The Forgotten Colonial Forces of World War II
Britain did not defeat the Nazis, the British Empire defeated them.
The Allied powers relied on colonial troops to defeat the Axis, but their contributions are not often recognized.
By Maria Abi-Habib via New York Times on September 1, 2020
They fought in every theater of World War II, from North Africa to Europe and as far east as Hong Kong. They died and went missing in the tens of thousands. And they formed the largest volunteer force in history. But their contributions are often an afterthought in history books.
The colonial forces that dotted the battle maps of World War II were crucial for the Allies to fill out their ranks and keep up their momentum. While India contributed the largest number of volunteers, at some 2.5 million troops, Africans, Arabs and others fought and died for the freedom of the Allied powers, although they were under the yoke of colonial rule. “I always say, Britain didn’t fight the Second World War, the British Empire did,” said Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University and author of “The Raj at War.”
About 15 percent of all the Victoria Crosses — Britain’s highest decoration for valor — awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese troops. The honor was bestowed upon service members from other colonies as well. “If you look at Commonwealth graves, you can find burial spots of Indians everywhere,” Khan said. “There’s a scattered memory of their sacrifice all over Europe.”
While these colonial forces are often forgotten or overshadowed, they not only helped the Allied powers win their war, they also set in motion events that would eventually lead to some of the colonies’ independence.
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https://www.bunkhistory.org/resources/the-forgotten-colonial-forces-of-world-war-ii
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