How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

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Admiral Bloonbeard
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How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#1

Post by Admiral Bloonbeard » 18 Sep 2021, 00:03

How many percent of British troops in World War 2 were colonial, including dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)?



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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#3

Post by Ружичасти Слон » 19 Sep 2021, 01:06

Admiral Bloonbeard wrote:
18 Sep 2021, 00:03
How many percent of British troops in World War 2 were colonial, including dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)?
Dominions countrys Australia and Canada and New Zealand and South Africa was be allys on Britain army. Was not be on Britain troops.

Dominions countrys was have mostest similar status as was have Amerika. When you include dominions countrys on calculation can to include Amerika troops to. And you can to include troops from France and Poland and Greece and Czecholsavakia and Netherlands and Belgium and Norway and Yugoslavia and Brazil and some more countrys i was forget to write.

Also percent was change all times from 1939.year until 1945.year.

Was you want only calculation on army troops or was you want calculation on navy troops and airforce troops to?

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#4

Post by Admiral Bloonbeard » 24 Sep 2021, 22:01

Ружичасти Слон wrote:
19 Sep 2021, 01:06
Admiral Bloonbeard wrote:
18 Sep 2021, 00:03
How many percent of British troops in World War 2 were colonial, including dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)?
Dominions countrys Australia and Canada and New Zealand and South Africa was be allys on Britain army. Was not be on Britain troops.

Dominions countrys was have mostest similar status as was have Amerika. When you include dominions countrys on calculation can to include Amerika troops to. And you can to include troops from France and Poland and Greece and Czecholsavakia and Netherlands and Belgium and Norway and Yugoslavia and Brazil and some more countrys i was forget to write.

Also percent was change all times from 1939.year until 1945.year.

Was you want only calculation on army troops or was you want calculation on navy troops and airforce troops to?
Everything

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#5

Post by Andy H » 10 Oct 2021, 17:20

Hi

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#6

Post by Andy H » 10 Oct 2021, 17:39

Admiral Bloonbeard wrote:
18 Sep 2021, 00:03
How many percent of British troops in World War 2 were colonial, including dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)?
Hi

This will give you some basic info to work and build upon.
Also bear in mind that mobilised figure doesn't directly equate to active service, saw action and obviously the context of when and where will change the %

Total Approx Mobilisation
Australia; 993,000
Canada; 1,100,000
India; 2,582,000
South Africa; 250,000
NZ; 193,000

UK; 5,896,000

Source: WW2 Data Book by Peter Ellis

Outside of the Dominions there were some 55 other Imperial territories, which supplied various amounts of men and material.
For example, some 250,000 served from the Gold Coast territories during the war.

A good book to look through is The British Empire and the Second World War by Ashley Jackson.

Regards

Andy H

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#7

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Oct 2021, 00:11

Hi Andy H,

I very much doubt 250,000 men were raised in the Gold Coast alone.

If the total is accurate, it probably refers to the Royal West Africa Frontier Force (RWAFF), which raised troops in Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia, and the King's African Rifles (KAR) which raised troops in Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Nyasaland. It might also include the Northern Rhodesia Regiment and the Rhodesian African Rifles from the Rhodesias.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#8

Post by Urmel » 11 Oct 2021, 20:38

Number I have seen for Ghana/Gold Coast alone is 65,000.

I doubt Rhodesians would have been included in the RWAFF?
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#9

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Oct 2021, 22:55

Hi Urmel,

I did not say African Rhodesians were in the RWAFF. I said that assuming the 250,000 total is accurate, it probably included the combined African forces of Britain's West and East African colonies, and possibly also the Rhodesias.

There were actually a good number of White Rhodesians in the RWAFF. Because Rhodesia's European settlers were in daily contact with African labour in civil life, they were presumed to be useful junior leaders of African troops. There were very few Europeans in West Africa because it was not an area of White settlement. However, West Africa was also by far the most populous area for Africans to be recruited in. Therefore the British used a lot of White Rhodesians to help officer the RWAFF.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#10

Post by Andy H » 23 Oct 2021, 21:45

Sid Guttridge wrote:
11 Oct 2021, 00:11
Hi Andy H,

I very much doubt 250,000 men were raised in the Gold Coast alone.

