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Don Walcott, dad of England footballer Theo Walcott, tells why he’s been proud to have given 17 years to the Royal Air Force.

THE ARMED forces may not be the first thing most people think of when looking for outstanding contributions made by members of the black community. However, many African-Caribbean servicemen and women have had long and distinguished careers.

With Remembrance Day this Sunday (November 8) – a time when the country honours those who died during the two world wars and other conflicts, and pays respect to courageous men and women who served or are still serving their country .

“THERE HAVE been and still are many great black people who serve this country, yet people forget about their contribution to the crown,” says Don Walcott. “Like myself, my father and I value our yesteryears in uniform, and I would encourage any young person to join the RAF, as it will be an adventure of a lifetime.”

Walcott, who was born in Germany, joined the Royal Air Force at 18 and served in the service for 17 years.

Recalling his time in the military, the 50-year-old says: “When I reached my late teens I did not have a clear idea in what I wanted to do, and I remember finding myself inside a recruitment centre where the Amy, RAF and the Navy were all trying to attract young men like myself to sign up.

“Knowing that the pressure was on, I had to make a fast career decision, so I decided to join the RAF which, ironically, I never considered despite the fact my father was still serving in the forces.”

Explaining that, for him, travelling was the main attraction to the RAF, Walcott says: “I grew up on various airbase communities around the world due to my father, so I knew that I was guaranteed to explore the globe and different cultures.

“I was very excited joining the RAF, even though I was the only black face because I knew from my father’s experiences what laid ahead.”

He recalls: “We were 20 in a room and we literally did everything together – sleep, eat, marched and trained. It was fantastic. Everybody came from different walks of life and had something unique to contribute. We had a very strong bond.”

Walcott says despite his father serving in the RAF between 1946 and 1978, he never spoke of any negative racial experience.

“My father was a proud serviceman and was promoted to the highest rank that he could achieve - a warrant officer. I never once heard of him revealing any bad stories while serving. His tales were only of honour and joy,” says Walcott.

However, he adds: “Although my father never spoke of any racism while in the RAF, I did experience a short spell during my training.”

Walcott says: “My corporal used to racially abuse me openly by always making reference to my ethnicity. Although he did not use the ‘N word’, he would always say black this and black that.”

He did not retaliate against the frequent racist slurs, he says. “Like all situations in life you must know when to react.”

Describing a ‘priceless’ moment, he adds: “When I introduced my father to the corporal I knew that I had the last laugh. He had no idea that my father was in the RAF, and worse a warrant officer. He had to answer to my father and take orders.

“My corporal’s face was priceless, especially when he had to stand to attention and address my father as ‘Sir’. I still laugh until this day. It just goes to show that you must never judge a book by its cover.”

Walcott continued his training until he eventually qualified as a clerk responsible for top secret documents, which were crucial during the Cold War.

He told The Voice: “The Cold War period was one of my most intense and exciting years, although I am still not able to discuss the level of top secret work I had to carry out. Nevertheless, looking back they were golden.”

“As a young man growing up during the ‘70s I did not have any idea in which direction I wanted to go. However, I found myself in a very fortunate situation whereby I knew where I was going to live, I knew how I was going to eat and I knew when my wage was coming in so I had no true worries after signing up to the RAF.

“I only had to make sure that I was up by the crack of dawn ready for orders and fulfil any task given to me.

“The RAF was exactly what I needed. I could not have asked for a better experience in life.”

Walcott, who served 17 years in the RAF, received a medal for long service and good conduct. After deciding to take voluntary redundancy, he worked for 10 years with British Gas before working for his son, Arsenal football player Theo Walcott, looking after all his affairs outside of the game.

Paying tribute to former servicemen and women, Walcott concludes: “I had a fantastic experience with the RAF and I learnt a lot about discipline and hard work. It makes me very proud to find out about the contributions the black community have made with the RAF and continue to make, and I’m proud to have served with them.”

Published: 02 November 2009
Issue: 1396

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