Dying for Britain and France, for nothing

By NEW AFRICAN REVIEW

'Over one million Africans fought for Britain, France,

Italy and Belgium in World War II, and yet their exploits

have gone unmarked in the annals of metropolitan powers,'

writes New African.
In this article New African looks at a new book, fighting

for Britain-African Soldiers in the Second World War,

written by the British academic and historian, David

Killingray, seeks to change that.
The book is categorical that Africa contributed many men,

and a very few women, to the war; that, however, these men

and women have not been given the attention they deserve in

the historical literature. It also notes African soldiers

fought gallantly and sacrificed their lives to capture

enemy territories. Sadly, they were never allowed to do the

actual capturing, for 'Africans were not supposed to

deprive the Europeans of the honour of capturing enemy

cities.' Discrimination and racism was the order in those

days; one would wonder why the Africans got drafted into

the wars in the first place. Who were these Africans? Of

what substance were they made? New African provides some

insight.