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Lance Corporal Job Maseko, was a member of South African Native Military Corps. When Tobruk fall on June 21, 1942, Maseko and the thousands of other South African troops became prisoners of war and was detailed, with the other black prisoners, to offload german ships laden with military hardware, ammunition and vehicles destined in due course for the battle of El Alamein.
Job had created a bomb using a condensed milk tin, some cordite from rounds of enemy ammunition and an extremely long fuse. The latter he secretly removed from German storage. So on the evening of the 21 July 1942 and before they were due off the still overloaded ship, Job placed his home-made bomb deep in the hold. He lit the fuse and ran to join his friends on the dock. At first Job was concerned that the fuse had somehow been extinguished. A few hours later, there was an almighty explosion. The ship sank almost immediately. It was a large vessel and would have resulted in a significant depletion of German equipment destined to oppose Montgomery at El Alamein.
Shortly afterwards the British liberated Tobruk. The British Generals were anxious to verify the story of the Zulu who blew up a German warship whilst being a prisoner. Divers corroborated that there was a ship below the surface; at the spot indicated by Job. The British generals nominated him for a Victoria Cross, a first for any black soldier-anywhere. However, his immediate South African commanders found the idea alarming for a black man to get such a prestigious medal ahead of his white peers. Job Maseko was then notified that “though many would like to see him awarded the Victoria Cross, the South African High Command would prefer him to receive the “Military Medal†which was the lowest military medal presentable at the time.
Maseko was killed in 1952 by being hit by a train. He died a pauper and his family had to beg and borrow money for his funeral.
Job had created a bomb using a condensed milk tin, some cordite from rounds of enemy ammunition and an extremely long fuse. The latter he secretly removed from German storage. So on the evening of the 21 July 1942 and before they were due off the still overloaded ship, Job placed his home-made bomb deep in the hold. He lit the fuse and ran to join his friends on the dock. At first Job was concerned that the fuse had somehow been extinguished. A few hours later, there was an almighty explosion. The ship sank almost immediately. It was a large vessel and would have resulted in a significant depletion of German equipment destined to oppose Montgomery at El Alamein.
Shortly afterwards the British liberated Tobruk. The British Generals were anxious to verify the story of the Zulu who blew up a German warship whilst being a prisoner. Divers corroborated that there was a ship below the surface; at the spot indicated by Job. The British generals nominated him for a Victoria Cross, a first for any black soldier-anywhere. However, his immediate South African commanders found the idea alarming for a black man to get such a prestigious medal ahead of his white peers. Job Maseko was then notified that “though many would like to see him awarded the Victoria Cross, the South African High Command would prefer him to receive the “Military Medal†which was the lowest military medal presentable at the time.
Maseko was killed in 1952 by being hit by a train. He died a pauper and his family had to beg and borrow money for his funeral.
