Burma Boys

Who today remembers the 90,000 African soldiers who fought the Japanese deep in Burma’s jungles from 1943 to 1945? This documentary tells the story of Nigeria’s forgotten veterans in their own voices.

The majority of the soldiers of the Royal West African Frontier Force’s 81st and 82nd divisions came from Nigeria. They came from all walks of life; some volunteered, but (contrary to the official story) others were forcibly press- ganged. Their trip halfway round the world was an eye- opening, a racial awakening and for some a sexual awakening too. In Burma’s mountainous jungles the African troops fought a Vietnam-style war of ambushes and treks, the first campaign in history to be supplied entirely by air; Nigerians were also part of the famed Chindit guerrilla columns. They learned the skills and psychology of jungle warfare, experiencing read more