Africa and Britain during the Second World War

More than 1.3 million African soldiers fought for Britain and its allies in World War II. From 1939, hundreds of thousands of West African soldiers were sent to fight on the front lines in Europe.

Although much is not known about their contributions, many Africans were conscripted by their colonial ruler, Britain, to fight in World War II. They were instrumental in bringing an end to the war, which was fought across Africa, Europe and the East.

On the civilian front, even more African women and men produced vast quantities of food and strategic materials for the Allied war effort. The impact of the war on the lives of ordinary people throughout the African continent was therefore profound and substantial

African contributions are a footnote in European history books despite the significant impact of several countries from the African continent.

South Africa made significant contributions to the Allied war effort. Some 135,000 white South Africans fought in the North African and Italian campaigns, and 70,000 Black South Africans served as labourers and transport drivers. South African platinum, uranium, and steel became valuable resources.

Ghana did not fight directly but helped supply resources and manpower for the allies. Jamaicans had volunteered for military service for the allies. No major battle had been held in or around Sierra Leone but they played an important role in supporting the allies throughout the war.

Kenyan soldiers served in the East African Campaign against the Italians, as well as the Burma Campaign against the Japanese, alongside troops from West Africa. Kenyans served in the Royal Navy and some individuals also served in the Royal Air Force. During the war, 98,240 Kenyans were recruited into the King’s African Rifles

The majority of soldier’s from the African continent were black and were racially segregated so they were commanded by white officers. Blacks were not able to surpass the rank of a warrant officer.

Albert Kuniuku is one of the few soldiers who survived WWII and chairman of the Veterans Union in Kinshasa.  He says, when he was working in a textile company before being taken away, all the workers that were taken away were young and under the age of 30.

Yoro Ba, a Senegalese veteran, recalls the day the French came to his village. “If we men had stayed at home, we would have been taken to court and probably shot dead.”

Before the National Health Service was founded in 1948, many West African and West Indian women trained as nurses in British hospitals during World War II. These included Princess Ademola who was based at Guy’s Hospital in London.

Whether as prisoners of war or fighting at the front, the African soldiers came into close contact with European soldiers and with the reality of life in Europe. The African soldiers fought together on the same battlefield as their colonial rulers, seeing them suffer, die and lie in mud. Senegalese writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembene, himself a former colonial soldier, put it like this. “As a result, they realised that there are no differences between people,” he said. This in turn led to many of the soldier’s returning to their home countries after the war fighting for independence from their European Colonialist’s.

During WWII, the war in the West has always overshadowed the war in the East. Despite this, there is no doubt the contributions of the BAME communities during WWII have played a significant role in shaping the identity of contemporary Britain.

Africa and Britain during the Second World War

More than 1.3 million African soldiers fought for Britain and its allies in World War II. From 1939, hundreds of thousands of West African soldiers were sent to fight on the front lines in Europe.

Although much is not known about their contributions, many Africans were conscripted by their colonial ruler, Britain, to fight in World War II. They were instrumental in bringing an end to the war, which was fought across Africa, Europe and the East.

On the civilian front, even more African women and men produced vast quantities of food and strategic materials for the Allied war effort. The impact of the war on the lives of ordinary people throughout the African continent was therefore profound and substantial.

African contributions are a footnote in European history books despite the significant impact of several countries from the African continent.

South Africa made significant contributions to the Allied war effort. Some 135,000 white South Africans fought in the North African and Italian campaigns, and 70,000 Black South Africans served as labourers and transport drivers. South African platinum, uranium, and steel became valuable resources.

Ghana did not fight directly but helped supply resources and manpower for the allies. Jamaicans had volunteered for military service for the allies. No major battle had been held in or around Sierra Leone but they played an important role in supporting the allies throughout the war.

Kenyan soldiers served in the East African Campaign against the Italians, as well as the Burma Campaign against the Japanese, alongside troops from West Africa. Kenyans served in the Royal Navy and some individuals also served in the Royal Air Force. During the war, 98,240 Kenyans were recruited into the King’s African Rifles

The majority of soldier’s from the African continent were black and were racially segregated so they were commanded by white officers. Blacks were not able to surpass the rank of a warrant officer.

Albert Kuniuku is one of the few soldiers who survived WWII and chairman of the Veterans Union in Kinshasa.  He says, when he was working in a textile company before being taken away, all the workers that were taken away were young and under the age of 30.

Yoro Ba, a Senegalese veteran, recalls the day the French came to his village. “If we men had stayed at home, we would have been taken to court and probably shot dead.”

Before the National Health Service was founded in 1948, many West African and West Indian women trained as nurses in British hospitals during World War II. These included Princess Ademola who was based at Guy’s Hospital in London.

During WWII, the war in the West has always overshadowed the war in the East. Despite this, there is no doubt the contributions of the BAME communities during WWII have played a significant role in shaping the identity of contemporary Britain.

Asia and Britain during the Second World War

“I always say, Britain didn’t fight the Second World War, the British Empire did,” said Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University and author of “The Raj at War.” India, ‘The Jewel of the Crown’ of the British Empire, contributed the largest number of volunteers in history, at around 2.5 million troops.

While there was much propaganda material available during the war, highlighting the Indian contributions to the allied war effort, their contributions were soon forgotten after the war and the myth that ‘England stood alone’ was promoted in historical accounts of the Second World War.

