10 Astounding World War 2 Facts You Didn't Know

7. First Time A US President Visited Sub-Saharan Africa

THE UK INVADES ICELAND
Post-Work: W.Wolny / Public domain

The African nation of Gambia (more specifically 'The Gambia') is the smallest nation on continental Africa to this day, almost completely located within the larger nation of Senegal. During WWII it was a British colony, and home to a small naval base called Bathurst. Gambian regiments served British interests in the Allied campaign in Burma from 1941 to the end of the war.

In 1943 the Casablanca Conference occurred, which saw Allied leaders determine the next phase of the war effort and ultimately determine their goal of complete unconditional surrender of the Axis forces. The conference was named so for taking place in the Casablanca Hotel in Morocco and was attended by Winston Churchill and of course it's host the Sultan of Morocco, as well as French generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Girard.

Also in attendance was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt who flew from the US to Bathurst naval base on his way to Morocco. This would be the first time in history a sitting US President would set foot in any of the 46 nations that comprise Sub-Saharan Africa. The next time this would occur after WWII would be when Jimmy Carter went to Nigeria in 1978.

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Author of Escort (Eternal Press, 2015), co-founder of Nic3Ntertainment, and developer behind The Sickle Upon Sekigahara (2020). Currently freelancing as a game developer and history consultant. Also tends to travel the eastern U.S. doing courses on History, Writing, and Japanese Poetry. You can find his portfolio at www.richardcshaffer.com.