Hall of Fame: The First Black Fighter Pilot

About this episode

The episode explores the life of Robbie Clarke, the first Black RAF pilot, through the insights of guest Trevor Edwards.

The RAF pilot Trevor Edwards joined us to marvel at the life and times of Johnny Smythe. But here, he goes back to the very beginning and nominates Robbie Clarke, the very first Black RAF pilot. Robbie's was a charmed life – a mechanic who would be one of the first Jamaicans to drive a car, he crossed the Atlantic to sign up in 1915. Joining the Royal Flying Corps, he gained his wings in April 1917, making him the first Allied Black wartime pilot. It's an inspiring story so when you're done with this, head over to the main episode to hear about The Four Heroic Lives of Johnny Smythe . Head over to www.trappedhistory.com to sign up to the award-winning podcast, get our newsletter, bonus episodes and much, much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guest: Trevor Edwards

Topics covered

• aviation history
• Black history
• World War I
• military
• pioneers
• cultural impact

Keywords

• Black fighter pilot
• Robbie Clarke
• Johnny Smythe
• RAF
• aviation
• history
• World War I

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Royal Flying Corps

Places: Jamaica

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