Heroes Among Us: Incident at Bamber Bridge | American Reacts

#HeroesAmongUs #BamberBridge #British #American #Soldiers #AmericanReacts #Reaction #DreamTeamNeal #Britain
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[@berniethebolt3007]

In 1944 a black American GI boarded a bus in Cardiff, UK. A white American Sargent stood up and told the guy he couldn't travel on a bus with white folks. My father and his friend, who were both British soldiers in uniform, threw the Sargent off the bus to the applause and cheers of everyone on board including the driver. My father got in trouble for it but it was dismissed. I'm so proud of him.

[@vebesese5632]

Ditto. My granddad told me from a baby how he hated this discrimination. My granddad was someone I fundamentally disagree with politically. But he was also a bally hero. He only told me of his horridness. And it was just months before he died. He hid his utter turmoil. I wish I could give Reg the biggest kiss right now.

[@Shaun72]

👏👏👏👏

[@Sine-gl9ly]

LOVE IT! My mum and her three sisters were young single women at the outbreak of war, and she had many stories to tell like this.

[@rdalybread]

Let them Yanks know that their rules don’t apply to other countries they land or visit on.

[@creativeamerican8811]

@@vebesese5632He lives on. Good people live forever. Your story is now on my mind and Reggie is the name of my mates little boy. I will tell him this story when he is abit older. X

[@TheMetoyou1]

🙏 for all those Black soldiers , British people are forever grateful for all you service . Segregation should never be tolerated,we are all human beings😢

[@ndr8469]

It came from the top that the UK would not be allowing segregation. What ever people say about Churchill, he wasn't going to allow it. But he had been in South Africa, so he might have been repaying a debt for help escaping the Boer.

[@suedynamic]

That what is happening in us. We use to be all Australian, now we are indigenous victims and guilty colonialist decedents, who are pushed into paying for the “sins of our fathers “. Locally to me the indigenous were given back the rights to farm abalone, they indigenous sold the licenses on, it was just a commodity nothing to do with look after the land.

[@emmanuelrobert208]

​@@suedynamicYep because it isn't as though Aboriginals havent and aren't being treated differently now! SMH..

[@AK-bx3ft]

And yet the British government wants to segregate certain parts of society today.

[@MissLondon.born.1965]

Here Here 👌 👍

[@royw-g3120]

It was very noticeable that when white GIs married a British girl they went back to the US. If it it was a black GI they stayed in the UK. Says it all really.

[@Jill-mh2wn]

Excellent point.

[@homebusiness8166]

Britain was 99% White. A lot of British did not like the GIs black or white

[@samuelwilliams3130]

​@@Notwokeeverjust a smidge of common sense?

[@margaretflounders8510]

@@Notwokeever Yes we have a Black former USAF soldier living at the end of our terrace houses..He married a white woman, he also became a Pastor at the Anglican church in the village, and is highly thought of by us..The house I'm in was originally for coloured soldiers, who were the first, here along with the Polish, my neighbour is Polish. and a Muslim family also lives in our circle, along with a a new, foreign family, not sure where they're from..Point being, you treat others as you would like to be treated, so cut the cynical comment...

[@Thronewatcher]

Shame the Muslims don't do that and we're all forced to pretend they're benevolent when they're anything but ​@@margaretflounders8510

[@sophiemckenzie3868]

The American Military severely underestimated the downright petty nature of the British public. Absolutely love it. Makes me proud to be British.

[@iang2315]

Petty is the wrong word. Petty means small-minded.

[@bigdavegriff1]

We are a stubborn lot sometimes especially when being told what to do😂

[@matthewjamison]

Otis Redding used to say he loved coming to Britain to play music. Because he was treated like a human being & he dreaded going home to a country where he couldn't frequent most establishments

[@DerekLangdon]

Why didn’t he stay then?

[@matthewjamison]

@@DerekLangdon Not sure. Family, friends & that no place like home feeling probably

[@-yeme-]

I think it was Joe Louis who said something similar, "I like it here, people call me 'Sir' not 'boy.'"

[@ndr8469]

Sidney Poitier was a Bahaman, but British. How the racist in the US took him being called Sir I don't know. So good they made a film about it 😁 Sir Sidney Poitier Black Knight 🤣

[@modelrailwaynoob]

Same with all the Mowtown artists

[@Philippakis52]

Nobody ever tells a British landlord what to do in their own pub

[@memkiii]

Unless you are the brewery!

[@sanat67]

Not if it's a free house such as the pub I ran.

[@andycooper6085]

... didn't Starmer have his bully boys push that landlord around?

[@dannystubbs2061]

The real power is the “Landlady” ! A truly formidable force 😍😍😍😍🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sanat67]

@@dannystubbs2061 you’re right there, nobody wants to be barred from the pub that is their local and where all their mates drink. Absolute power 🤣🤣🤣 Seriously, I didn’t Barr many but I didn’t stand for any s💩

[@dscott1392]

Absolute disgrace...these men were not only brave, but they were known to be respectful, polite and friendly. RIP Eugene Nunn

[@iancomputerscomputerrepair8944]

The pub in question, is still open for business today. Outside the Pub there is a plaque explaining what happened on that day.

