[http://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/willan_the_sanlc.pdf]
This is just and example - perhaps more History can be added for South Africa?
BETWEEN September 1916 and January I9I8 a total of 25,000 black
South Africans enlisted for non-combatant labouring duties with the
South African Native Labour Contingent in support of the British forces
in France. Of these, 2I,000 in fact left South Africa, the first two companies
arriving in France on 20 November I9I6, the last leaving France on
5 January I9I8. While there, they did various kinds of work-loading
and unloading in the docks of the French channel ports, building roads,
working on railways, quarrying, and other similar activities at varying
distances behind the front lines. The value of their work was much appreciated
by the British military authorities: the official War Office account
commented on the 'splendid reputation for good work under the hardest
conditions conceivable' which the Contingent had achieved, while Field
Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in
France, expressed his 'warm appreciation of the good work done by them
for the British Army during their stay in France'. Forestry work was
evidently the most popular kind of work with the Africans of the
S.A.N.L.C., but 'in loading and unloading of stores to and from ships
and trains', it was officially recorded, 'they did exceptionally good work
and frequently put up remarkable records'-as, for example, when a
* I would like to express my appreciation for the research carried out on my
behalf by Capt. R. J. Bouch and the staff of the S.A.D.F. Directorate Documentation
Service, by Dr John Perry of Rhodes University, and by Ms Barbara Hogan. This pape
