The majority of troops aboard the Erinpura were members of the Basotho people, an ethnic group of the Bantu people who primarily live in South Africa, and to a lesser extent in the countries of Lesotho and Botswana, and, the South African state of Swaziland.
The men were members of the African Pioneer Corps H.C.T. (High Commission Territories) and were assigned to the 1919th and 1927th Basuto Companies. One soldier (Private Malefetsane Manuel Mohale, AS/6946) – going by his CWGC record – was a member of the 1924th Basuto Company.
Lesotho
Botswana
Swaziland
The CWGC database shows casualty records for 303 members of the 1919th Company, and, 320 members of the 1927th Company.
While genealogical information exists for forty per-cent of the Jewish casualties and one-third of the Erinpura’s crewmen (see below), such information is present for only a sole individual among the Basotho casualties: Private T. Japheta, AS/9273, born in 1901. He is buried at the Benghazi War Cemetery, in Benghazi. The CWGC database lists his father as Bupoe Machaba, but no other information is given in terms of his age or the location of his home.
In terms of military service, the overwhelming number of Basotho soldiers were Privates and Corporals. The remainder comprised twenty-one sergeants and one warrant-officer. One man – Jan Poulo (AS/12128) of the 1919th, listed in the CWGC database as a Captain, which information may be incorrect.
With the exception of Private Japheta, all the Basotho soldiers are commemorated at the Lesotho Memorial, which is located in Makoayane Square, in the center of Maseru, the capital of Lesotho.
Soldiers of the 1919th Basuto Company