History
The inspiration for the division's formation came from General George Giffard, commander of the British Army's West Africa Command, who subsequently commanded India Command's Eastern Army, facing the Japanese army on the frontier between India and Burma. Giffard had wide experience with African troops, and was eager for them to participate in the war.
The framework around which the division was formed was the Royal West African Frontier Force. One of the brigades (the 3rd West African) and several of the supporting units which formed the division had already seen action with the 11th (African) Division, against the Italians in East Africa.
The division was established as the 1st (West Africa) Division on 1 March, 1943. Three days later it was renamed the 81st (West Africa) Division, taking the next vacant number in the list of British infantry divisions. The division's badge was a spider, in black on a yellow circular background. This spider was a reference to Ananse, a cunning character in Ashanti mythology, and drawn so that when a soldier raised his weapon to fire, the spider would appear to be going forwards.
The division arrived in India on 14 August, 1943. The movement of the 5th (West Africa) Brigade was delayed, however, after the troopship which was to carry it was lost in the German attack on Convoy Faith off Portugal on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The 3rd (West Africa) Brigade was detached to the Chindits, and was intended to garrison jungle bases for the raiding columns. The remainder of the division took part in the second Arakan campaign from February to May, 1944, operating in the Kaladan Valley on the flank of Indian XV Corps. Towards the end of the campaign, the division was forced to withdraw up the valley.
Rejoined by 3rd Brigade, and converted to a standard establishment, the division subsequently took part in the third Arakan Campaign in December, 1944. This time, the Japanese abandoned the province. The division was withdrawn to India to rest on 22 April, 1945. On 31 August, it was returned to West Africa and disbanded.
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