[@PresidentHotdog]

Are they not still having the roof repaired? I can't stand up straight in there. People back then must've averaged 4 foot 5'

[@Aotearoa_Kiwi]

@@PresidentHotdog .. Do you mean the _ceiling?_

[@PresidentHotdog]

@@Aotearoa_Kiwi nope. It's old so the ceilings are very low, but on top of that they had a fire. It's a thatch roof so there was extensive damage.

[@dawnc1419]

Did you know that England's 1st anti slavery law was added in 1107? And that another law stated there are no slaves in England because the moment a slave sets foot on English land they are free! You can imagine that American slave owners who brought their slaves to England 🇬🇧 were not very happy 🇬🇧this flag terrified slave traders because they knew it was baring down on them to free the slaves they held captive! Be proud of this flag because it stands for freedom!

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

You're thinking of a series of cases culminating in 1706where Lord Justice Holt stated that English Common Law didn't recognise slavery, and it was reiterated in the Mansfield case later in the century. It didn't enter the statute books until the 19th C

[@richardsimpson3792]

Even in the Napoleonic War, if a slave set foot on a Royal Navy warship, he was no longer a slave. if his 'owner' wanted him back, he had to take on the ship. Not a fight you'd choose to pick! You can see black sailors and their part in the Battle of Trafalgar depicted on Nelsons Column in Trafalgar Square.

[@MichaelLamming]

It was 1102. The Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury codified it into law. He was later made a saint. He was taught by Lanfranc, who was anti-slavery. Lanfranc also taught William the Conqueror back in Bec Normandy. Lanfranc was made Archbishop of Canterbury and was succeeded by Anselm.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

@@MichaelLamming it wasn't codified into law

[@shanebell2514]

Britain contributed to the slave trade too.

[@TheCornishCockney]

My grandad told me that locals welcomed American soldiers,but could the white ones stay away please as the black GI’s were so polite and friendly. These incidents happened up and down England . Bamber Bridge incident got more coverage because of the death of one of the soldiers but we weren’t having it. The American authorities were slammed by the Brits and were told there is no segregation in the UK. Years later,Motown did a tour of Britain and all their stars said they’d never felt such a welcome. Edwin Starr was so impressed he moved here.

[@dopeyb218]

The British care about character, work ethic and loyalty above all else.

[@paulinezarzoso6181]

But the world hates the uk its crazy

[@Jabberstax]

Northern British, yes. Lots of them in the south (and especially London) are snobbish and shallow.

[@ashleighhogan941]

​@@Jabberstax🙄

[@benconsidine1440]

​@@Jabberstax Yeah but we're snobbish to everyone, not based on colour of skin, I'm a poor Chav so I'm looked down upon by some people

[@denismorgan9742]

You can be snobish and shallow and still have these traits.

[@Bakers_Doesnt]

Sammy Davis Junior served in WWII and was horribly racially abused; he was beaten, urinated on by other GI's, painted white and had his beer urinated in. Later in life he still had to enter venues he was headlining in through the kitchen because he wasn't allowed to enter by the front door. It was a sickening and shameful period of US history.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

That echoes down the timeline until today.

[@alphooey]

That heartbreaking

[@MKR5210]

America fought a war to end slavery, but then had segregation for 100 years...

[@gar6446]

This was not an isolated incident. There was a battle between black and white US troops in Launceston Cornwall and the Park St riots in Bristol where a black gi was shot. The British absolutely refused to segregate troops. This led to friction especially if black troops were seen fraternising with white women. Britain was long accostomed to empire troops of every race colour and creed, and all imperial troops served alongside each other for many years. It wasnt totally egalitarian by any means, for example a black officer in command would be virtually unheard of. But outright segregation was totally a foreign concept.

[@catholicbeth2371]

I am British. Just after the war, my Dad was in Egypt with the British army. His regiment organised a football match against a team of black soldiers from South Africa. Both teams used the same changing rooms and showers and had a meal together in the same mess room. As the black soldiers were from apartheid South Africa it wasn't what they were used to.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Bless you, and bless your great dad!

[@DerekLangdon]

Wow! I’m impressed with your dad. Did he get a medal for sharing a shower room with a blackman? Racism still persists in the British army to this day contrary to anything your dad may have experienced.

[@catholicbeth2371]

Please!!! My Dad viewed the sharing of showers and a meal with a visiting team as perfectly normal, no medal required. The black guys were the ones who thought it was abnormal, simply because, in coming from apartheid South Africa, they were coming from a very abnormal situation.

[@Jill-mh2wn]

@@DerekLangdon Your historic bias and the allegiance you show pulls the reputation of your Country down Worldwide . Can you not see that? Or is it USA right and the Universe wrong?

[@MrPicklerwoof]

@@DerekLangdon Oh give it a rest. It's getting embarrassing.

[@helengunter378]

We British wee thankful for the help from Our American Allies but we weren’t playing segregation. That’s not how we say thanks 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇸🙏

[@DerekLangdon]

But they did pal, they truly did!

