Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis marked the commencement of construction for the landmark new Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial at the Company’s Garden in Cape Town on Monday (March 11).
The Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial, funded by the CWGC, will commemorate the lives of more than 1 700 black South African servicemen who served in non-combat roles and perished without a known grave or previous commemoration during the First World War.
The men served with the Cape Coloured Labour Regiment, the Cape Auxiliary Horse Transport, the Military Labour Bureau, and the Military Labour Corps of South Africa.
Speaking at the ceremonial sod-turning, Mayor Hill-Lewis said: “We are proud to honour, through this Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial, more than 1 700 servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against tyranny more than a century ago. Once completed, this memorial will be a wonderful tribute to black South African servicemen who…
