An Image of Northwest Yorùbáland during World War II

Abstract

West Africa became more strategically important during the Second World War owing to the air reinforcement route to Northeast Africa. The West African Air Reinforcement Route (WARR) went across the colony of Nigeria into the African interior. Geographical knowledge production was important for the smooth running of these air logistics operations. The United States, which came on the air supply route in support of the British war effort, was involved in map production for this purpose. Hence, this paper explores the United States military cartography of WARR, used during the Second World War. In particular, it examines the 1942 image of Northwest Yorùbáland. This paper contends that the reproduced African landscapes of the Geographical Section of the General Staff (GSGS) 2465 Series convey ideological meanings. As a social practice, cartography during this global conflict resulted in further territorial ordering and control over the ground and air space of this part of West Africa. These Allied military maps depicted specific geographies along the trans-African air route, with precise strategic purpose, but they also had ideological implications for wider cultural geographies.