[@davidwithers5102]

​@DerekLangdon meaning what Derek?? As a Brit, I was disgusted by segregation during WW2, the black American soldiers were good enough to fight and die for a country that treated them like sub humans!! And, I'm proud of the stance the Brits took!! Is your comment positive, cos it doesn't sound like it. Imagine fighting the Nazis, and your own country hates you so much, they won't allow you to mix with them. Didn't Abraham Lincoln say in the Gettysburg address words to the effect of 'we bring forth a new nation dedicated to the proposition that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL UNDER GOD'. Even worse, after waiting for 2 years watching us struggle and fight on our own, we were faced with white American soldiers demanding we impose the same barbarous, ignorant and cruel segregation, on our soil. We tried telling you what to do, and got kicked out, rightly so. I love the British people with all my heart, and thank the decent white Americans who fought with us and didn't like segregation either!! Shame!😢 you have heard of the Gettysburg address I presume, and what the American civil war was about?? You dishonour everyone with your poisonous prejudice

[@stewartjohnson5053]

@@DerekLangdon Repeating a lie doesn't make it any more true.

[@trevorhart545]

@@stewartjohnson5053 WHAT LIE? G.I.s in UK contained RACISTS Bamber Bridge was ONE of Dozens IF NOT Hundreds of incidents that DISGISTED UK by USA Racism. WHAT IS THE LIE/ US ARE STILL RACIST?

[@Trueblue222]

Love starved white British women were verrrrry welcoming to the black soldiers.

[@IanHopkinson-lu8xo]

Bamber Bridge has a garden and monument dedicated to the soldier that died, the memorial is across from the Ye Olde Hob Inn where the battle started, I do Hope the Black troops only signs still exist, they should be in a museum telling the story of what happened so future generations can see the bad as well as the good parts of history, they are important to show progression

[@cargumdeu]

I'm almost certain Simon of History Debunked has covered this incident too. You'd think if they really wanted to foster 'inclusion' in modern Britain this kind of thing - as well as the details of the Abolitionist movement - would be front and centre stage. But anything that makes the British look good is generally ignored.

[@vlordofthepebbles7581]

​@cargumdeu As a Brit, I've noticed that whenever someone does anything good like save a cat we tend not like the attention drawn to it and just get on with it and mind set to some degree seeps into how history since we don't enjoy the attention it brings.

[@PresidentHotdog]

There's a full rundown of the battle on an information board in the garden. I see it everyday but never took the time to read it until recently.

[@Kx0195]

I learned it in the Yew Tree pub just at the bottom of London Road hill in Walton Le Dale, very close to where you are describing. As long as the pub is there in sure people will be able to learn about this incident. I still live in Preston. Beautiful place with a rich, vibrant history.

[@penelopejane8120]

I, as a British born woman, am so glad that you have highlighted this event in Bamber Bridge, and it seems many other British towns and villages. Most thinking people of a certain age (I'm 58) are aware of this particular event, and are very proud that our people, and in particular, our pub landlords, stood up for our own laws and treating the black service men with friendship and respect. We are also disgusted with the appalling arrogance of the white supremacy of the American officers and soldiers. We find this sort of behaviour completely amoral, racist, and abhorrent. How dare they even think to suggest that they only are the first class citizens, above the brave black servicemen, above the laws outside of their racist country of America, and above the people of our great Britain, locally and nationally. To even think for a moment that they could tell the shopkeepers and especially our great Pub Landlords, who they can or cannot serve a well deserved beer, incredible. We, the British people, will always stand with you, the very brave black service men and women, who came to Britain to help us defeat the evil fascist Hitler. You should never have been treated this way by your own American forces, its disgusting to our British people. I always find it rather baffling when I often hear American people constantly say 'We are the land of the free' when to the eyes and ears of us, and indeed most of the world, they are definitely not anywhere near to the freedom that they cling to the notion of, for many reasons. I have been to America several times and encountered some lovely people, who would be just as appalled as we are, so I'm certainly not painting the entire country with this harsh brush. However, it might be a good idea for these historical events to be aired much more in America, to even learn from the actual world events of our wars in history. ❤

[@christinephipps8236]

I once new a lady who came from Jamica who said to me there is only one race the human race I totaly agree.

[@martyngray48]

Ten years in the Royal Navy we had black sailors who watched my back and I watched theirs in South atlantic.good men every one of them what I don't understand they call them African American. Here we just call them British.

[@anndbritch-barney8378]

The idea that the American Army thought they could tell a British pub owner whom he could serve showed a complete lack of understanding of the British and particularly English temperament. They thought of the men as Americans first, there to help.

[@c.b.h1151]

That's because they thought, as White Americans, they were above every other people on earth.

[@LookHereMars]

I love this story, those villagers and British soldiers weren't having any of it. We dont view "race" here, like in the U.S, they were not "black" American soldiers, they were simply American soldiers, and welcome here. These men came to fight alongside us, to die with us if necessary, how could we then show inhospitality? the U.S soldiers on both sides of the coin learned a valuable lesson about the British that day.

[@ndr8469]

Exactly, whereas black soldiers in the British army were British soldiers. Gurkhas were British soldiers. Air force, Navy.

[@BeBe-vh4ry]

No, we didn't see it then because none of them lived here. No we've had 50+ years of 'diversity' our attitudes are changing very dramatically..... Lookup the crime rates and prison pop in the UK by race.. ..

[@BeBe-vh4ry]

​@@ndr8469please don't ever, ever compare black soldiers to Gurkhas. Gurkhas are pound for pound the best warriors on the planet. Blacks are generally absolutely terrible. Look at the makeup of SF units; there are few if any blacks

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

​@@BeBe-vh4rycrime rate is a function of poverty everywhere. Look up the statistics relating to "race" and poverty. Alternatively you could come up with a scientifically plausible hypothesis explaining why melanin leads to crime.

