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West African Frontier Force.
- British West Africa Nigeria

West African Frontier Force

My limited edition soldier depicts the West African Frontier Force c.1900 later to become the Royal West African Frontier force. The uniform is in the Zouave style - similar to the Carribean West India Regiment. Zouaves were legenday French North African troops and their uniform was adopted in the American Civil War bu both the North and South New York Zouavae and Louisiana Zouaves to name but two.

In 1897, all constabulary forces in British West African territories were fused together by Col Frederick John Dealtry Lugard to form the West African Frontier Force, The amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria in 1914 led to the fusion of both regiments to form a single Nigeria Regiment in the West African Frontir Force (WAFF).

During World War 1, of the 30,000 soldiers raised for the war effort in British West African area, 13,980 were from Nigeria. Again, in World War II, 121,652 Nigerian soldiers were raised and used in such places as Sierra Leone, Italian Somali land as well as the Middle East, Assam and Burma. In 1940, the West Afrian Frontier Force was conferred with the royal charter to become the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). This was in recognition of the gallant performance of Nigerian soldiers The Nigeria Regiment of the RWAFF was renamed the Nigerian Military Force (NMF) on 7th June, 1956, following the disbandment of the military forces in the four British dependencies. Each force became independent of the others but remained subject to the orders of the British Army Council in London.

British Colonial Africana Soldier Collection

Click here for details of the hand carved wooden Kings African Rifles Soldiers and Colonial Africana Soldiers.

Wooden Soldier Regimental Histories

All of my wooden soldiers are made in strictly limited editions, click here for a regimental history of each soldier.