Here are some facts and figures on the role of Commonwealth citizens, many of whom lost their lives in the conflict:

• Three million Commonwealth citizens answered Britain’s call to arms from 1939 - nearly all volunteers.

• Large sections of the British army, Royal Navy & RAF contained local regiments or sections formed from Commonwealth countries. Many travelled to Europe and fought alongside European regiments for the first time.
  
  
• 2.5 million Indian soldiers fought with Allied Forces - in the Burma Campaign (in which West Indian soldiers also played a part) , Malaya, North Africa and elsewhere. They were also amongst those evacuated from Dunkirk.
  
  
• India was a vital supply base – for food, shipbuilding and repairs, and the war in the air, especially for the build up for the planned invasion of Japan, which proved unnecessary in the end.
  
  
• Women across the Commonwealth -100,000 women alone in India – took up non-combatant roles in the Women’s Auxiliary Forces - drivers, clerks, radio operators, medics, intelligent tasks.
  
  
• The RAF was the most racially integrated service. Thousands of West Indians enlisted into aircrews as pilots, navigators, and gunners and to undertake groundwork duties. Some were based at RAF Innsworth. Hundreds of Indians and West Africans did the same. Polish and Czech pilots also played an important role in Battle of Britain & training other pilots.
  
  
• Thousands of Africans joined different services and African countries provided important raw materials for the war effort including copper, zinc and rubber.
  
  
• Merchant seamen from Africa, West Indies, Somalia, China transported supplies and food to Britain.
  
  
• Some from non-white colonies were hesitant to fight as they themselves were not free from colonial rule. World War Two was an important step or marker towards independence for British colonies.
  
  
• Japanese forces conquered all of the British Asian colonies except India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). 140,000 troops became POWs e.g. in Changi Prison and work camps.
  
  
• Two million Bengalis died of starvation during World War Two. When famine struck after crop failure damaged transport links made it very hard to get food aid to where it was needed.
  
  
• At the end of the war, many ex-service men and women from the Commonwealth were invited to come to Britain, leaving behind their homes and families, to help with the massive reconstruction task.
  

Anyone interested in taking part in People's War - Our World can find out more by visiting the BBC Learning Centre at 71 Eastgate Street, or contacting Clare Parrack on 01452 305378 or e-mail [email protected].

See also:The People's War

See also: People's War - Our World

People's War workshops at the BBC Learning Centre

BBC People's War

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