Personal accounts and letters by black soldiers

[Rijke]

Hi all

I'm thrilled to be reading notes and posting on the forum. I urgently need to find letters, personal accounts and diaries or indeed read about the experiences of Black servicemen and servicewomen. Does any one have any leads or advice.

Living away from the UK, I cannot visit the British library or the IWM in person.

Many thanks

[Khaki]

How broad is your enquiry, do you mean Great War service people from Africa or from the USA?, if the latter an enquiry made to the Library of Congress may assist.

khaki

ps The French Government may also hold some useful information,

(k)

[Rijke]

Hi Khaki

I am looking for accounts written by black soldiers from Africa and the West Indies who served in the Allied forces for the British during WW1 and WW2.

[seaJane]

A war in words compiled by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-War-Words-Svetlana-Palmer/dp/0743248317 includes extracts from a manuscript of an oral history interview by Kande Kamara from Guinea.

[Magnumbellum]

Just for the record, there is known to have been a black conscientious objector in Britain, but from the West Indies, in the First World War.

[nigelcave]

Generally speaking - so I really mean generalised - for the African native contingents you have to rely to a very great extent on oral tradition. For example, in a community near me in Ngong, there was a whole settlement (Embobu) of KAR made - but they were not literate. However, they passed on their history by the traditional methods. I suspect that this would not be unusual.

[battiscombe]

there is an excellent study of francophone african soldiers. I think out of print but secondhand copies are available

http://www.jamescurrey.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=10279

Memoirs of the Maelstrom. A Senegalese Oral History of the First World War by Joe Lunn

Between 1914 and 1918, the French recruited over 140,000 West Africans who fought on the Western front. Based on personal testimonies of war veterans and archival research, this book describes how the experience altered African soldiers' views of themselves, their societies, and the French.

[Rijke]

Just for the record, there is known to have been a black conscientious objector in Britain, but from the West Indies, in the First World War.

Hi,

Thanks so much for responding. Yes, indeed, I think I might have come across this person in my research but can't think of his name.

there is an excellent study of francophone african soldiers. I think out of print but secondhand copies are available

http://www.jamescurrey.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=10279

Memoirs of the Maelstrom. A Senegalese Oral History of the First World War by Joe Lunn

Between 1914 and 1918, the French recruited over 140,000 West Africans who fought on the Western front. Based on personal testimonies of war veterans and archival research, this book describes how the experience altered African soldiers' views of themselves, their societies, and the French.

This is good and your post is useful. Thanks.

[Rijke]

Generally speaking - so I really mean generalised - for the African native contingents you have to rely to a very great extent on oral tradition. For example, in a community near me in Ngong, there was a whole settlement (Embobu) of KAR made - but they were not literate. However, they passed on their history by the traditional methods. I suspect that this would not be unusual.

Yes, I had imagined that many testimonials, if any, would've been passed on orally, partly due to low levels of literacy in some instances, and possible Eng. language barrier. But it is really good to know about the people you mention. I've not heard of them before. Thanks.

A war in words compiled by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-War-Words-Svetlana-Palmer/dp/0743248317 includes extracts from a manuscript of an oral history interview by Kande Kamara from Guinea.

Brilliant thanks. I will get hold of the book.

Oh, this is all good. Thanks to all those who have responded. Keep 'em comin'. Hurrah!