South African Native Labour Corps

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South African Native Labour Corps
Cooking in a labour camp, Western Front, during World War I. This photograph shows four men cooking and drinking soup from one of the army outside catering boilers. They are all probably members of (4687898545)
Men, probably of the South African Native Labour Corps, cooking on a Soyer stove in a hutted camp on the Western Front, c.1917
Active1916 – January 1918
CountrySouth Africa
AllegianceSouth African Army
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Colonel S.A.M. Pritchard

The South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) was a force of workers formed in 1916 in response to a

South African government in January 1918.[1]

Background

The South African Native Labour Corps or Contingent has its origins in a plan by the Imperial War Cabinet to employ labour from South Africa and other Commonwealth nations to relieve the shortage of labour at the front and at French ports as ship shortages required that ships be unloaded and returned to transport duties as quickly as possible.[2]: 62  About 25,000 South Africans were to be recruited, of whom 21,000 were transported via requisitioned merchant steamships to France.[2]: 61  The first two companies arrived in France on 20 November 1916 and the last group of men left France on 5 January 1918.[2]: 61  Prime Minister Louis Botha, also Minister of Native Affairs, was involved in the negotiations with the British and ensured that the recruits would have no combat role, with work behind the front lines at ports, through railway, quarrying work and forestry.[2]: 61–63  The South African government wanted to ensure that no black man fought together with a white man on equal terms as this would break down the colour bar between the races leading to the contamination of social and political relations.[2]: 63  This had implications for the working class in South Africa as a labour division was required between the two races.[2]: 73 

Recruitment process

The South African parliament did not have to approve the formation of the SANLC as all costs were paid by the British government.

South African Native National Congress would assist in the recruitment process during late 1917.[2]: 65  By mid-1917, recruitment had slowed and the use of payments to black chiefs and recruiting agents were used to increase the recruitment targets.[2]
: 67–68 

Opposition

In addition to the South African government's attempt to manage the use of these recruits, opposition to the recruitment of black men to the SANLC came from many quarters of South African society. The

Chamber of Mines was concerned about the loss of labour required to run their gold mines, with the possibility of increased wages if scarcity occurred.[2]: 68  White farmers also feared the loss of cheap labour and used intimidation to keep the labour on the farms by suggesting the loss of men's homes on these properties.[2]: 69  Prominent South African politician John X. Merriman opposed the recruitment, fearing what would happen to society on the return of these men after introducing them to European social conditions.[2]: 64  There was also black opposition to the recruitment process. Due to the implementation of the Native land Act of 1913, there was a fear that land owned by the recruits could be taken from them during their absence overseas and result in the eviction of their families.[2]: 69–70  Superstition also played a part in the opposition, with many black people fearing that one could not cross the seas and return alive.[2]
: 70 

Deployment

South African priest, Bishop Lazarus Khumalo on the Western Front. He wears what seem to be Church of England vestments over army uniform. He is standing in a camp of wooden huts, probably one of the camps of the South African Native Labour Corps (National Library of Scotland 4687906729)

Colonel S.A.M. Pitchard, a member of the Native Affairs Department, was appointed as Officer Commanding the South African Native Labour Corps and arrived in France in October 1916 before the first battalion of 2000 men arrived in November.

Douglas Haig, Commander in Chief of the British Army, who expressed his appreciation for their contributions.[2]
: 61 

Casualties

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 1,304 deaths for the South African Native Labour Corps whose graves and memorials are found mostly in the United Kingdom, France and South Africa.[3] Thirteen black servicemen were killed by their officers and NCO's when they mutinied over the imprisonment of a colleague though this incident was suppressed by the South African government.[2]: 79  Another 331 died in France of medical reasons, probably tuberculosis.[2]: 77  Lastly 607 black servicemen and nine white officers or NCO's died when the ship SS Mendi sank in a collision with another ship in the English Channel.

War decorations

The South African government issued no war service medal to the black servicemen and the special medal issued by King George V to the troops that served the Empire (the British War Medal) was disallowed and not issued to the SANLC by the South African government.[2]: 83  It was also said that any compensation scheme issued to servicemen by the South African government was said to be unfair.[2]: 83 [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "World War I and the South African Native Labour Contingent". South African History Online.
  2. ^
    JSTOR 180612
    .
  3. ^ "Commonwealth War Graves Commission". CWGC. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Military History Journal". Vol 2 No 2. The South African Military History Society. December 1971. Retrieved 29 March 2015.