Although far from the European front lines, the then-British colony of Sierra Leone was important to the war effort in both world wars. In World War I, the Royal West African Frontier Force served in operations against German forces in then-Togoland. In World War II, the strategic location of the port of Freetown meant it was fortified and became a critical base for protecting sea routes to the Middle East, India, and Australasia. The vast majority of these forces were native Africans, many of them Sierra Leonean. Sierra Leoneans served…
