Best Colonial Army in World War 2

[daveshoup2MD]

True, but expecting Imperial Japan to follow such a policy in 1910-1945 would be akin to expecting the Wehrmacht to raise the equivalent of the 38th-42nd battalions, Royal Fusiliers, in 1917-21...

Or in other words, if Nazi Germany just had not been run by the Nazis...

[Kelvin]

While the NEI, the Philippines and India all had locally raised armies (India also had the Royal Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force), there was no Korean Army. Korea had been annexed by Japan in 1910 and by 1941 had around 24 million people, so if the Japanese had pursued a more enlightened policy toward Korea they could have easily raised a sizable Korean counterpart to the Indian Army. Unfortunately for their cause all they did was to conscript several thousand Korean men into construction units or Japanese industry and force an uncertain number of Korean women into brothels. It's ironic and very telling that in many respects the colonies which Japan aimed to "liberate" enjoyed more freedom than Korea did under Japanese rule.

In Africa, British also raised many native troops , 81st West African Division contained Gambian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, and Sierre Leone People. 82nd West African division also had Nigerian and Ghanaian recruits. 11th East African division had Kenyan, Ugandan, Tanzanian, and Nyasaland and Rhodesian. Cyruist took part in the Balkan Campaign but mostly as rear units

[OpanaPointer]

I thought it was Churchill...

"After you shake hands with a politician be sure to count your fingers."

[daveshoup2MD]

I'll take the Fifth, counselor...