Veterans Observe 77th Remembrance Day at The Last Ones World Premiere

By Vanessa Okialey Vanderpuye okialey_poetry

Legion Hall, ACCRA: November 11, 2022: More than 200 veterans and their friends and families gathered at Accra’s VAG Legion Hall on November 11 for the world premiere of The Last Ones as part of activities marking this year’s Remembrance Day.

The excited veterans were given the opportunity to be the first to watch part one of The Last Ones on the 77th Remembrance Day afternoon. The movie yet to be released to the public is a five-part documentary produced by Afronova Media.

The Last Ones documents the contribution of Ghanaian and African troops to the Second World War. Their role has largely been forgotten, yet more than one million troops served in the conflict, mostly fighting for Britain.

The five-part documentary is one of the few examples of first-hand accounts of the war from the perspective of the African soldiers themselves.

Produced by Nana S. Achampong and Dr. Kofi Nuako, and directed by Paapa Otoo, the film documents the high price paid by Ghanaian troops during the European war effort. The movie estimates that the total death toll exceeds hundreds of thousands with Ethiopia alone suffering about 600,000 deaths following the Italian invasion during which chemical weapons were used.

These and many more stories are shared by five World War Two veterans recounting their experiences from recruitment, training, deployment to failed promises by the colonial government.

The first of the five parts shares the first-hand experiences of these brave soldiers each thrown into the war by one reason or another.

“We hope this documentary will help bring recognition for all who have fallen and those who still remain after the war”, a veteran said.

“Maybe, watching all five parts will help bring closure”, another hoped.

The Last Ones premiere was made possible by the Public Relations Department of the Veterans Administration of Ghana and the Administration of the VAG Legion Hall.