Book reviews 
 Recommended reading 
 Book forum 
 Latest book feedback 

 Popular resources 
 Recent views 
 Random book 

 Newsletter requests 
 Sell your books 

 War Diary 
 Armies 
 Nations at war 
 History 
 Trivia challenge 

 WWII links

 About us 
 Site guide 
 Site index 

At the beginning of the war the armed forces of the British colonies of West Africa amounted to little more than lightly armed troops for internal security. By the end of the war they made up a significant percentage of the 400,000 African soldiers serving in British formations.

In addition to their duties in West Africa, black troops campaigned against Italian East Africa and served in India, Ceylon, and Burma. As with British East African troops, West Africans under British command were deemed unsuitable for operations in North Africa or Europe despite the obvious successes of African forces serving under French command in those theaters. By the end of the war, most West African formations had sailed eastward to participate in the campaign against Japan.

In this OB, the term "West African" applies to British battalions from Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Gambia, etc which were formed into brigades variously designated as West African, Gold Coast, and Nigerian.

More resources

Books about West African armies and and ground forces

Gold Coast units on file

4th Infantry X
24th Infantry X

Nigerian units on file

23rd Infantry X

West African units on file

1st Infantry X
2nd Infantry X
3rd Infantry X
4th Infantry X
5th Infantry X
6th Infantry X
7th Infantry X

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx