West African soldiers on the Somme

[Mark Hone]

Does anyone, perhaps the mine of all CWGC information Terry, know if any West Africans are commemorated in the Somme area? Did any West African units (presumably Labour Corps) actually serve on the Western Front?

[TD60]

I have tried to find any on headstones or memorials but without success until now. And I have visited many cemeteries...

However there are maybe one or few somewhere.

So let see if someboduy else knows ...

[Terry Denham]

There are no British West Africans buried on the Western Front.

There may be some French West Africans though.

[Mark Hone]

Thanks very much, Terry and TD60. As usual with my arcane questions there was a point linked to my battlefields tours. There may be a boy of Nigerian descent on our next tour and as we have visited Chinese, Indian, North African and Gurkha graves or memorials in the past I was wondering if there was a West African one that I could include on our Somme visit. I was pretty sure that no West African troops had served with the British Army on the Western Front but thought it would be worth a try. Must admit that I momentarily forgot the possible presence of troops from French West Africa, so thanks for reminding me of that TD60.

[Terry Denham]

Mark

There may also have been West Africans amongst the Portuguese or even the Germans but I am not sure if their West African colonial troops made it to the WF either.

[truthergw]

Mark

There may also have been West Africans amongst the Portuguese or even the Germans but I am not sure if their West African colonial troops made it to the WF either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did the Germans not complain about the Allies using African troops?