[@BeBe-vh4ry]

@@DanBeech-ht7sw keep telling yourself that, fam. Hint: criminality is linked to IQ...😬

[@1mimarin]

I am a British woman of the working class and I love that you are speaking on this. The working class, in large numbers, were appalled by the treatment of black GIs and they said so,!loudly.

[@DerekLangdon]

How do you know? Can you verify it.. The British working class were just as vociferous in their racist views as anyone else! Though not all I must admit!

[@sarahhoops9696]

@@DerekLangdon bet you have never been to England or even outside of the US, how many English working class have you met?

[@snowflakemelter1172]

You made that up

[@jennybertenshaw7694]

As a proud Lancastrian it doesn't surprise me at all that this little village of Bamber Bridge in my county would stand by the Black American soldiers.They stood by the slaves in the south in the past as cotton town was Manchester The county got rich on the cotton trade, The southern American cotton trade was crushing ours...BUT still they stood by the black slaves to0 the detriment of their livelihoods. We did NOT have slavery in our country ,mandatory since the Norman conquest in 1066 The people wouldn't tolerate it in 1942 from a jumped up four star general in the American army. I am proud of my counties ongoing principles of justice and fairness to all

[@garymoore2535]

Brits stood with ALL Americans ......White, Black, Hispanic it really didn't matter .......to us they were simply all "Yanks" and made welcome. Eisenhower set the Allies tone in that he said he had no problem with troops calling eachother "bastards" but anyone specifying "American or British bastards" feet wouldn't touch ! It is always a mistake to tell Brits what to do or who they can associate with in their own country, town, village or pub. We have our own two fingered defiant salute ! Ask Obama, Von der Leyen or Macron 😘

[@bantononabike]

My Grandad told me the story. He was there. American military tried to have him imprisoned for knocking out an armed American MP who had pulled out his side arm. Didn't get into any trouble :-).

[@adebolabloke6962]

This needs to be publicly known

[@AndrewCowell-sz9dx]

It’s well known depends on the history you’re taught or want to learn lots of British history is now taught in a negative way shame really considering what this small island has achieved 😊

[@lindarust936]

I lived in Bamber Bridge for many years and the hob inn was my local pub. The hob inn is still open today. So proud to be British.

[@alisonlinnell8943]

Appalling. I was shocked when I visited the US by how divisive it was, and the relative lack of freedom compared to the UK. Clearly I realise I’ve only seen a small proportion of a huge country, but nonetheless…..land of the free?!

[@ndr8469]

This has happened in at least 2 places in England. We remember it and we are proud of our reaction to it. Like the battle of cable street, it was a sign of of our distaste for discrimination. We are not perfect, but like slavery we have fought against it. We turned against it, like we did fascism.

[@Roz-y2d]

👍🏻🤣

[@jchisholm1968]

As an Englishman, that's one fight I would have been proud to say I was involved in. In support of those brave black GI's.

[@DerekLangdon]

Haha, yeah I’m sure you would have been! But it was an American military affair. No brave Englishmen came to the defence of the blacks.The English involvement went no further than a few mouthy locals at the pub, who promptly left when the US army turned up.

[@user-jojo29]

​@@DerekLangdonoh you are definitely a twat troll.

[@jchisholm1968]

@@DerekLangdon The business of Racism has always been an American Military affair & a shameful history it is to.

[@jchisholm1968]

@@DerekLangdon The business of racism was always an American Military Affair.

[@JennieShaw-b2i]

​@@DerekLangdonYou were there of course that's why you know so much. As I understand it there were some British service men there too

[@RARDingo]

We had similar problems in Australia with the US MPs.

[@accomuk]

Bamber Bridge was not the only incident like this there were several others. These were generally covered up by US Authorities for PR reasons. The British in WW2 although not used to such large numbers of foreigners welcomed troops from across the world in the fight against the Axis. With a traditionally British support of the underdog the civilian population were friendly to all. For those who had served particularly in the British Army in WW1 and earlier, they had come across coloured Colonial Troops before and fought with and for some died with. They werent going to worry about mixing with people with different colour.

[@stephencoan79]

My grandad was a British soldier who got arrested by MP's for fighting white American GI's for the exact same reason but in a different location so it wasn't an isolated incident unfortunately.

[@neuralwarp]

Similar experiences in London. My mum and her friends refused to dance with white GIs once they saw how they treated the black GIs.

[@andrewhyland6114]

My mum, in WW2 a WAAF, always said that Britain learned racism from the American army.

[@Bertie_Ahern]

Hmm, all people everywhere are racist, to varying degrees. It's related to tribalism and fear of (the threat posed by) difference.

[@micktaylor891]

​@@Bertie_AhernRacism isn't about who you are, it's about who you hate.

[@donmurray3638]

As Reginald D Hunter said, You British give racism a real go, but you're just not very good at it! Gingers?

[@jontalbot1]

My home town Ipswich was informally segregated between black and white soldiers for pubs. The black soldiers were more popular as they were less aggressive and arrogant

[@bryanhunter2077]

So many Brits had spent a lot of time working in the Empire and most of them had great respect for there Empire friends. Many of them had fought side by side over countless years. If we banned Black Americans then we would also have to have banned all our Empire friends, and that would not have been tolerated.

