The book tells the story of black soldiers who fought on the side of apartheid under the command of white officers. The book traces the history of the unit from the Angolan Civil War in 1975 to its disbandment a year before the end of apartheid in 1993. As veterans of the Angolan Civil War, many soldiers of the 32nd Battalion had no choice but to take their families with them when they joined the army. Their relatives could not be left behind in Angola, against whom they were now partly fighting. The South African armed forces, and in particular the officers of the 32nd Battalion, had to find ways to effectively support the soldiers and their families. All former Angolans in the 32nd Battalion both soldiers and civilians depended on South Africa for accommodation, access to food, medical care, financial advice and social structures. The unit's motto, Proelio Procusi, means Forged in Battle. By adding a question mark, Forged in Battle? questions the extent to which the unit was shaped not only by the war but also by its unique social circumstances.
