FIRST BLACK SOLDER - YORKSHIRE REGIMENT.

[GRANVILLE]

I've been approached by someone who is trying to identify and research the first black soldier to join what he believes was The Yorkshire Light Infantry? At the moment, all he knows is that there is apparently a memorial to him somewhere in Golders Green?

Any information gratefully received.

Dave Upton

[Ralphed]

A memorial in golders green ? I wonder where it is ? I have a picture of a black soldier but the regiment is either 10th Hackney or Royal fusiliers.

[GRANVILLE]

Unfortunately I cannot add any more to the enquiry. I was rather hoping someone might have been able to verify if a black recruit ever was within the ranks of a Yorkshire regiment.

David

[Nigel Marshall]

There was an Indian man in the West Yorkshire Regiment. Private Jogendra Sen was from Bengal and was studying at Leeds University. He joined the Leeds Pals and was killed in May 1916. I've never read that he had a connection of any sort to Golders Green, so I'd be surprised if the memorial was to him. Cheers, Nigel

[auchonvillerssomme]

PM Paul Reed, he has some expertise in this area and might know.

Mick

[Heid the Ba]

Private Sen and others get a mention in this thread

[Gibbo]

Golders Green Crematorium was the first to open in London and one of the first in the UK. Possibly he was cremated and has a plaque at the crematorium? It's non-denominational, so perhaps he had a religion that required cremation? See the CWGC website and Wikipedia. The Wikipedia entry has a link to the another website at the bottom, but it's very slow to load.

[GRANVILLE]

I appreciate all of the information being put forward and this is being forwarded to the chap who came to me in the first place.

David