[@craigstewart4289]

Things like this make me immensely proud. Every time I'm in America the segregation still astounds me. I was in a bar in Chicago while working and was having a drink at the bar and I could see people grouped together, not mixing, it's not like that where I'm from, we all drink together. I went over to a group of black chaps and asked them a few questions about the city, where I should eat, what I should do, we all went to another bar had food and drinks and a right good laugh, I can't understand why people can't look past the 2mm thick skin we all have.

[@Jill-mh2wn]

The Black US soldiers came to the UK first ,because they were used as the labourers, here to construct camps, airfields etc . Of course their culture obliged them to be very respectful to the white British people but their politeness was seen as an American thing and they were welcomed as such . It was when the White US soldiers ,who were the fighting troops arrived ,that things got nasty. In the intervening months the first ones had made friends with British families and when the often southern whites saw this, they not only resented it but were very loud in expressing disgust at British white girls who would be happy to socialise with Black men . This didn`t do their cause any good ,having insulted the British so loudly .

[@lyndavarty4402]

MY mom and my godmother used to meet young black soldiers at dances and take them home for tea with my grandparents.

[@michaeltagg492]

You don't tell the British what to do especially in our country and in our pubs.

[@DerekLangdon]

Well, they bud. And on the whole they complied with what the US military imposed

[@DawnKillorn]

​@DerekLangdon no they didn't. No one tells us Brits what to do

[@SimonDover]

I have a book, which is the best letters to The Times, over the last 100 years. The Times is an English newspaper. One was from a lady who ran a cafe. She thought that some people in UK where discriminating against black US soldiers. She was furious. One black GI had a letter from his white CO asking for service as there was nowhere else to eat. And as he was black he might not served. She was threatening to not serve anyone who discriminated. Turns out she misunderstood. When the CO saw no 'coloured' cafes in town, he kindly wrote every black GI in his service a letter of introduction. Which only served to incense the locals as they were being called racist.

[@piercem579]

Considering that the British abolished slavery in 1834 with the Slavery Abolition Act, it makes you lough that the American Army thought they could tell us Brits who can and cant drink in our Pubs.

[@dianeoriander8276]

I’m so shocked by this story, thanks to the Brits. Hopefully things will improve and Americas so called bull shit freedoms will be come true and you will March side by side to a better America. Young man you do honor to your people, stay resolute stay strong you are the future.I’m a 80 plus old Australian white woman and bloody well can’t stop crying at how little things have changed in some areas God bless

[@claregale9011]

Hi , we appreciated your countries help no matter the colour of your skin , makes me sad to think they returned home to not a heroes welcome but discrimination its disgraceful .

[@clarissagafoor5222]

'Black trrops only'! that's the most British thing ever!😂😅

[@paulammon2281]

Yet people hate on us Brits for slavery. Many of them are completely unaware of the fact that bamber bridge and the likes happened. They're so engrained in racial hate it is pure insanity.

[@JJ-of1ir]

Do not despair, you have come a very long way since that time Neal. Yes maybe there is more work to achieve, but you will see it all done in your life time.

[@PaulHeath-j2f]

As far as us Brits are concerned. Black Americans. Are as American as anyone in America. Why wouldn't they be. 🇬🇧

[@jeffstevens4262]

I heard one of the main reasons why those 27 convictions of those black US soldiers were quashed was because of the enormous public outcry from the British when they heard those soldiers were to be convicted, and the Americans wanted to retain good relations with us here in the UK. As a white English man, I'm so proud of how my fellow Englishmen and women stood up for those black soldiers against those white US racist MP's. The children and grandchildren of all those incredible Brits of Bamber Bridge should all be very proud too. 🙋‍♂

[@lextheeyes]

An example of British "fair play". We respected our allies, no matter what.

[@pauldurkee4764]

I remember reading that black American GIs were shocked they could approach any British police officer and be treated like anyone else, and be spoken to with courtesy.

[@PaulWeaving-l5u]

Each british pub was owned and run by a british person not an american. If it was dont serve germans we would have agreed to do that.

[@Ann-on-a-mouse]

in the UK black GIs were welcome everywhere it was the white GIs that got banned from pubs etc. I know my Dad told me he remembered that stuff

[@AngelaVara-i4l]

The truth is coming out slowly and needs to be spread through friends and family.

[@ColinThomas-m2l]

You should look at the documentary about the Stax tour of the UK. The Stax artists were blown away by the way they were treated in the UK, they were treated the same as everybody else. It left a lasting impression with the artists.

[@JW-yt7lr]

I would love to think that the family of private William Crossland were told the truth of how he died , and that British men and women fought for him . I would love to think that his family know that in a small village in Lancashire there is a memorial to his memory . That memorial stands for more than the memory of a soldier killed . But for the commitment that British people will not be told what to do , will not accept Jim Crow laws from America , and wiil not tolerate racism in any form .

[@joealyjim3029]

I second the suggestion to watch Goodnight Sweetheart, its about a man who time travels back to wartime London and has an incident similar to this in one of the episodes.

[@KSweeney36]

Just a small correction, they weren’t fighting for America, but for the free world. For a good part of the war it was just Britain and the commonwealth vs the German, Italian and Japanese.

[@robertadrianwilliamcannon7396]

It was British navy that were the first to stop slave ships from transporting people around the world.. So the Bamber Bridge craziness was never going to be tolerated especially when we're all in this together

[@BEOPTAMYSTIC]

i'm English, my Grandfather was an African American Soldier in WW2. I'm writing a novel and screenplay about the subject.

