African arrows: British colonial troops became the basis of the armed forces of the independent states of Africa
Great Britain, which by the middle of the 19th century had acquired impressive colonies in Asia and Africa in terms of area and population, was in dire need of defending their borders and suppressing uprisings, with an enviable frequency of flashing due to dissatisfaction of the indigenous peoples with colonial control. However, the potential of the armed forces, staffed by the British, Scottish and Irish themselves, was limited, since the vast territories of the colonies required numerous military contingents, which could not be formed in Great Britain itself. Having decided to use not only economic, but also human resources of the colonies, the British government eventually settled on the idea of creating colonial units, staffed by representatives of the native population, but subordinated to English officers.
Thus, numerous divisions of the Gurkas, Sikhs, Baluchis, Pashtuns and other ethnic groups in British India appeared. On the African continent, the UK also established colonial units, staffed by representatives of local ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the modern reader knows far less about them than about the famous Nepalese Gurkhas or Sikhs. Meanwhile, African soldiers of the British Empire not only defended its interests in the colonial wars on the continent, but also took an active part in both World Wars.
Thousands of Kenyan, Ugandan, Nigerian, and Ghanaian soldiers died on the fronts of the First and Second World Wars, including those far from the native African continent. On the other hand, the military prowess of the African servicemen raised many questions among the native population, when colonial troops threw on pacification of local uprisings and weapon Thus, the black soldiers of the British crown turned against their countrymen and fellow tribesmen. And, nevertheless, it was the colonial troops that became the military school that prepared the creation of the armed forces of the sovereign states of Africa.
Royal African Arrows
In East Africa, the Royal African Riflemen became one of the most famous armed units of the colonial forces of the British Empire. This infantry regiment was formed to protect the colonial possessions in the east of the African continent. As is known, in this region, the territories of present-day Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi belonged to the British possessions, after the victory over Germany in the First World War — also Tanzania.
The regiment of the Royal African Riflemen was formed in 1902 by the unification of the Central African Regiment, the East African Riflemen and the Ugandan Riflemen. In 1902-1910 The regiment consisted of six battalions - the first and second Nyasaland (Nyasaland - the territory of the modern state of Malawi), the third Kenyan, the fourth and fifth Ugandan and the sixth Somaliland. In 1910, the Fifth Ugandan and Sixth Somaliland battalions were disbanded because the colonial authorities sought to save money on the colonial troops, and also feared possible insurrections and unrest in a significant military contingent of natives, who also had modern military training.
The private and non-commissioned officers of the Royal African Riflemen were staffed from the representatives of the native population and bore the name "Ascari". Recruiters recruited soldiers from among the urban and rural youth, the benefit was the choice of the strongest physically young men - service in the colonial army for Africans was considered a good career in life, because soldiers received a good salary by local standards. African troops, with due diligence, had a chance to reach the rank of corporal, sergeant and even go to the rank of warrant officers (warrant officers).
Officers were seconded to the regiment from other British units and up to the middle of the twentieth century they tried not to produce African officers in officer ranks. By 1914, the Royal African Riflemen included 70 British officers and 2325 African soldiers and non-commissioned officers. As for weapons, the Royal African Rifles were more likely to be light infantry, since they did not have artillery pieces and there was only one machine gun in each company.
With the beginning of the First World War, there is an obvious need to expand both the number and organizational structure of the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen. By 1915, the three battalions were increased in number to 1045 men in each battalion. In 1916, six battalions were created on the basis of three battalions of shooters - two battalions were made from each battalion, recruiting a significant number of African soldiers. When British colonial troops occupied German East Africa (now Tanzania), the need arose to create a military unit that would protect the new political order in the former German colony. So on the basis of the German "Ascari" appeared the sixth battalion of the Royal African Riflemen. On the basis of the Zanzibar military constables, the 7 battalion of riflemen was formed.
Thus, by the end of the First World War, the 22 battalion, staffed by African soldiers, were part of the Royal African Riflemen. They made up the 4 group, directly involved in the service in the colonies, and one training group. At the same time, the Royal African Riflemen experienced a certain personnel shortage, because, firstly, there was a shortage of officer and noncommissioned personnel recruited from white settlers, and secondly, there was a shortage of African soldiers who owned Swahili on whom the command was carried out ordinary units. White settlers reluctantly joined the Royal African Riflemen because, by the time this unit was created, they already had their own units - the East African Horse Archers, the East African Regiment, the Ugandan Volunteer Arrows, the Zanzibar Volunteer Defense Forces.
