The village of Bamber Bridge in northwestern England is marking the 80th anniversary of what’s now known as the Battle of Bamber Bridge. When an all-Black U.S. Army regiment rolled into town during World War II, residents refused to accept the segregation ingrained in the U.S. military. But simmering tensions between Black soldiers and white military police exploded in June 1943 when a dispute outside a pub escalated into a night of violent confrontations. Now residents are telling the story of what happened that night and how it changed the treatment of Black soldiers in the United States.
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    5•2 years ago

    tl;dr:

    BAMBER BRIDGE, England - The village of Bamber Bridge in northwestern England is proud of the blow it struck against racism in the U.S. military during World War II. When an all-Black truck regiment was stationed in the village, residents refused to accept the segregation ingrained in the U.S. Army. Ignoring pressure from British and American authorities, pubs welcomed the GIs, local women chatted and danced with them, and English soldiers drank alongside men they saw as allies in the war against fascism. The community has chosen to focus on its stand against segregation as it commemorates the 80th anniversary of what’s now known as the Battle of Bamber Bridge and America reassesses its past treatment of Black men and women in the armed forces. EXPORTING SEGREGATION. Black soldiers accounted for about 10% of the American troops who flooded into Britain during the war. Earlier this month, the Army renamed a base for William Henry Johnson, a Black soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award, almost a century after he was wounded 21 times while beating back attacking forces during World War I. Snipe also said he planned to pay tribute to the people of Bamber Bridge at an 80th anniversary event.

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