If the total is accurate, it probably refers to the Royal West Africa Frontier Force (RWAFF), which raised troops in Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia, and the King's African Rifles (KAR) which raised troops in Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Nyasaland. It might also include the Northern Rhodesia Regiment and the Rhodesian African Rifles from the Rhodesias.

Cheers,

Sid.
Hi Sid & Urmel

Apologies, read the passage incorrectly.

65,000 from the Gold Coast as part of the 200,000 military contingent from the 4 west African colonies, with '000's of others working in military related roles.

Regards

Andy H

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#11

Post by Admiral Bloonbeard » 28 Nov 2021, 07:53

Andy H wrote:
10 Oct 2021, 17:39
Admiral Bloonbeard wrote:
18 Sep 2021, 00:03
How many percent of British troops in World War 2 were colonial, including dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)?
Hi

This will give you some basic info to work and build upon.
Also bear in mind that mobilised figure doesn't directly equate to active service, saw action and obviously the context of when and where will change the %

Total Approx Mobilisation
Australia; 993,000
Canada; 1,100,000
India; 2,582,000
South Africa; 250,000
NZ; 193,000

UK; 5,896,000

Source: WW2 Data Book by Peter Ellis

Outside of the Dominions there were some 55 other Imperial territories, which supplied various amounts of men and material.
For example, some 250,000 served from the Gold Coast territories during the war.

A good book to look through is The British Empire and the Second World War by Ashley Jackson.

Regards

Andy H
Hello, I’m now curious what percentage of nationals fought in North Africa and Italy. I’m now curious about colonial contribution to the North African and Italian fronts.

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#12

Post by Sid Guttridge » 28 Nov 2021, 10:55

Hi AB,

What have your researches shown you so far?

I recommend that you follow Andy H's lead and acquire The WWII Data Book by Peter Ellis. This is widely availably cheaply at £5 or less with free postage within the UK.

This will tell you how many divisions and independent armoured brigades were raised by each Commonwealth country, where they served and for how long.

If you want to delve deeper, you may have to go to original archives.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#13

Post by Sid Guttridge » 28 Nov 2021, 11:04

Hi AB,

What have your researches shown you so far?

I recommend that you follow Andy H's lead and acquire The WWII Data Book by John Ellis. This is widely availably cheaply at £5 or less with free postage on Abebooks.co.uk within the UK. In the USA it is several times as expensive on Amazon.

Among many, many, other things, this will tell you how many divisions and independent armoured brigades were raised by each Commonwealth country, where they served and for how long.

If you want to delve deeper, below divisional level, you may have more difficulties.

Cheers,

Sid.

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#14

Post by Admiral Bloonbeard » 28 Nov 2021, 18:10

Sid Guttridge wrote:
28 Nov 2021, 11:04
Hi AB,

What have your researches shown you so far?

I recommend that you follow Andy H's lead and acquire The WWII Data Book by John Ellis. This is widely availably cheaply at £5 or less with free postage on Abebooks.co.uk within the UK. In the USA it is several times as expensive on Amazon.

Among many, many, other things, this will tell you how many divisions and independent armoured brigades were raised by each Commonwealth country, where they served and for how long.

If you want to delve deeper, below divisional level, you may have more difficulties.

Cheers,

Sid.
Wasn’t the 8th army multinational similar to the 14th army as opposed to the 2nd army?

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Re: How many percent of British personnel in World War 2 were colonial?

#15

Post by Sid Guttridge » 28 Nov 2021, 18:35

Hi ABB,

Yes. However, its composition changed over time.

I really would I recommend that you follow Andy H's lead and acquire The WWII Data Book by John Ellis. This will answer the basics of your question.

Cheers,

Sid

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