However, the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen took an active part in the First World War, fighting against the German colonial forces in East Africa. The losses of the Royal African Riflemen amounted to 5117 killed and wounded, the regiment's 3039 soldiers died from diseases in the years of military campaigns. The total number of Royal African Riflemen at the time of the end of World War I was 1193 British officers, 1497 British non-commissioned officers and 30658 African soldiers in the 22 battalions.
In the former German East Africa, the rank and file of territorial units was staffed by former German colonial soldiers from among the Africans who were captured in English and transferred to the English service. The latter is quite understandable - for an ordinary Tanzanian, a young peasant or a city proletarian, there was no significant difference to which “white host” to serve - German or British, since the allowances were provided everywhere, and the differences between the two European countries so unlike in our eyes remained minimal.
The period between the two world wars was marked by a reduction in the size of the regiment due to the demobilization of most of the soldiers and the return to the six-battalion composition. Two groups were created - North and South, a total of 94 officer, 60 non-commissioned officers and 2821 African soldier. At the same time, the regiment was being deployed in wartime in a much larger number. Thus, in the 1940 year, when Great Britain participated in World War II, the number of regiments increased to 883 officers, 1374 non-commissioned officers and 20 026 African “Ascari”.
The Second World War, the Royal African Arrows met with participation in numerous campaigns not only in East Africa, but also in other regions of the planet. Firstly, the African arrows actively participated in the seizure of Italian East Africa, the battles against the Vichy Collaborationist government in Madagascar, as well as in the landing of British troops in Burma. At the base of the regiment was created 2 East African Infantry Brigade. The first was responsible for the coastal defense of the African coast, and the second - for territorial defense in the deep lands. By the end of July, 1940, two more East African brigades were formed. Five years later, by the end of World War II, an 43 battalion, nine garrisons, an armored car regiment, as well as artillery, engineering, transport and communications units were deployed on the basis of the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen. The first cavalier of the Victoria Cross in the regiment was Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey.
Formation of East African Armed Forces
In the post-war period, until independence was proclaimed by the former British colonies in Africa, the Royal African Riflemen were involved in suppressing native demonstrations and wars against rebel groups. For example, in Kenya, they carried the main fight against the Mau Mau rebels. Three battalions of the regiment served in the Malacca Peninsula, where they fought with the guerrillas of the Communist Party of Malaysia and lost the 23 man killed. In 1957, the regiment was renamed East African Ground Forces. The proclamation of the British colonies in East Africa as independent states led to the actual disintegration of the Royal African Riflemen. On the basis of the regiment battalions, the Malawi arrows (1 battalion), the North Rhodesian regiment (2 battalion), Kenyan arrows (3 th, 5 and 11 battalions), Ugandan arrows (4 th battalion) were created , Arrows of Tanganyika (6 and 26 battalions).
The Royal African Riflemen became the basis for the creation of the armed forces of many sovereign states of East Africa. It should be noted that many well-known political and military figures of the African continent began to serve in the divisions of the colonial shooters. Among the celebrities who, in their youth, served as soldiers and noncommissioned officers in the Royal African Riflemen, one can mention the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada. The grandfather of the current President of the United States of America Kenyan Hussein Onyango Obama also served in this unit.
The Malawi Riflemen, formed on the basis of the 1 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen, after the proclamation of independence of Malawi in 1964, became the basis of the armed forces of the new state. The battalion initially numbered two thousand soldiers, but later on its basis two rifle regiments and a paratroop regiment were formed.
The Kenyan Riflemen were formed after the declaration of independence of Kenya in the 1963 year on the basis of the 3-th, 5-th and 11-th battalions of the Royal African Riflemen. Currently, the Kenyan ground forces include six battalions of Kenyan riflemen, formed on the basis of the former British colonial forces and inheriting the traditions of the Royal African Riflemen.
The Tanganyik Riflemen were formed in the 1961 year on the basis of the 6 and 26 battalions of the Royal African Riflemen and were originally still under the command of British officers. However, in January 1964, the regiment raised a mutiny and deposed its commanders. The leadership of the country with the help of British troops was able to suppress the uprising of the riflemen, after which the overwhelming majority of the servicemen were dismissed and the regiment virtually ceased to exist. However, when the Tanzanian People’s Defense Forces were formed in September 1964, many African officers who had previously served in the Tanganyik riflemen were incorporated into the new armed forces.
