Disappearance and Displacement: The San, the Bamangwato, and the British in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, 1943-1945

One of the enduring historical mysteries of the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa is that of the disappearance of two Royal Air Force cadets during the Second World War. Eight Tshwa San (Bushmen) were arrested and tried for the murder of the flyers. The trial took place in the High Court of the Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP) in September to October, 1944, and resulted in a verdict of not guilty. Despite their exoneration, repercussions followed for the San. These included the resettlement of those who had been acquitted and their families, followed by the intentional displacement of hundreds of other Tshwa San from their traditional homelands in the Northern Crown Lands region of Bechuanaland. This paper explores the circumstances under which the RAF flyers disappeared and assesses the complex interactions among the San, the Bamangwato, and the British in 1943 and the years following. It also addresses the colonial perceptions, prejudices, and cultural misunderstandings that led to the large-scale displacement and the impacts of these events on Southern African peoples and states.