The Gold Coast Great War: Ghanaian Soldiers in WWI

When the First World War broke out in 1914, the Gold Coast Colony was a sleepy backwater of the British Empire—until it wasn't. Thousands of Ghanaian soldiers, mostly from the northern territories, were recruited into the Gold Coast Regiment of the West African Frontier Force. They fought not in the trenches of Europe, but in the brutal East African campaign against German forces under Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. This episode follows the journey of these men from recruitment depots in Kumasi and Accra to the bush war in Tanganyika, where they faced disease, hunger, and a cunning enemy. We explore the role of the controversial carrier corps, the impact of war propaganda on recruitment, and the post-war disillusionment that sowed seeds for independence. Names like Sergeant Adjetey, Lieutenant George Thompson, and the German commander von Lettow-Vorbeck feature. We also touch on the 1919 shell-shock controversy and how returning veterans became vocal critics of colonial rule. A forgotten chapter in Ghana's history that connects the global war to the local struggle for freedom. #GoldCoastRegiment #WWI #EastAfricanCampaign #PaulVonLettowVorbeck #GhanaHistory #WestAfricanFrontierForce #CarrierCorps #SergeantAdjetey #GeorgeThompson #Kumasi #Accra #Tanganyika #ColonialTroops #1919 #ShellShock #History #FexingoHistory #TheStoryOfGhana Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo