The Other NigelAug 18, 2023
Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco

In 1943, U.S. forces in Britain expected to export racial segregation. When white American Military Police (MPs) insisted a local pub segregate, the owner said he would. When MPs returned next day, they were met with β€œBlacks Only” signs & British barmaids telling white soldiers to wait their turn when they thiught they would be served before black soldiers. This set the stage for the epic Battle of Bamber Bridge.

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Aug 17, 2023 at 10:25pmWeb
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

During World War II, Bamber Bridge, a village near Preston in Lancashire, England, housed American troops from the 1511th Quartermaster Truck regiment. This was primarily composed of black soldiers and was a part of the Eighth Air Force, responsible for logistics.

https://youtu.be/EtfarIqT93A

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How to Behave in Britain - 1943

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

On the nights of June 24th-25th, 1943, a confrontation between these black soldiers and the all-white U.S. Military Police (MPs) in Bamber Bridge resulted in the death of a black soldier, shot by the police. This incident played a significant role in bringing about lasting changes in US army race relations.

https://youtu.be/iCliC9MHSFg

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A Guide to Britain for Americans, 1943 | Archive Film Favourites

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

The 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment and the 234th US Military Police Unit, based on the village's north side, had ongoing tensions regarding race relations. The 1511th's base, known as Air Force Station 569 or β€œAdam Hall,” was situated on Mounsey Road.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

At this time, the US Armed Forces were still racially segregated. The 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment was predominantly black, with almost all officers being white, and the 234th US Military Police Company were all white.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

The leadership within these units was often subpar, as commanders frequently used service units to place less competent officers. The already high racial tensions were further fueled by the Detroit race riots that had occurred earlier that week, resulting in 34 deaths, including 25 black deaths.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Bamber Bridge locals were supportive of the black soldiers. When US commanders requested racial segregation in local establishments, all three town pubs responded by displaying "Black Troops Only" signs, barring entry to white soldiers.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

On the night of 24 June 1943, Black soldiers from the 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment were socializing with locals at Ye Olde Hob Inn. However, the exact events that unfolded are described differently across sources.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

When Corporal Roy A. Windsor and Private First Class Ralph F. Ridgeway, two white MPs, heard about a disturbance at the pub, they went to investigate. Their orders were clear: arrest any soldier without a pass, acting disruptively, or not in the appropriate uniform.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Inside the pub, they approached Private Eugene Nunn, noting his field jacket instead of the required class A uniform. They requested he come outside, leading to a disagreement. The locals and British Auxiliary Service women supported Nunn. A British soldier questioned the MPs, asking why they were trying to arrest someone causing no trouble.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Staff Sergeant William Byrd, who was black, managed to calm the situation. However, as the MPs departed, someone hurled a beer at their vehicle. After getting reinforcements and consulting with Captain Julius F. Hirst and Lieutenant Gerald C. Windsor, they were instructed to arrest the black soldiers.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

As Black soldiers headed back to their base, MPs confronted them on Station Road. A brawl ensued, during which the MPs fired shots. Private William Crossland of the 1511th was fatally shot in the back.

With injured soldiers returning to base, rumors spread that MPs were targeting Black soldiers. In the colonel's absence, acting CO Major George C. Heris tried to restore order.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Lieutenant Edwin D. Jones, the only black officer, assured the 1511th that justice would be served.

However, around midnight, multiple MP-filled jeeps, including one with a large machine gun, approached the camp. This action led black soldiers to arm themselves. They took two-thirds of the available rifles and chased the MPs. British police noted that MPs had set an ambush for the soldiers.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

As confrontations escalated, the black soldiers cautioned locals to stay indoors. A gunfight ensued, leaving seven injured. By 04:00 the following morning, hostilities ceased with an officer, three black soldiers, and an MP shot, and two other MPs assaulted. By afternoon, most of the taken rifles were returned.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

A subsequent recount of the events reported one fatality and 7 injuries (5 soldiers and 2 MPs). Thirty two black soldiers were court-martialed and convicted of mutiny and related offenses. No white soldiers were punished, despite the fact that military brass determined that underlying issues of poor leadership and racial bias among the White officers and MPs were the root causes of the disturbance.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

There were 2 separate trials. In the first trial in August, 4 black soldiers involved in the initial altercation received sentences of hard labor ranging from 1 to 3 years, along with dishonorable discharges.

The 2nd trial saw 35 defendants & ended on September 18. It resulted in 7 acquittals and 28 convictions. Those convicted faced sentences from 3 months up to 15 years, with seven of them receiving 12 years.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Subsequent reviews led to the release of 1 soldier & the shortening of other sentences. By June 1944, 15 men were reinstated to duty and 6 sentences were further diminished. The men with the lengthiest sentence was reinstated after serving 13 months.

Later, more Black MPs were assigned to interact with Black servicemen.

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Beyond the trials, the Battle of Bamber Bridge ignited conversations about racial equality in the U.S. military, prompting changes in subsequent policies and practices. It stands as a significant event in the broader journey towards civil rights and equality in the U.S.

https://youtu.be/SyYSBBE1DFw

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A Welcome to Britain, 1943

Starring Burgess Meredith and featuring Bob Hope.Creator(s): Department of Defense.~. Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. (1954 - ) (Most Recent)Serie...

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Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

In a final 3rd thread, we will look at the Park Street Race Riot, which occurred a year later in July 1944. These two events illustrate the contrast between American and British attitudes towards race during World War II.

Resources

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/?_ga=2.250748737.677737600.1692049479-238291442.1692049479&_gl=1*1w00dka*_gcl_au*MTA5MDYwNDEwMi4xNjkyMDQ5NDg1

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/21/1183045605/black-army-soldiers-england-wwii-battle

https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/events-global-african-history/the-riot-of-bamber-bridge-1943/

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/the-battle-of-bamber-bridge.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20171004211309/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/85/a3677385.shtml

https://theconversation.com/black-troops-were-welcome-in-britain-but-jim-crow-wasnt-the-race-riot-of-one-night-in-june-1943-98120

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/in-the-other-england-the-land-of-cotton-nobody-says-baaaaath.html

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jul/09/the-railway-children-return-film-explores-black-gi-segregation-in-40s-britain

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Home | American Air Museum

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 17, 2023

Books

Miller, Donald L. (2007). Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 227–229.

Nalty, Bernard C. (1 January 1986). Strength for the Fight: A History of black Americans in the Military. Simon and Schuster, Free Press. pp. 154–157, 228.

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Show threadNicol WistreichAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco thank you for this thread. I hope whoever makes the movie of this credits you and pays at least a writer/researcher fee!
Show threadMatt BlazeAug 19, 2023
@Deglassco What a fascinating and rich thread; thanks! It's especially worth remembering how all this wasn't that long ago. WWII remains a living memory for some.
Show threadWardMBAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco Thank you for this important history lesson
Show threadʙᴇɴ ᴄᴏᴛᴛᴇяΙͺʟʟAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco Heard Stephen Fry talking about this video a few years ago. I thought he was making it up!
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@BenCotterill no, it was real…just forgotten history.
Show threadE. Murphy, the name you knowAug 17, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon White soldiers: "Not like that!"
Show threadTempo on the PulseAug 17, 2023

@Deglassco Thank you for another fascinating record from social history.

#AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe Read this.

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@JohnLamp Thanks…appreciate it.
Show threadMaude NificentAug 18, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon

thank you for another interesting thread

(slightly ironic to see a railway sign in the clip that reads β€œ3rd class”)

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@maudenificent πŸ™
Show threadJames DonaldsonAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco this is really interesting, the first I'd heard of it.
Show threadMartinCAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon I grew up in Bamber Bridge - proud of my home town! (Even if it is a shit hole these days).
Show threadclacke: exhausted pixie dream boy πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ͺπŸ‡­πŸ‡°πŸ’™πŸ’›Aug 18, 2023
Note: "MPs" here means military police, not members of Parliament. Caused me a moment of confusion resolved only by continuing down the thread. =)
Show threadDavid John CrookAug 18, 2023
@clacke Yes, I read it as Member of Parliament well into the thread. It made sense until I realised there were a lot of them.
Fascinating story that I did not know.
Show threadBjbAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco
Great thread. Thanks. Life long learning.
Show threadScumbuttAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco thank you for this WILT
Show threadMags at LargeAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon Thank you for sharing this history!
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@maggiemartin πŸ™
Show threadCoolMcCoolAug 18, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon

Great thread, thanks.

Show threadOlly BensonAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon fantastic thread. Although might be sensible to specify MP means military police as your British readers will read that as Members of Parliament!
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@ollybenson I changed it. Thanks for letting me know.
Show threadJon SparksAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon I don't live too far from Bamber Bridge (about 15 miles) and I've known this story for a long time. I think a lot of local people still take pride in it.
Show threadDavid HughesAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco Thanks for such a detailed account. I know Bamber Bridge but was unaware of this until I read an article in The Conversation a few years ago.
Show threadRhinos Worry Me has movedAug 18, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon

It's very rare that I'm proud to be British, but this did it!

Great thread, thank you.

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@RhinosWorryMe πŸ™
Show threadelizabeth veldonAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon thank you for this, I had never heard of it before.
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@elizabethveldon thank you for reading it.
Show threadRose, Skaven Mars PriestessAug 18, 2023

@Deglassco

Thank you for this.

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@RoseRaven πŸ™
Show threadDoubleTreble πŸ₯°πŸ‡΅πŸ‡ΈπŸŒπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ˜ΊπŸ’šπŸ§ΆπŸ«–Aug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon
Thank you so much for this thread, I live a few miles away from Bamber Bridge (Brig), I was totally unaware of this history, Mastodon truly seems to be becoming a global community, sharing and learning from each other πŸ˜€
Every day's a school day πŸ’–πŸ’–
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@DoubleTreble πŸ™
Show threadpassthesaltdude_Aug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon I have always been a world war 2 history buff. This is something that I never have found in any of those books that I have read. Not very surprising, considering the story. Thank You, Ma'am . :)
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@talktomeordont thank you for being open to the information.
Show threadKatLSAug 18, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon thank you for this smile.πŸ₯°
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023
@KatLS πŸ™
Show threadChris PooleAug 19, 2023
@Deglassco @leoncowle wow: I grew up very near there and had no idea of this. Thank you!
Show threadThe Animal and the MachineAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon
This is one of my favourite facts ever. Learned it as a kid, never forgot it.
Show threadMartijn VosAug 23, 2023
I'm still baffled that the US could demand racial segregation from UK pubs. I'm glad the pubs and the other locals supported the black soldiers, and not the racist MPs.