The Ugandan Riflemen were formed on the basis of the 4 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen and, after the independence of Uganda in 1962, became the basis of the armed forces of this sovereign state. It was in the 4 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen that I began my military career as Idi Amin Dada - the future Ugandan dictator, who earned the nickname of "African Hitler." This illiterate Kakva native came to the battalion as a cook assistant, but thanks to his remarkable physical strength, he moved to the line-up and even became the champion of the Royal African Rifle Boxing Heavyweight.
Having no education, Idi Amin was promoted to corporal for his performance, and after he distinguished himself in suppressing the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, he was sent to study at the military school in Nakuru, after which he received the rank of sergeant. It took Idi Amin 1946 years to go from an ordinary (13) to an “efendi” (as the Royal African Arrows were called warrant officers - an analogue of Russian ensigns). But the first officer rank of lieutenant Idi Amin received only two years after being awarded the title of "efendi", and Ugandan independence was already recognized as a major, as the British military leaders quickly prepared the officers of the future Ugandan army, relying more on the loyalty of the military on their literacy, education, and moral character.
Royal West African Border Troops
If in East Africa the battalions of the Royal African Riflemen were formed from the native population of Nyasaland, Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, in the west of the continent the British Empire held another military unit called the West African border troops. Their tasks were to defend and maintain internal order in the territory of the British colonies in West Africa - that is, in Nigeria, British Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gambia and on the Gold Coast (now Ghana).
The decision to create them was made in 1897 year to consolidate the British power in Nigeria. Initially, the basis of the border forces of West Africa were made up of representatives of the Haus ethnic group, and subsequently it was the Hausa language that was used by officers and non-commissioned officers in giving commands and communicating with the mixed-border composition of the border troops. The British preferred to recruit Christians who were sent to Muslim provinces and, conversely, Muslims sent to provinces with a Christian and pagan population. This was how the divide and rule policy was implemented, which helped the British colonial authorities maintain the loyalty of the native troops.
The importance of border troops in West Africa was due to its proximity to the large French colonies and the constant rivalry between Britain and France in this part of the continent. In 1900, the West African Border Troops included the following units: the Gold Coast Regiment (now Ghana), consisting of an infantry battalion and a mountain artillery battery; a regiment of northern Nigeria with three infantry battalions; a regiment of Southern Nigeria consisting of two infantry battalions and two mountain artillery batteries; battalion in Sierra Leone; company in the Gambia. Each of the units of the border troops were recruited locally, from among the representatives of those ethnic groups that inhabited a particular colonial territory. In proportion to the population of the colonies, a significant part of the soldiers of the border troops of West Africa were Nigerians and immigrants from the colony "Gold Coast".
Unlike the Royal African Riflemen in East Africa, the West African border forces were undoubtedly better armed and included artillery and engineering units. This was also explained by the fact that West Africa had more developed statist traditions, there was a strong influence of Islam, neighboring areas were located under French control, where French armed forces were stationed and, consequently, the border troops of West Africa should have the necessary military capabilities if necessary, a war, even with such a serious adversary as the French colonial troops.
The First World War in West Africa took place in the form of the struggle of British and French troops against the colonial units of the German army. There were two German colonies - Togo and Cameroon, to the conquest of which parts of the West African border troops were sent. After the German resistance in Cameroon was crushed, units of the border troops were transferred to East Africa. In 1916-1918 Four Nigerian battalions and the Gold Coast battalion fought on the territory of German East Africa, together with the Royal African Arrows.
Naturally, during the war period, the number of units of the West African border troops increased significantly. Thus, the Royal Nigerian Regiment consisted of nine battalions, the Gold Coast regiment - five battalions, the Sierra Leone regiment - one battalion, and the Gambian regiment - two companies. After World War I, West African border forces were reassigned to the War Department. During the Second World War, 81 and 82 West African divisions were formed on the basis of the West African Border Troops, which participated in hostilities on the territory of Italian Somalia, in Ethiopia and Burma. In the 1947 year, two years after the end of the war, the border troops returned under the control of the Ministry of Colonies. Their numbers have been significantly reduced. The Nigerian regiment included five battalions stationed in Ibadan, Abeokuta, Enugu and two in Kaduna, as well as an artillery battery and an engineering company. Less numerous were the Gold Coast Regiment and the Sierra Leone Regiment (a Gambian company was included in the latter).
