HISTORY LESSON

The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. They were used to prevent democracy and self-government from growing in West Africa but they were later redeployed to participation in world war 1 and 2. In 1928, it received royal recognition, becoming the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). They contributed 200,000 combatants and West African Carriers Corps porters to both world war 1 and world war 2, while experiencing oppression in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia. West African carrier corps often recruited by forced labour and West Africans were reluctant to serve knowing they might not return home. The Carriers were divided into three Carrier Corps comprised of Sierra Leone Carrier Corps, Southern Nigeria Carrier Corps, and Northern Nigeria Carrier Corps.

African British military personnel from the Royal West African Frontier Force, Royal King’s African Rifles, and many other corps were generally excluded from the July 19, 1919 Victory Parade and the 1946 Victory Parade in London, which caused significant controversy and is part of the broader issue of racial discrimination faced by colonial soldiers. They are not depicted in films, or included in GCSE content. Their military pensions were either not paid at all or not paid on time. There are no graves or monuments to honour them. When they returned home, they had to fight for independence from undemocratic governors imposed by the Foreign Office (previously called the British Colonial Office).  In Kenya, they were put in concentration camps for wanting to be treated like human beings; this was called the Mau Mau uprising.

Source: National Archives

https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/west-africa-first-world-war/

In total 2.5 million Africans contributed to world war 1 and 1.5 million contributed to World War Two.

Source: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/first-world-war-and-its-consequences-africa