Ulric Cross was born in 1917 in Belmont, Trinidad, during British colonial rule. When the Second World War began, he was 22 years old. He joined the Royal Air Force and by the end of the war in 1945, he was the most decorated serviceman in the Caribbean. As a navigator with the Pathfinders Force, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery, becoming the most decorated West Indian airman of that time.
After the war, he joined the BBC as a talks producer. Programmes were broadcast live, so the calm and focus he had developed in the air helped him on the job. From there, he saw the rise of independence movements across Africa and the growth of pan-African ideas.
In 1957, when the Gold Coast became independent as Ghana, Cross worked as legal adviser to its first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He later held similar roles in Cameroon and Tanzania, helping to build their legal systems. He also served as a judge in Trinidad and earned respect for his fairness and ability to resolve disputes. In the 1990s, he returned to London as Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to the UK.
During his career, he worked with and knew many leading Caribbean and African figures, including C. L. R. James, Learie Constantine, George Padmore, and Presidents Nkrumah and Nyerere. His nephew, Sir Felix Cross, described him as fair and tolerant, noting that his life reflected the growth of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ulric Cross died on 4 October 2013 at the age of 96. In 2011, he received the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for his service to the nation. His life story is told in the film Hero: The Extraordinary Life of Mr Ulric Cross, directed by Frances-Anne Solomon and available on BBC iPlayer.
