Recruiting in Zaria

During World War II, the recruitment, weapon training, and deployment of West African soldiers were significant, with the Nigerian regiment as part of the 82nd West African Division. This division suffered 2,085 casualties, the highest of any unit in XV Corps. Some soldiers were buried in jungle tracts, while others rest in cemeteries at Dalet Chaung near Tamandu and the Taukkyan War Cemetery. The War Memorial in Rangoon also honors them.

The 82nd Division was formed under British control and participated in the later stages of the Burma Campaign. It was disbanded in Burma between May and September 1946.

Commemorations of the division’s service include barracks named Dodan, An, Myohaung, Arakan, and Marda in Lagos; Letmauk in Ibadan; Dalet, Mogadishu, Colito, and Kalapanzin in Kaduna; and Chindit in Zaria.