[@WilliamEvans-bs5sj]

Hope your novel pulls through Many respects from 🇬🇧

[@veritasvincit2745]

The RAF just segregated by social class and not race or skin colour. British units were not colour segregated. A squadron fighting together in the skies as one integrated unit did not always dine together but that had nothing to do with colour. Sgt Pilots (NCOs) didn't sit alongside their commissioned officer friends in the officer's mess. Having said that a bomber pilot might be an NCO but because he was skipper any commissioned officers in the rest of the crew followed his orders.

[@gilliandawson6567]

Its my understanding that white GIs were given homeloans when they got back to the USA, while black GIs weren"t. This results in differences in generational wealth differences - having property to use as leverage for bank loans etc.

[@1967AJB]

It’s good to keep this story alive. I live a couple of miles south of Bamber Bridge, it’s still a good night out, all welcome.

[@soulkisschaoscrypt]

Your reaction makes me sad. I will not claim that the UK doesn't ha e racism, but we never had segregation or slaves on our Island - overseas lands owned/run by the UK do have a different history but it was the UK that ended the slave trade, though there are still slaves in the world; Save up and get a ticket to come visit, experience the difference, like those GI's did. I like to think that those Black GI's experience helped the cause for equality in the US, though you still seem to be a long wayt away from it in some ways.

[@marklatimer7333]

The Pubs didn't really need signs, all the Americans knew which pubs were for Black and which ones were White and each group avoided each other most of the time, to be honest it didn't really bother the British 'locals'. My Granddad's 'local' pub was called "The Halfway Hotel" (it's still there, it reverted back to it's original name a few years back so it's now called "The Grasshooper" again 50.72476027157751, -1.9361737688218312) was deemed to be a Black Pub. Remember also that the bulk of the American troops were only in Britain for 2 years max during the build up for D-Day especially on the South Coast, you guys joined the War late again so troops didn’t start arriving the UK until mid 1942 and most went to Europe after D-Day mid 1944. Granddad, who would have been 40 at the time, told me later in life that we didn’t really have Racism in England until the American’s bought it over with them, nobody in Britain could really understand the animosity between the two groups. Granddad used to be a ‘Bookie’s Runner’, he would take bets on horse racing from the guys in his Pub and pass them onto a Bookie, this was highly illegal in Britain at the time, way to go Gramps, he made a lot of money from the guys and was sad to see them deployed to Europe.

[@dannyb1979]

I live 5 mins from Bamber Bridge and went to the ATC in the early 90s in the same building the servicemen bunked in, in Bamber Bridge. This is a well known story to the locals in the know, but a lot less to a lot more that live locally and in Preston itself. It's a sad story, an issue that never should have been. But it's history and we learn from history... Really good to see this historical story is getting out more and more

[@PresidentHotdog]

Weird that I'm in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire right now. Freaked me the hell out seeing this.

[@Giggirl]

British people won’t be told what to do or think 😬

[@thewizeguide9128]

Some of these American Soldiers decided to stay in Britain and remain to this day

[@GeordiejesterTV]

Yet us brits are always banded as racists

[@DerekLangdon]

‘Cause you are! Muslims are the main target at the moment.

[@jasonfitton5422]

Fair play to you pal. I live 6/7 miles from Bamber bridge and we as people know how much the Americans did when they came here no matter of colour or race. There was 2 large American bases I know of in the area Washington hall and Burtonwood. But everyone was here for the war effort. Bless all and RIP to all those who didn’t come home.

[@michaeljones1445]

If you ever make it to England..The Old Hob pub in Bamber-Bridge where the incident took place is still open....great vid mate.

[@Jabberstax]

Frederick Douglass wrote that visiting Britain was like visiting a different world. It was the first time in his life that he experienced a complete dearth of racism.

[@kevinmcelhone7905]

Politicians. Teachers and the media create the hate don’t get sucked in by them.

[@jamielynnwallace1125]

The thing is…not all “Americans” were racist. Many parts( States) didn’t have Jim Crow laws and actively fought against them. Republican states ( California) were all for civil rights for all Americans.

[@stracepipe]

My aunt witnessed a fight between British and American soldiers, after the Americans objected to a Black GI dancing with an English girl at the local village dance. All hell broke loose, chairs flying, the lot. A British soldier bundled my 13 year old aunt out the window to keep her out of harms way. Those sorts of confrontations weren't uncommon.

[@roberttreborable]

I also remember in the 1970's a young American Solider telling us in our pub, he really liked it here in England, because no one looked down on him as inferior, but as he was a Native American, most Americans didn't treat him as an equal.

[@TheJohnnyYen]

I live a couple of miles from Bamber Bridge. We are proud of this. Neal, you ever get the money together to get this side of the Atlantic, I promise you will never be short of a place to lay your head. We'd be honoured.

[@teamchimp]

Lancashire (including Bamber Bridge) had a long history of supporting Black Americans. During the civil war cotton workers refused to work in the mills for 4 years as this would have supported the south. The old hob pub still exists today and has a lot of news stories about this incident on its walls.

[@elegantrebel]

As an English person... we grew up being told stories like this from our grandparents. it is used as an example of why you should fight for whats right nomatter what the law says.

[@booker0110]

Bringing a gun to a fist fight? Really? Is that the American way?

[@trevgoodwin7900]

In Manchester Town Hall there is a thank you letter from Abraham Lincoln and a statue of the man, he thanked the mill workers of Lancashire who when they found out the cotton they were using was picked by slaves, refused to use it and went on strike, no work, no pay, no food, they underwent real hardship but wouldn't break, they finally went back to work when they started paying the pickers, never under estimate Northern people. Manchester UK

[@TrevM0nkey]

Bamber Bridge hasn't really changed, the locals still like a pint and a fight. The memorial garden outside the pub was finished two years ago..

[@talkshitko9234]

It was the same in Germany for Black people as in England. Jess Owens I've been in the pubs where this happened in Bamber Bridge (Brig as it's known) Bamber Bridge is where some of the War of the Roses battles were fought.

[@DirectDemocrat]

In fact, the US military approached the British government and asked them to impose segregation. The answer they got was, "Even if we wanted to, we couldn't. There are no laws that allow such things." That was the end of that discussion. It wasn't just in Bamber Bridge either, it was everywhere. Black soldiers were being invited to peoples homes too.

[@burants89]

Ali said he won’t fight a war to change maps but fight for a country that maps change…..guy was a wordsmith

[@paullee3660]

To be honest, we appreciated the help. We had our hands a bit full.

[@karenperry8834]

I watched this in a documentary, it was very unsettling how badly they tried to treat the black soldiers stationed here. Leroy Henry being one example, if 30,000 residents of Bath hadn’t signed a petition supporting him he’d of been convicted

[@LawsonsStudio]

I'm not saying the UK is perfect in any way, we still have problems with diversity especially with the rise of the right wing. But we can be proud of the way we acted towards the black GIs.

[@free_gold4467]

Yes, plenty of racial prejudice of course and British people were heavily involved in the slave trade but we have never (in the last 1,000 years at least) had slaves in the UK or racial/colour segregation.

[@christinehomer2185]

What right wing?

[@LawsonsStudio]

@@christinehomer2185 try watching the news

[@MarkIngle1959]

My dad was stationed there, he said he was one Brit soldier arrested by the US Military police for ignoring their rules

[@wardygrub]

My cockney Nan had a good friend she called “Blackie”. He had fought for the King of Great Britain and the Bahamas. We all loved and admired him. (Sorry that his nickname is now probably offensive, but he never seemed to mind. In fact he used to laugh and called us “Whities” but we never went on about it).

[@affalaffaa]

Basically when a yank thought they could get their own way over here, about anything, it simply wasn't going to work out well. When you try and boss someone here you better have a local accent or you're in for a world of hurt and a lengthy process to change anything.

[@chrismccartney8668]

My father was training in tbe RAF and said there were many coloured technicians in the RAF many from the British Empire such as the West Indies..he also managed Germans POWS as he spoke a bit of german.

[@Rc19881]

If it’s any consolation those guys may have been wearing a uniform of a country that didn’t care about them one bit they came to my country to defend it from evil and for that we will be forever grateful.

[@MrDaiseymay]

THERES A CINEMA NEWS REEL FILM OF THE FIRST BLACK US SOLDIER'S ARRIVING IN LIVERPOOL, DURING WW2. AND A ROUSING GREETING THEY GOT FROM LOCAL PEOPLE.

[@AdrianRussell-h8o]

I am disgusted that the American military thought that they could come to Britain and ‘Demand’, that the Brits comply with their segregation laws. If you are a visitor in another country, you abide by the laws of that country. It just shows how arrogant some Americans can be. We had been standing up to Hitler for three years, on our own and taken all he had thrown at us, before American joined the war, and we certainly were not going to be told by anyone else, what we could or couldn’t do.

[@DerekLangdon]

Yes, the American demanded segregation. If only to prevent trouble between black and white G.I’s. And yes, the Brits did comply with US demands. As for arrogance it’s coming from you, thinking Britain had the final say in the British/American alliance. It did not!! It was the US that supplied the means to defeat Germany….By 1944 Britain was a spent force, and nothing more than a junior partner to the US.

[@stephensmith4480]

@@DerekLangdon Don't talk about arrogance pal because you seem to have plenty to go around. Who the hell are you to accuse someone of Arrogance, just because he made a very valid point.

[@jocktheripper2073]

A.H. had soldiers of all colours and creeds, including Africans, and Jews, serve in his army. And it wasn't segregated. There is so much about that conflict we are either not told about or just outright lied to about. Just like all their other wars.

[@samuelwilliams3130]

The yanks tried it in Australia too and got their asses kicked

[@samuelwilliams3130]

​@DerekLangdon my god you need to do some reading, perhaps not just what you were shovel-fed in yank schools.

[@dopeyb218]

The British care about character, work ethic and loyalty above all else.

[@crocodilebelfast]

Years later in the 1960's Otis Redding the singer went to the UK with other black and white musicians. They were used to segregation laws still in America so they were surprised when they went to the UK and one day driving through the North of the UK and stopped at a store how welcome they found the locals who were white people and happy for them to come and visit the country and spoke about how they remembered the black GI's in the war and how they were all polite, respectful brave young men who came to help them fight the fascists. Otis said after that he always had a warm place in his heart for the British people.

