Remembrance Day: A Time to Honour the Black soldiers of World War I

On Remembrance Day let us rightly honour the black soldiers who also bravely served for our liberty in World War I.

Africans In World War I

Two million Africans were involved in World War I, at least a million died as a result. The “war to end all wars” was unprecedented in terms of its carnage and catastrophe. It involved most of Europe and Russia, America, the Middle East and other regions. On August 8th 1914, in an effort by the British to seize the German colonies, (German East Africa, German South-West Africa, Togoland and Cameroon) bombed the shores of Dar-es-Salaam bringing the war to the continent.

The Germans had approximately 200,000 bearers or carriers, who carried their food, ammunition and weapons, they were known as the "faithful askari", which is the Swahili word for soldier. The askari were treated as if disposable, they  were dumped and left to die if they either became ill or wounded.  They would have to carry loads double their weight for miles with hardly any food or water. Whilst the askari were serving the Germans, their fields were left to plunder leading to devastation and the starvation of their people.

The British had approximately 150,000 troops which included South Africans, Kenyans and Nigerians. They acted mostly as porters and suffered inhumane treatment, it is believed that 45,000 of the dead came from Kenya alone.

Caribbean’s in World War I

In 1915, due to the pressures of the war, King George allowed the colonies to take part, in October of that year, the British West Indies Regiment was established. As they were not considered equal to Europeans, laws prevented them from actually fighting, they instead served as porters, dug trenches, carried weapons, ammunition, and built roads etc..

16,000 men and women from the Caribbean, mostly from Jamaica,  voluntarily enlisted to help the British. They proudly considered themselves to be British and wanted to help the Mother Country. It is estimated that about 1,200 died and more than 2,500 wounded.  Less than 100 loyal service men and women received medals or proper recognition.

The Forgotten Heroes of War

The treatment of the African and Caribbean people who served their colonisers in the name of humanity is a blooded stain on history, which is further imbedded by the fact that their extraordinary efforts are not recognised and continue to be placed in the shadows.

This should really go without saying; but it is time the black men and women who left their countries, villages and families to serve in World War I get the respect and dignity they earned.