Thank you to all who replied to my message confirming continued receipt of the newsletter. Your support is greatly appreciated. It’s what keeps it going.
Seminars:
The first seminar at 6pm UK time is on Wednesday 11 March. Anne will be looking at shipping records for Africa during the war and what we can use them for.
15 April – Trevor Brock: A history of GEA at war illustrated through its postal system
13 May – Dominic Etzold – L59 and other research challenges
23 September –
14 October – Anne Samson: South Africans in the German Schutztruppe
Thank you to those who have already signed up. The cost per seminar is £2.00 otherwise attend all for an upfront payment of £7.00. You can register here.
There are still spaces available to share your research in a seminar – we can have two inputs per date.
Conference Date: Sunday 19 July 2026 at the Africa Centre, London
Please get in touch if you would like to present on the day. It is hoped that the new GWAA publication on Literature as Memory will be launched that day. Further details will be posted in coming months.
Another tranche of Royal West African Frontier Force journals have been posted on the site. And during this coming week new book titles will be added to the shop, including the 2021 articles from Rhodesian Despatches by Gerry van Tonder. There are pieces on World War 1 and 2.
Monday 9 March is Commonwealth Day (always the second Monday in March). Commemoration of African invovlement, amongst other Commonwealth countries, in both wars will take place at the Commonwealth Gates in London.
On 16 February 2026 Anne posted a blog on what appears to be an increased interest in the African campaigns during the First World War. If you have any insights or suggestions as to why this moght be happening, please let us know. There have also been two new novels released this year in South Africa on the war, both touching on Delville Wood, one being in Afrikaans. Titles will be added to the GWAA Bibliography.
With this increase in interest in mind – what do you suggest is the best introduction text to the First World War in Africa? Many say Charles Miller’s Battle for the Bundu. Do you agree?
And for those of you with an interest in WW2, please suggest some good starter reading for African involvement in that war.