I attended your talk on 'Mother Country' at the BFI South Bank last week, and was very moved by your enlightening presentation. The forgotten stories that you touched upon deserve to be heard, especially by the younger generation who are denied a sense of their own history. I am extremely glad that you are doing your bit to redress the balance, and due to last week I have now been inspired. I have attached a letter that I sent to 'The Guardian' newspaper on Sunday night via email. Whether they will publish it or not, is another matter! In yesterday's BBC2 docu-drama on The Battle of Britain, 'First Light', Second World War veteran Geoffrey Welham stated that he just wants his efforts to be remembered. Your book is not only helping to educate and inform, but is also acting as a testament. While we remember them, they can never be forgotten.

The 70^th anniversary of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain is being marked by generous media coverage, as we remember the bravery and resilience of those who battled through the dark days of the Second World War. Excluded from this coverage, have been the many black British, West African and Caribbean citizens who contributed to the war effort. When the ‘mother country’ called they answered. Through attending a lecture given by the author Stephen Bourne at The British Film Institute, I was made aware of the invaluable contribution made by black people, both in the services and on the home front during the Second World War.

There appears to be a marked reluctance in this country to acknowledge this contribution. Underlying this is an unwillingness to question existing, accepted versions of the war. This is deeply shameful, in light of the sacrifices made by these brave men and women. Bourne’s recently published book on the black community during the Second World War, ‘Mother Country’ has largely been ignored by mainstream publications, and you have to struggle to find a review.

It is deeply disturbing that these forgotten Britons continue to be overlooked, while we are in the midst of celebrating the bravery and heroism of those who experienced and lived through the Blitz. Surely, they are as deserving of a place in history. When Boris Johnson talks about owing, ‘a huge debt of gratitude and respect to all those who helped secure London's future,' the hope is that he is also including the black community in his statement.