We should not be surprised. As far as I know, the British Army and Navy managed to exclude non-Europeans for most of WWII. Not the Air Force, which quickly became desperately short men with the qualifications needed for pilots and other flying crew. Separate forces were formed or strengthened in the Empire – eg the Indian Navy, the West African Frontier Force.

I wonder what the proportions are today, in all branches of the military.

 

Marika