustrated Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse.

Prompted by this, we thought we'd look in the archive to see to what extent the contemporary magazines of the time acknowledged the role of black soldiers. Every November, the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal raises funds to support families of the Armed Forces, and the associated wearing of the traditional red poppy has been a powerful symbol of remembrance and recognition since the appeal first began at the end of the First World War.After meeting Stephen's Aunty Esther, we hear the story of Walter Tull, who led soldiers in some of history's bloodiest battles and died in the fighting just weeks before the conflict would end. Detective Sergeant Holby said he had made enquiries at the local recruiting office and they told him they could not enlist because of their colour, but if application was made to the War Office no doubt they could enlist in some regiment of Black men. Therefore, it also signifies the end of ignorance concerning the contribution of Africans and People of African origin to a host of European wars throughout the ages. We also aim to perpetuate the memory, courage and comradeship of all those who served their countries on all sides, across all theatres and fronts, on land, at sea and in the air and at home, during the Great War.