Fund Raising

A pilot from the Gold Coast (Ghana) in the cockpit of a Hawker Hurricane
'Mauritius VII' of No 174 (Mauritius) Squadron, May 1942.
Courtesy: Air Historical Branch

Funds from the Empire and Commonwealth countries made an important contribution to the allied war effort. Examples of the contributions include:

By mid 1943 the people of India had raised over £6 ½ million through the Viceroy’s War Purposes Fund. That is worth over £100 million at today’s prices.

By late 1943 private individuals in East Africa had contributed over £770,000. A collection of £7,363 from the people of British Somaliland was used to purchase aircraft, while the Masai of Kenya made a gift of 17,926 head of cattle.

West Africa provided vital supplies of iron ore, manganese and bauxite (for aluminium) as well as contributing over £1.3 million in gifts and interest free loans to the UK war funds.

The West Indian colonies contributed nearly £1 million to the UK for general war purposes, £3 million in interest free loans, £½ million to war charities and a further £½ million towards the purchase of aircraft, in addition to valuable supplies of bauxite (aluminium), petroleum, sugar, timber, rice and rubber.

Funds were raised across the Empire and Commonwealth by government bodies, voluntary organisations and individuals to purchase aircraft for the RAF. Donations of £5,000 would nominally ‘purchase’ a Spitfire - the aircraft most frequently sponsored. In recognition of such a gift, the aircraft donated would carry the name nominated by the sponsor. Alternatively, the larger donations made by many Commonwealth nations were recognised by naming an entire squadron in honour of the country in question; where possible, this association was also reflected in the squadron badge. In 1940 the Air Ministry and Ministry of Aircraft Production agreed that donations of £100,000 would entitle the donor nation to be associated with a fighter squadron; £180,000 with a medium bomber squadron; and £350,000 with a heavy bomber squadron.