As in East Africa, in its West African colonies, Great Britain very reluctantly conferred officer ranks to Africans. The reason for this was not only the low educational level of the native soldiers, but also the fear that African unit commanders might raise a rebellion, having received under their command real combat units. Therefore, even in the 1956 year, by the end of British rule in West Africa, there were only two officers in the Nigerian Royal Regiment - Lieutenant Cour Mohammed and Lieutenant Robert Adebayo. Johnson Agiyi-Ironsi - later general and military dictator of Nigeria - became the only African who managed to rise to the rank of major by this time. By the way, Ironsi began his service in the Ammunition Corps, received a military education in the UK itself and being promoted to lieutenant in the 1942 year. As we can see, the military career of African officers went more slowly than their English counterparts, and for quite a long time, Africans served only small ranks.
The proclamation of the former British colonies in West Africa by sovereign states led to the end of the existence of the West African border troops as a single military entity. The first to declare independence in 1957 was Ghana - one of the most economically developed former colonies, the famous “Gold Coast”. Accordingly, the regiment of the Gold Coast was removed from the West African border troops and turned into a unit of the Ghanaian army - the Ghanaian regiment.
Today, the Ghanaian regiment includes six battalions and is operatively divided between two army brigades of the country's ground forces. The regiment's servicemen take an active part in UN peacekeeping operations in African countries, primarily in neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, famous for their bloody civil wars.
The armed forces of Nigeria also formed on the basis of the West African border troops. Many prominent military and political figures in postcolonial Nigeria began serving in the British colonial forces. But if in Nigeria colonial traditions nevertheless are a thing of the past and Nigerians are reluctant to recall the times of British rule, trying not to identify their armed forces with the colonial forces of the past, then in Ghana it still remains as a front door historical British uniform with red uniforms and blue trousers.
Currently, the British army, due to the absence of colonies in the African continent, has left no units formed from Africans on ethnic grounds. Although Gurkha shooters remain in the service of the crown, Britain no longer uses African shooters. This is due, inter alia, to the lower combat qualities of soldiers from the African colonies, who never became the "calling card" of the colonial army of London, unlike the same Gurkhas or Sikhs. However, a significant number of people from the African continent and their descendants who migrated to the UK, serve in various units of the British army on a common basis. For the African states themselves, the very fact of the existence in their history of such a page as the existence of the Royal African Riflemen and the West African border troops played a crucial role, since it was thanks to the British-formed colonial units that they managed to create their own armed forces in the shortest possible time.
Thus, numerous divisions of the Gurkas, Sikhs, Baluchis, Pashtuns and other ethnic groups in British India appeared. On the African continent, the UK also established colonial units, staffed by representatives of local ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the modern reader knows far less about them than about the famous Nepalese Gurkhas or Sikhs. Meanwhile, African soldiers of the British Empire not only defended its interests in the colonial wars on the continent, but also took an active part in both World Wars.
Thousands of Kenyan, Ugandan, Nigerian, and Ghanaian soldiers died on the fronts of the First and Second World Wars, including those far from the native African continent. On the other hand, the military prowess of the African servicemen raised many questions among the native population, when colonial troops threw on pacification of local uprisings and weapon Thus, the black soldiers of the British crown turned against their countrymen and fellow tribesmen. And, nevertheless, it was the colonial troops that became the military school that prepared the creation of the armed forces of the sovereign states of Africa.
Royal African Arrows
In East Africa, the Royal African Riflemen became one of the most famous armed units of the colonial forces of the British Empire. This infantry regiment was formed to protect the colonial possessions in the east of the African continent. As is known, in this region, the territories of present-day Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi belonged to the British possessions, after the victory over Germany in the First World War — also Tanzania.
The regiment of the Royal African Riflemen was formed in 1902 by the unification of the Central African Regiment, the East African Riflemen and the Ugandan Riflemen. In 1902-1910 The regiment consisted of six battalions - the first and second Nyasaland (Nyasaland - the territory of the modern state of Malawi), the third Kenyan, the fourth and fifth Ugandan and the sixth Somaliland. In 1910, the Fifth Ugandan and Sixth Somaliland battalions were disbanded because the colonial authorities sought to save money on the colonial troops, and also feared possible insurrections and unrest in a significant military contingent of natives, who also had modern military training.
