South African Cape Corp

[Guest LanceGillette]

Does any one know of information on the South African Cape Corp of "Coloured soldiers" that served up in the Malawi area? My wife's grandfather served in that unit. Apparently they were responsible for transportation/supplies.

[bushfighter]

Lance

Greetings.

The 2nd Battalion The Cape Corps, a 1,200 man infantry unit, moved to Nyasaland (Malawi) from South Africa in late 1917 and trained there.

Then in early 1918 it moved into northern Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) and operated there until July 1918.

The 2nd Bn Cape Corps then sent half its men to join 1st Bn Cape Corps in Palestine whilst the rest went to Kimberley and were demobilised in November and December 1918 when the 2nd Bn disbanded.

However your man may have been employed as a waggon driver in a South African Service Corps unit, along with many other Cape Coloured men. Histories of what these supply units did are rare or non-existent. They worked on the roads transporting supplies into German and Portuguese East Africa.

Harry

[Terry Denham]

A large number of Cape Corps men are missing from the CWGC list of Commonwealth War Dead.

GWF is trying to rectify this at the moment on behalf of the South African War Graves Project. Many names have been submitted and more are to follow. Watch this space!