What is HMT Empire Windrush?
The '''''Empire Windrush''''' arrived at [[Port of Tilbury|Tilbury]] on 22 June 1948, carrying 493 passengers from Jamaica wishing to start a new life in the United Kingdom. The passengers (including one stowaway<ref>Austerity Britain 1945-1951 by David Kynaston, Bloomsbury, London 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7475-9923-4}} p275</ref>) were the first large group of [[British West Indies|West Indian]] [[immigrant]]s to the UK after the Second World War. When the people from the ''Windrush'' arrived at port, they were faced with [[discrimination]] and [[racism]] because of the colour of their skin. Some people now call the ''Windrush'' a new journey for them as they all went through the racism, but in the end, came out just as equal as everyone else. Before 1948, the ship, under the name of ''Monte Rosa'', had been used for [[cruising (maritime)|cruises]] in pre-war [[Germany]], and then as a German [[troopship]] and prisoner transport ship, before being captured by the British and taken as a [[prize of war|war prize]]. She continued to be used as a British troopship after 1948, but sank in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] in March 1954 after a sudden and catastrophic fire in her [[engine room]], just off the coast of [[Algeria]]. ==References== {{reflist}} {{transport-stub}} [[Category:Ships]]