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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2008
During World War II, some 65,000 Ghanaians were under the command of British officers in the Royal West African Frontier Force, and since India was the transit and refuelling station for those en route to Burma, the 30,000 who served there briefly experienced life in both countries. There has been much conjecture about the impact of the war on participating African soldiers,1 and this article focuses on the nature and socio-economic implications of their experience as later revealed by the veterans themselves in two rather overlooked sources of information: oral interviews and locally published materials.
Page 159 note 1 See, for example, Crowder, Michael, History of West Africa, Vol. II (New York, 1973), pp. 613–4 and 628–9.Google Scholar
Page 159 note 2 The Kintampo Camp Weekly, 15, 24 March 1946.
Page 159 note 3 Ibid.
Page 159 note 1 Ibid.
Page 159 note 2 Aggrey-Fynn, S., 5 May 1980, Takoradi.Google Scholar
Page 159 note 3 Gold Coast Government, Demobilisation and Resettlement of Gold Coast Africans in the Armed Forces (Accra, 1945), p. 6.Google Scholar
Page 159 note 4 Report of the Labour Department, 1938–39 (Accra, 1939), pp. 14–15.Google Scholar
Page 159 note 1 Pay and Allowances of the Armed Forces (London, 1942), Cmd. 6385.Google Scholar
Page 159 note 2 ‘Enlistment of Educated Africans in Groups’ by L. W. Wood and H.J. N. Chapman for the Colonial Secretary, 10 January 1942; Conference Paper 0813, Ghana National Archives, Accra.
Page 159 note 3 Additional Financial Benefits for Members of the Forces with Prolonged Service During the Present War and in Respect of Service in the Far East (London, 1944), Cmd. 6553.Google Scholar
Page 162 note 1 E. Y. Parey, 27 February 1980, Accra.
Page 162 note 2 Edward K. Frempong, 8 March 1980, Accra.
Page 162 note 3 H. R. Amuah, 29 March 1980, Accra.
Page 162 note 4 John K. Baku, 30 April 1980, Takoradi.
Page 162 note 5 Amadu Fulani, 1 March 1980, Ashiaman, Tema.
Page 162 note 6 Rowland Appiah, 5 May 1980, Takoradi, and M. R. Asante, 29 July 1980, Kumasi.
Page 162 note 7 The Gold Coast Handbook, 1937 (Accra, 1938), p. 131.Google Scholar
Page 162 note 8 B. K. Abbey, 19 March 1980, Accra.
Page 163 note 1 Ibid.
Page 163 note 2 Asante, loc. cit.
Page 163 note 3 The West African Review (London) continued to criticise the British Government for allowing African soldiers to be whipped until corporal punishment was abolished in the R.W.A.F.F. in 1944.Google Scholar
Page 163 note 4 Emmanuel O. Dodoo, 18 August 1980, Accra.
Page 164 note 1 The Ashanti Pioneer (Kumasi), 8 03 1947.Google Scholar
Page 164 note 2 Ibid. 9 April 1947.
Page 164 note 3 The Kintampo Camp Weekly, 24 March 1946.
Page 164 note 4 Ibid. 17 March 1946.
Page 164 note 5 Appiah, loc. cit.
Page 164 note 6 Suleman Sisana, 1 March 1980, Ashiaman.
Page 164 note 7 Sharif Abdul Amani, 5 June 1980, Accra.
Page 164 note 8 Kofi Agiati, 1 March 1980, Ashiaman.
Page 165 note 1 Frederick A. Bruce-Thompson, 27 February 1980, Accra.
Page 165 note 2 Frempong, loc. cit.
Page 165 note 3 Amuah, loc. cit.
Page 165 note 4 Jordan N. Oku, 24 February 1980, Accra.
Page 165 note 5 Reuben Tackie, 20 August 1980, Accra.
Page 165 note 6 Oku, loc. cit
Page 166 note 1 Asante, loc. cit.
Page 166 note 2 Manadu Busanga, 29 June 1980, Accra.
Page 166 note 3 Musa Bazabarimi, 20 March 1980, Accra.
Page 166 note 4 Alfred Thannie, 16 May 1980, Takoradi.
Page 167 note 1 Frederick S. Annan, 26 May 1980, Cape Coast.
Page 167 note 2 Baku, loc. cit.
Page 167 note 3 King N. Eminsang, 15 March 1979, Accra.
Page 167 note 4 Frank W. Aidoo, 30 April 1980, Takoradi.
Page 168 note 1 T. K. Impraim, 28 August 1980, Accra.