The private and non-commissioned officers of the Royal African Riflemen were staffed from the representatives of the native population and bore the name "Ascari". Recruiters recruited soldiers from among the urban and rural youth, the benefit was the choice of the strongest physically young men - service in the colonial army for Africans was considered a good career in life, because soldiers received a good salary by local standards. African troops, with due diligence, had a chance to reach the rank of corporal, sergeant and even go to the rank of warrant officers (warrant officers).
Officers were seconded to the regiment from other British units and up to the middle of the twentieth century they tried not to produce African officers in officer ranks. By 1914, the Royal African Riflemen included 70 British officers and 2325 African soldiers and non-commissioned officers. As for weapons, the Royal African Rifles were more likely to be light infantry, since they did not have artillery pieces and there was only one machine gun in each company.
With the beginning of the First World War, there is an obvious need to expand both the number and organizational structure of the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen. By 1915, the three battalions were increased in number to 1045 men in each battalion. In 1916, six battalions were created on the basis of three battalions of shooters - two battalions were made from each battalion, recruiting a significant number of African soldiers. When British colonial troops occupied German East Africa (now Tanzania), the need arose to create a military unit that would protect the new political order in the former German colony. So on the basis of the German "Ascari" appeared the sixth battalion of the Royal African Riflemen. On the basis of the Zanzibar military constables, the 7 battalion of riflemen was formed.
Thus, by the end of the First World War, the 22 battalion, staffed by African soldiers, were part of the Royal African Riflemen. They made up the 4 group, directly involved in the service in the colonies, and one training group. At the same time, the Royal African Riflemen experienced a certain personnel shortage, because, firstly, there was a shortage of officer and noncommissioned personnel recruited from white settlers, and secondly, there was a shortage of African soldiers who owned Swahili on whom the command was carried out ordinary units. White settlers reluctantly joined the Royal African Riflemen because, by the time this unit was created, they already had their own units - the East African Horse Archers, the East African Regiment, the Ugandan Volunteer Arrows, the Zanzibar Volunteer Defense Forces.
However, the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen took an active part in the First World War, fighting against the German colonial forces in East Africa. The losses of the Royal African Riflemen amounted to 5117 killed and wounded, the regiment's 3039 soldiers died from diseases in the years of military campaigns. The total number of Royal African Riflemen at the time of the end of World War I was 1193 British officers, 1497 British non-commissioned officers and 30658 African soldiers in the 22 battalions.
In the former German East Africa, the rank and file of territorial units was staffed by former German colonial soldiers from among the Africans who were captured in English and transferred to the English service. The latter is quite understandable - for an ordinary Tanzanian, a young peasant or a city proletarian, there was no significant difference to which “white host” to serve - German or British, since the allowances were provided everywhere, and the differences between the two European countries so unlike in our eyes remained minimal.
The period between the two world wars was marked by a reduction in the size of the regiment due to the demobilization of most of the soldiers and the return to the six-battalion composition. Two groups were created - North and South, a total of 94 officer, 60 non-commissioned officers and 2821 African soldier. At the same time, the regiment was being deployed in wartime in a much larger number. Thus, in the 1940 year, when Great Britain participated in World War II, the number of regiments increased to 883 officers, 1374 non-commissioned officers and 20 026 African “Ascari”.
The Second World War, the Royal African Arrows met with participation in numerous campaigns not only in East Africa, but also in other regions of the planet. Firstly, the African arrows actively participated in the seizure of Italian East Africa, the battles against the Vichy Collaborationist government in Madagascar, as well as in the landing of British troops in Burma. At the base of the regiment was created 2 East African Infantry Brigade. The first was responsible for the coastal defense of the African coast, and the second - for territorial defense in the deep lands. By the end of July, 1940, two more East African brigades were formed. Five years later, by the end of World War II, an 43 battalion, nine garrisons, an armored car regiment, as well as artillery, engineering, transport and communications units were deployed on the basis of the regiment of the Royal African Riflemen. The first cavalier of the Victoria Cross in the regiment was Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey.
Formation of East African Armed Forces
In the post-war period, until independence was proclaimed by the former British colonies in Africa, the Royal African Riflemen were involved in suppressing native demonstrations and wars against rebel groups. For example, in Kenya, they carried the main fight against the Mau Mau rebels. Three battalions of the regiment served in the Malacca Peninsula, where they fought with the guerrillas of the Communist Party of Malaysia and lost the 23 man killed. In 1957, the regiment was renamed East African Ground Forces. The proclamation of the British colonies in East Africa as independent states led to the actual disintegration of the Royal African Riflemen. On the basis of the regiment battalions, the Malawi arrows (1 battalion), the North Rhodesian regiment (2 battalion), Kenyan arrows (3 th, 5 and 11 battalions), Ugandan arrows (4 th battalion) were created , Arrows of Tanganyika (6 and 26 battalions).