[@britishknightakaminininja1123]

Jimi Hendrix was ostracized and got nowhere in the USA, and it was coming to Britain, and the acceptance he got here, that allowed his career to start. Sadly enough, many decades later, Prince specifically named his backing band The New Power Generation after his UK fans, whom he too had counted as critically supportive when he'd needed support.

[@abergreg]

In 1943 American soldiers went to a dance in our local dance hall. The white American officer told the black soldiers that they couldn't dance with the white girls. My auntie, all 5ft 1 of her walked across the room, asked a black GI if he would like to dance, others then followed and on the way past the white soldiers she told the officer in charge that this was Britain and she and her friends will dance with whoever they choose and if he didnt like it he could take his white soldiers somewhere else.

[@jbyrne3851]

I love it! Good for her, you must be so proud. ❤️

[@Sine-gl9ly]

That's the sort of thing my mum and my aunties told me. Fist fights outside the village hall on a Saturday evening, when the newly-arrived white GIs realised that the girls were waiting, not for them, but for the black GIs, who were already friends, boyfriends and dance partners - and who were not being allowed in by the white Americans. There was a sizeable contingent of Land and Timber Corps girls in the area, who would be transported to various village dances at weekends from their often-remote hostels. Apparently these girls partied _hard,_ danced til everyone was on their knees and DEMANDED good band music. All of which was laid on thickly by the black logistics regt nearby ... No one else could compete!

[@lesbrierley5648]

My grandad told me a story they were having a drink with black American soldiers and Gurkhas when white soldiers come in told all the blacks and Gurkhas to get out needless to say they lost and was evicted from the pub What happened next the Gurkhas went into the camp and put red paint marks on the throats of the white GI signifying that they had had their throat cut It was my grandads mob that actually stopped the Gurkhas from actually slitting the throats

[@jgraaay18]

@@lesbrierley5648 Yeah, trying to push Gurkhas around... that's going to end well.

[@AlisonSmith-jy5tq]

My great aunt did exactly the same thing! She relished telling the story and how all the local girls ignored the white American Soldiers and made a point of dancing with the black soldiers

[@jexxajess6837]

The reality is that we brits just saw Americans, come to help. We didn't see colour as being anything other than skin pigmentation, just brave young men and women who were going to give the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you all, God bless you..

[@snowflakemelter1172]

You made that up though

[@265petsar]

I am British, and I thank you for this video. Because the British people have always been colour blind, we see the person, not the colour. I am white and my grandson is black, he is my world, it is impossible to love him anymore than I do, and I'm so proud he is growing up to be a fine young man. My heart hurts to see those American soldiers being treated like that. I hope and pray the sacrifice they gave when leaving England to die on the beaches of France is never forgotten. To their families, you are deep in our hearts, that your sons left their homes so far away, some to die on French soil, and the last bit of love and respect they received was in England. God bless them all....John ( UK) 🇬🇧

[@c.b.h1151]

Exactly. My husband is Japanese and has lived here for over 40 years, the only cases of racism he has had in over 4 decades was from non white people! An Indian kid and a guy from Africa! He then studied in America for only 2 months and experienced over 10 times where an America said racist things to him. He said no way would he ever, ever live in America.

[@Lady-Jane1]

I grew up a few miles from Bamber Bridge, never underestimate the people of Lancashire. We do it our way!

[@ravenking85]

aint that the truth

[@dannyb1979]

Well said, from a Lancashire lad 👍🏼

[@martinknox303]

Us Northerners are a different breed!

[@robinholland1136]

Very true! And don't forget that the Lancashire mill workers boycotted confederate cotton during the civil war, to their own cost.

[@vikingraider1961]

There are times when the sheer bloody-mindedness of the British makes me truly proud! "You want us to have a colour bar? OK then - we'll ban you lot of racists!"

[@DerekLangdon]

Then you are feeling good about yourself for no good reason….It’s truly pathetic.

[@user-jojo29]

​@@DerekLangdontwat troll that you are.

[@micramadmasie742]

@@DerekLangdon You sound like a sad and miserable person. I hope you get the care you clearly need.

[@rayg4360]

@@DerekLangdon Don't know what s wrong with you. But it's no small thing (as they say )

[@JennieShaw-b2i]

​@@DerekLangdon No you're pathetic !!

[@peter-h8s2z]

Brother I am a white British man and I live in a multi cultural society. I have always lived with the attitude that I couldn't care less what your colour or creed is, if you are a good man then you are my friend and that is the same attitude of all true Englishmen and women today as it was during WWs 1 and 2. We don't like prejudice in any form and would still react the same way as the folk of Bamber Bridge if the same events occured today. Peace and love to you Brother.

[@andrewmoss3681]

Agreed. 1 colour & 1 colour alone matters. Is your blood red?

[@SirHilaryManfat]

Unfortunately there's still plenty of prejudice in the UK, and I hate that comments regarding this video try and paint the UK as some kind of multicultural utopia, which is a little insulting to all people that still get racially abused in this country. I liked up your comment because I completely respect your point of view, but despite our country being more accepting that the US and many other countries, we still have a long way to go.

[@peter-h8s2z]

@@SirHilaryManfat Yes I have to agree with you unfortunately. I don't profess to have an answer to this problem but at least we can try to lead by example ourselves and if that only rubs off on one xenophobe at least we have achieved a small victory for racial harmony. Peace to you.

[@SirHilaryManfat]

@@peter-h8s2z 100% mate.