Indians were angry when Britain, which ruled them, declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939 and exploited their resources to support the conflict. Some Indians, such as upper-caste urbanites, were loyal to British rule over India and fought enthusiastically for the Allies, but the vast majority volunteered because they were offered land, a stable salary and steady meals. Others joined to refine their technical or engineering skills as the military modernized over the course of the war.

The massive involvement of men and women from India in Britain’s war effort has remained a marginalized story of the Second World War. Indian soldiers provided manpower and equipment in theatres of war throughout the world. Their contribution was vital to keep the supply lines to Britain open and to defend her borders at home and in the empire.

The Royal Air Force needed to make up a shortage in pilots by recruiting personnel from across the Commonwealth. Indian pilots such as Mahinder Singh Pujji, one of seven fighter pilots chosen to join the RAF, flew Hurricanes, engaging German aircraft in dogfights over the English Channel. He was one of 24 Indian Air Force pilots sent to Britain in September 1940 to fly with the RAF (including four other Sikh pilots: Shivdev Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Tirlochan Singh and Manmohan Singh).

“If you look at Commonwealth graves, you can find burial spots of Indians everywhere,” Khan said. “There’s a scattered memory of their sacrifice all over Europe.” About 15 percent of all the Victoria Crosses, Britain’s highest decoration for valour, awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese troops.

South Asian merchant seamen living around the ports of London, Cardiff, Liverpool and South Shields also played a significant role. These sailors helped to ensure that the supply lines to Britain remained open and provided vital manpower often working under atrocious conditions for less pay than their white counterparts.

The Indian Army played a major part in the operations in Italy, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, East Africa and the Far East. The Fourteenth Army in Burma was the largest single army in the world. Its battle front was of 700 miles and from the total force of 1,000,000 men employed in Burma, 700,000 were Indians.

The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in Burma between 1941 and 1945. It was one of the longest campaigns of the war. It is sometimes referred to as the “forgotten war”. It was fought by the British Commonwealth (from the UK, British India and Africa) against the Imperial Japan, Thailand and the Burmese National Army.

By the end of the war, the Indian Army won 31 Victoria Crosses. In World War Two, the Indian Army suffered 24,338 killed, 64,354 wounded and 11,754 missing.

The colonial forces were in many ways helping Britain maintain its crumbling empire, as it came under onslaught by Japanese, Italian and German forces.

Despite their sacrifices, these troops were never treated as equals. They were largely under the command of European or American officers, although they were skilled fighters and even helped patrol the streets of London. It was difficult for them to rise up the ranks and become officers. Their compensation was far less than that of their white peers, and it worsened the darker their skin was. As poorly as Indian soldiers were treated, their African peers fared far worse.

Asia and Britain during the Second World War

“I always say, Britain didn’t fight the Second World War, the British Empire did,” said Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University and author of “The Raj at War.” India, ‘The Jewel of the Crown’ of the British Empire, contributed the largest number of volunteers in history, at around 2.5 million troops.

While there was much propaganda material available during the war, highlighting the Indian contributions to the allied war effort, their contributions were soon forgotten after the war and the myth that ‘England stood alone’ was promoted in historical accounts of the Second World War.

The massive involvement of men and women from India in Britain’s war effort has remained a marginalized story of the Second World War. Indian soldiers provided manpower and equipment in theatres of war throughout the world. Their contribution was vital to keep the supply lines to Britain open and to defend her borders at home and in the empire.

The Royal Air Force needed to make up a shortage in pilots by recruiting personnel from across the Commonwealth. Indian pilots such as Mahinder Singh Pujji, one of seven fighter pilots chosen to join the RAF, flew Hurricanes, engaging German aircraft in dogfights over the English Channel. He was one of 24 Indian Air Force pilots sent to Britain in September 1940 to fly with the RAF (including four other Sikh pilots: Shivdev Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Tirlochan Singh and Manmohan Singh).

“If you look at Commonwealth graves, you can find burial spots of Indians everywhere,” Khan said. “There’s a scattered memory of their sacrifice all over Europe.” About 15 percent of all the Victoria Crosses, Britain’s highest decoration for valour, awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese troops.

South Asian merchant seamen living around the ports of London, Cardiff, Liverpool and South Shields also played a significant role. These sailors helped to ensure that the supply lines to Britain remained open and provided vital manpower often working under atrocious conditions for less pay than their white counterparts.

The Indian Army played a major part in the operations in Italy, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, East Africa and the Far East. The Fourteenth Army in Burma was the largest single army in the world. Its battle front was of 700 miles and from the total force of 1,000,000 men employed in Burma, 700,000 were Indians.

The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in Burma between 1941 and 1945. It was one of the longest campaigns of the war. It is sometimes referred to as the “forgotten war”. It was fought by the British Commonwealth (from the UK, British India and Africa) against the Imperial Japan, Thailand and the Burmese National Army.

By the end of the war, the Indian Army won 31 Victoria Crosses. In World War Two, the Indian Army suffered 24,338 killed, 64,354 wounded and 11,754 missing.

The colonial forces were in many ways helping Britain maintain its crumbling empire, as it came under onslaught by Japanese, Italian and German forces.

Despite their sacrifices, these troops were never treated as equals. They were largely under the command of European or American officers, although they were skilled fighters and even helped patrol the streets of London. It was difficult for them to rise up the ranks and become officers. Their compensation was far less than that of their white peers, and it worsened the darker their skin was. As poorly as Indian soldiers were treated, their African peers fared far worse.