The Royal African Riflemen became the basis for the creation of the armed forces of many sovereign states of East Africa. It should be noted that many well-known political and military figures of the African continent began to serve in the divisions of the colonial shooters. Among the celebrities who, in their youth, served as soldiers and noncommissioned officers in the Royal African Riflemen, one can mention the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada. The grandfather of the current President of the United States of America Kenyan Hussein Onyango Obama also served in this unit.
The Malawi Riflemen, formed on the basis of the 1 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen, after the proclamation of independence of Malawi in 1964, became the basis of the armed forces of the new state. The battalion initially numbered two thousand soldiers, but later on its basis two rifle regiments and a paratroop regiment were formed.
The Kenyan Riflemen were formed after the declaration of independence of Kenya in the 1963 year on the basis of the 3-th, 5-th and 11-th battalions of the Royal African Riflemen. Currently, the Kenyan ground forces include six battalions of Kenyan riflemen, formed on the basis of the former British colonial forces and inheriting the traditions of the Royal African Riflemen.
The Tanganyik Riflemen were formed in the 1961 year on the basis of the 6 and 26 battalions of the Royal African Riflemen and were originally still under the command of British officers. However, in January 1964, the regiment raised a mutiny and deposed its commanders. The leadership of the country with the help of British troops was able to suppress the uprising of the riflemen, after which the overwhelming majority of the servicemen were dismissed and the regiment virtually ceased to exist. However, when the Tanzanian People’s Defense Forces were formed in September 1964, many African officers who had previously served in the Tanganyik riflemen were incorporated into the new armed forces.
The Ugandan Riflemen were formed on the basis of the 4 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen and, after the independence of Uganda in 1962, became the basis of the armed forces of this sovereign state. It was in the 4 Battalion of the Royal African Riflemen that I began my military career as Idi Amin Dada - the future Ugandan dictator, who earned the nickname of "African Hitler." This illiterate Kakva native came to the battalion as a cook assistant, but thanks to his remarkable physical strength, he moved to the line-up and even became the champion of the Royal African Rifle Boxing Heavyweight.
Having no education, Idi Amin was promoted to corporal for his performance, and after he distinguished himself in suppressing the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, he was sent to study at the military school in Nakuru, after which he received the rank of sergeant. It took Idi Amin 1946 years to go from an ordinary (13) to an “efendi” (as the Royal African Arrows were called warrant officers - an analogue of Russian ensigns). But the first officer rank of lieutenant Idi Amin received only two years after being awarded the title of "efendi", and Ugandan independence was already recognized as a major, as the British military leaders quickly prepared the officers of the future Ugandan army, relying more on the loyalty of the military on their literacy, education, and moral character.
Royal West African Border Troops
If in East Africa the battalions of the Royal African Riflemen were formed from the native population of Nyasaland, Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, in the west of the continent the British Empire held another military unit called the West African border troops. Their tasks were to defend and maintain internal order in the territory of the British colonies in West Africa - that is, in Nigeria, British Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gambia and on the Gold Coast (now Ghana).
The decision to create them was made in 1897 year to consolidate the British power in Nigeria. Initially, the basis of the border forces of West Africa were made up of representatives of the Haus ethnic group, and subsequently it was the Hausa language that was used by officers and non-commissioned officers in giving commands and communicating with the mixed-border composition of the border troops. The British preferred to recruit Christians who were sent to Muslim provinces and, conversely, Muslims sent to provinces with a Christian and pagan population. This was how the divide and rule policy was implemented, which helped the British colonial authorities maintain the loyalty of the native troops.
The importance of border troops in West Africa was due to its proximity to the large French colonies and the constant rivalry between Britain and France in this part of the continent. In 1900, the West African Border Troops included the following units: the Gold Coast Regiment (now Ghana), consisting of an infantry battalion and a mountain artillery battery; a regiment of northern Nigeria with three infantry battalions; a regiment of Southern Nigeria consisting of two infantry battalions and two mountain artillery batteries; battalion in Sierra Leone; company in the Gambia. Each of the units of the border troops were recruited locally, from among the representatives of those ethnic groups that inhabited a particular colonial territory. In proportion to the population of the colonies, a significant part of the soldiers of the border troops of West Africa were Nigerians and immigrants from the colony "Gold Coast".
