Thank you for highlighting the new exhibition at the National Army Museum, commemorating the invaluable service of Indian and African soldiers in the second world war (London museum tells forgotten story of African and Indian troops in second world war, 14 August). I had the honour of serving with Ghanaian, Nigerian and Sierra Leonean soldiers in west Africa in 1999-2000 and they remembered, with pride, their forefathers’ campaigning in Burma; rightly so – the battles in the Arakan in 1943 were some of the hardest fought in the war.
Far less honourable has been successive British governments’ refusal to treat African veterans, who fought so bravely for us, equitably. At the end of their service, African veterans were awarded a settlement one-third of that given to British soldiers or white settlers from Africa: it was straightforward racial discrimination.
Few of those veterans are still alive, but their families and communities are, and they should receive the upgraded payments, suitably adjusted for inflation. Labour, when in opposition, cheerfully hammered the Tories over this issue. Now they are in power, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, it is time to set right this wrong.
Simon Diggins
Colonel (retired), British military advisory team (west Africa), 1999-2000
