The Unsung South African World War 1 Heroes Who Lost their Lives in the SS Mendi Crash

Africa’s role in the First World War (1914-1918) is often overlooked, even though thousands of Africans lost their lives in defence of their colonisers. Aside from the battles that were fought on African soil, the colonial authorities also called on African troops for assistance outside of the continent. For instance, after realising that they needed to free up more of their soldiers to fight on the front lines of the war, the British deployed non-combatant regiments from their African colonies to serve in the labour units.

One of such regiments was the South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) which comprised (mostly Black) South Africans who apparently volunteered to serve in the war. South Africa was on the side of the Allied Forces, which comprised soldiers from the UK, France, Russia and French and British colonies.

In February 1917, the SS Mendi,  set sail for La Havre, France from Cape Town, South Africa with more than 800 souls aboard, most of whom were SANLC troops. The British-owned 4,230-tonne troopship had previously stopped at Lagos, Nigeria and Freetown, Sierra Leone to stock cargo and supplies for the war. However, the ship never made it to France.

In the early foggy hours of February 21^st,  the British SS Darro struck the Mendi near the Isle of Wight, an island off the coast of England. The Darro, nearly triple the size of the Mendi at 11,848 tonnes, survived the crash while the Mendi sank within 25 minutes of collision. The lives of some 616 SANLC men and 30 European and Sierra Leonean crew were cut short in the ghastly accident. Some were killed on impact while others drowned to their deaths in the English waters. The telegraph operator, who was responsible for communicating with the outside via Morse code, had been killed during the crash, making it impossible to call for help from nearby Allied Forces ships.

According to South African oral tradition, a large number of the SANLC men performed the so-called ‘Death Dance’, embracing death with bravery as they drummed their feet on the sinking ship. It was said that one of the men, Reverend Isaac Dyobha, called out to his compatriots, saying:

‘Be quiet and calm, my countrymen, for what is taking place is exactly what you came to do. You are going to die, but that is what you came to do. Brothers, we are drilling the death drill. I, a Xhosa, say you are my brothers. Zulus, Swazis, Pondos, Basothos and all others, let us die like warriors. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war cries my brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais [spears] back in the kraals [villages], our voices are left with our bodies’.

Though the South African press championed this story for years, there is no proof that it is no more than a nationalist mythic tale.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the captain in charge of the Darro, Captain HW Stump, had travelled at a dangerously high speed in the thick fog and also failed to ensure that his ship emitted the critical fog sound signals, making him responsible for the crash. Worse still, Stump had made no attempt to rescue the Mendi passengers who had survived the initial impact. Consequently, his maritime license was suspended for a year—though South Africans considered this to be a sorely inadequate punishment.

The SS Mendi crash was the single largest loss of life for SANLC members during World War I. The harrowing number of losses made it a unifying national tragedy for South Africans, even going beyond racial divides, albeit briefly. While the White survivors received medals, the Black survivors received nothing. Moreso, the Black SANLC troops were barred from bearing arms throughout the war, as the colonial authorities feared that the arms would eventually facilitate a Black uprising.

On March 9^th , 1917, the entire South African House of Assembly rose in silence as a mark of respect. South African Prime Minister Louis Botha publicly commended the local participation in the war and commiserated with the relatives of the deceased officers, non-commissioned officers and natives in their bereavement.

Memorials to the Mendi and SANLC fatalities were later erected near Dieppe in France and South African towns such as Mthatha, New Brighton and Soweto. In 1986, the South African government formally recognised the SANLC service with a bronze plaque which depicted the sinking of the Mendi. This plaque was displayed among the mural decorations at the Delville Wood South African National Memorial. At England’s Hollybrook Memorial, the names of the Mendi victims account for nearly one third of the names on the list of ‘those who have no grave but the sea’ in the First World War.

Yet, many believe these tributes are not nearly enough. At the ninetieth anniversary of the accident in 2007, then South African High Commissioner, Lindiwe Mabuza passionately stated:

 ‘Their souls are not sitting well in the English Channel and ours are not very healthy as long as we do not do what is right, what is necessary…They were treated like dirt in the war to end all wars. Their families were never properly informed, no compensation was paid for their deaths. I think that we need to be thinking more seriously what needs to be done to right that wrong.’

One of the most tragic things about the deaths was their bodies could not be retrieved from the sea and laid to rest on their homeland soil. Consequently, some British and South African archaeologists have called for financial support to map the remains of the sea bed and also send a remote-controlled submarine to film the wreck of the Mendi.

Overall, over 20,000 SANLC volunteers served in France, alongside labourers from other countries including Egypt, between 1916 and 1918. Engaged in diverse tasks such as quarrying, port operations, road and railway maintenance and construction, woodworking, and even the infamous Battle of Delville Wood, these individuals played a crucial role in supporting the war effort. However, their sacrifices and contributions have often been overlooked and relegated to mere footnotes in the broader narrative of the war. This raises pertinent questions about the recognition and compensation, beyond token plaques and memorials, owed to Africa for its role in the First World War.