Unlike the Royal African Riflemen in East Africa, the West African border forces were undoubtedly better armed and included artillery and engineering units. This was also explained by the fact that West Africa had more developed statist traditions, there was a strong influence of Islam, neighboring areas were located under French control, where French armed forces were stationed and, consequently, the border troops of West Africa should have the necessary military capabilities if necessary, a war, even with such a serious adversary as the French colonial troops.
The First World War in West Africa took place in the form of the struggle of British and French troops against the colonial units of the German army. There were two German colonies - Togo and Cameroon, to the conquest of which parts of the West African border troops were sent. After the German resistance in Cameroon was crushed, units of the border troops were transferred to East Africa. In 1916-1918 Four Nigerian battalions and the Gold Coast battalion fought on the territory of German East Africa, together with the Royal African Arrows.
Naturally, during the war period, the number of units of the West African border troops increased significantly. Thus, the Royal Nigerian Regiment consisted of nine battalions, the Gold Coast regiment - five battalions, the Sierra Leone regiment - one battalion, and the Gambian regiment - two companies. After World War I, West African border forces were reassigned to the War Department. During the Second World War, 81 and 82 West African divisions were formed on the basis of the West African Border Troops, which participated in hostilities on the territory of Italian Somalia, in Ethiopia and Burma. In the 1947 year, two years after the end of the war, the border troops returned under the control of the Ministry of Colonies. Their numbers have been significantly reduced. The Nigerian regiment included five battalions stationed in Ibadan, Abeokuta, Enugu and two in Kaduna, as well as an artillery battery and an engineering company. Less numerous were the Gold Coast Regiment and the Sierra Leone Regiment (a Gambian company was included in the latter).
As in East Africa, in its West African colonies, Great Britain very reluctantly conferred officer ranks to Africans. The reason for this was not only the low educational level of the native soldiers, but also the fear that African unit commanders might raise a rebellion, having received under their command real combat units. Therefore, even in the 1956 year, by the end of British rule in West Africa, there were only two officers in the Nigerian Royal Regiment - Lieutenant Cour Mohammed and Lieutenant Robert Adebayo. Johnson Agiyi-Ironsi - later general and military dictator of Nigeria - became the only African who managed to rise to the rank of major by this time. By the way, Ironsi began his service in the Ammunition Corps, received a military education in the UK itself and being promoted to lieutenant in the 1942 year. As we can see, the military career of African officers went more slowly than their English counterparts, and for quite a long time, Africans served only small ranks.
The proclamation of the former British colonies in West Africa by sovereign states led to the end of the existence of the West African border troops as a single military entity. The first to declare independence in 1957 was Ghana - one of the most economically developed former colonies, the famous “Gold Coast”. Accordingly, the regiment of the Gold Coast was removed from the West African border troops and turned into a unit of the Ghanaian army - the Ghanaian regiment.
Today, the Ghanaian regiment includes six battalions and is operatively divided between two army brigades of the country's ground forces. The regiment's servicemen take an active part in UN peacekeeping operations in African countries, primarily in neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, famous for their bloody civil wars.
The armed forces of Nigeria also formed on the basis of the West African border troops. Many prominent military and political figures in postcolonial Nigeria began serving in the British colonial forces. But if in Nigeria colonial traditions nevertheless are a thing of the past and Nigerians are reluctant to recall the times of British rule, trying not to identify their armed forces with the colonial forces of the past, then in Ghana it still remains as a front door historical British uniform with red uniforms and blue trousers.
Currently, the British army, due to the absence of colonies in the African continent, has left no units formed from Africans on ethnic grounds. Although Gurkha shooters remain in the service of the crown, Britain no longer uses African shooters. This is due, inter alia, to the lower combat qualities of soldiers from the African colonies, who never became the "calling card" of the colonial army of London, unlike the same Gurkhas or Sikhs. However, a significant number of people from the African continent and their descendants who migrated to the UK, serve in various units of the British army on a common basis. For the African states themselves, the very fact of the existence in their history of such a page as the existence of the Royal African Riflemen and the West African border troops played a crucial role, since it was thanks to the British-formed colonial units that they managed to create their own armed forces in the shortest possible time.
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