On 12 July 1940 the UDF created the Directorate of Non-European Army Services (NEAS) to recruit non-white South Africans into the military.

[1]: 9  Stubbs' previous military role was as a recruiter with the South African Native Labour Corps during World War I.

[1]: 9 General Jan Smuts had narrowly succeeded in parliament in having South Africa join Britain and France in the war with Germany.

[1]: 15  To supplement the shortage of white soldiers, Jan Smuts and Major WHE Poole, Deputy Chief of the General Staff believed non-white recruitment was required.

[1]: 16  Like during World War I, mines, industry and farmers were opposed to the recruitment of black soldiers fearing the loss of cheap labour.

[1]: 26  Recruitment came to an end in 1943 as the Allies gained the upper hand over the Axis forces in North Africa and the need for these types of troops reduced.

[1]: 27 Another method was to approach the Black chiefs in rural areas and with monetary incentives get them to command some of their men to sign recruitment papers.

[1]: 29  This method was open to abuse by the chiefs in the choice of who went as well as fraudulent practices of accepting state money followed by the failure to provide recruits.

Most rural black people had little understanding of what the war in Europe was about and there was an expectation by some potential recruits that their training would involve the learning of new trade excluded by racial labour employment laws within the country.

[1]: 239  The Germans were said to have treated the black soldiers better than the Italians though most continued performing menial and dangerous tasks in the war zone as POWs for those forces.

[1]: 235  His medal, one below the Victoria Cross is now in possession of the South African National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg.

[4]: 86  The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 1,677 men of the Native Military Corps buried around the world.