Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in History (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
History
Advisor/Mentor
Cleveland, Todd
Committee Member
Banton, Caree A.
Second Committee Member
Stanley, Matthew
Keywords
Native Military Corps; Black South African soldiers; World War II; racial consciousness; veteran narratives; historical revisionism
Abstract
This thesis examines the experiences and motives of black South African soldiers who were a part of the Native Military Corps during the Second World War. It argues that these Black South African soldiers gained a growing sense of racial consciousness as a result of their service and corresponding experiences. In doing so, this thesis challenges previous historical interpretations of the Native Military Corps that have perpetuated the notion that Black veterans gained little political or racial understanding as a result of their service. Previous historians have predominantly relied on archival governmental records to substantiate their claims. However, such source material is inadequate as it was produced by the racist South African regime, which sought to minimize all accomplishments and personal growth among the veterans of the Native Military Corps. Thus, this thesis relies predominantly on Black-published narratives to provide a nuanced perspective on the topic. By utilizing excerpts from Black-owned South African newspapers, interviews with Native Military Corps veterans, and military citation records, this thesis emphasizes that wartime experiences immensely affected the racial and political consciousness of Black South African soldiers. In doing so, an alternate perspective of African service in the Second World War is presented, which counters the general narrative while returning agency to the veterans of the Native Military Corps.
Citation
Wilmoth, Z. (2025). The Effects of WWII Service on Black South African Soldiers, 1939-1950. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5803
