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{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox historical event
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
⚫
|Event_Name = Park Street riot
{{Infobox civil conflict
|Image_Name =
|Imagesize =
| title = Park Street riot
| image = File:Park Street, Bristol - geograph.org.uk - 1756895.jpg
|Image_Alt =
⚫
| caption = Park Street, where the riot started
|Image_Caption =
|Thumb_Time =
| date = 15 July 1944
|AKA =
| map_type = Bristol#United Kingdom
| map_caption = Location of park Street
|Participants = US Military Police, Mutineers of 545th Port Company
|Location = [[Bristol]], England
| place = [[Park Street, Bristol|Park Street]], Bristol, United Kingdom
|Date = {{Start date|1944|7|15|df=y}}
| coordinates = {{coord|51.456868|-2.605766|display=inline, title}}
|Result = 1 dead, several injured
| side1 = US Military Police
| side2 = Black US servicemen from segregated labour companies
|URL =http://brisray.com/bristol/briot2.htm
| causes = Racial tensions
⚫
}}The '''Park Street riot''' occurred in [[Park Street, Bristol|Park Street]] and George Street [[Bristol]], England on 15 July 1944 when a large number of black [[G.I. (military)|GI]] refused to come back to their camps after the [[Military Police Corps (United States)|US Military Policemen]] came to end a minor fracas. More MP was sent, up to 120 policemen, and Park Street was closed with buses. In subsequent confrontation, a MP was stabbed, a black GI was shot dead and several others wounded.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wynn|first=Neil A.|date=November 2006|title=‘Race War’: Black American GIs and West Indians in Britain During The Second World War|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02619280701337146?src=recsys&journalCode=fimm20|journal=Immigrants & Minorities: Historical Studies in Ethnicity, Migration and Diaspora|volume=24|pages=324-346|via=}}</ref>
| fatalities = 1
| injuries = Several
}}
⚫
The '''Park Street riot''' occurred in [[Park Street, Bristol|Park Street]] and George Street [[Bristol]], England, on 15 July 1944 when many black [[G.I. (military)|US servicemen]] (GIs) refused to return to their camps after [[Military Police Corps (United States)|US military policemen]] (MPs) arrived to end a minor fracas. More MPs were sent, up to 120 in total, and Park Street was closed with buses. In subsequent confrontations an MP was stabbed, a black GI was shot dead, and several others were wounded.<ref name="Wynn 2006">{{Cite journal|last=Wynn|first=Neil A.|date=November 2006|title='Race War': Black American GIs and West Indians in Britain During The Second World War|issn=0261-9288|journal=Immigrants & Minorities: Historical Studies in Ethnicity, Migration and Diaspora|volume=24|issue=3|pages=324–346|doi=10.1080/02619280701337146|s2cid=144592893 }}</ref>


==Background==
==Background==
During world war II, African-Americans, formed the 10% of [[United States Army|US Army]] (the other service had far less enlisted), in Britain served 132.253.<ref name=":0" /> May black US labour companies (engineers, port, transport, etc.) had their barracks in Bristol: [[Bedminster, Bristol|Bedminster]], [[Brislington]], [[Henleaze]], [[Shirehampton]] and the [[New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol|Muller Orphanage at Ashley Down]].<ref name=":0" />
During [[World War II]], [[African-American]]s formed 10 per cent of [[US Army]] servicemen in Britain, a total of about 150,000 in 1944.<ref name="Wynn 2006" /><ref>{{Cite book|title=D-Day|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|publisher=Pocket Books|year=1997|isbn=978-0-7434-4974-8|location=London|pages=147}}</ref> Most were in labour companies, engineers, stevedores and transport units. Many were based in the [[Bristol]] area because of the docks there. They had their barracks in [[Bedminster, Bristol|Bedminster]], [[Brislington]], [[Henleaze]], [[Shirehampton]] and the [[New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol|Muller Orphanage at Ashley Down]].<ref name="Wynn 2006" />


[[Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces|US Armed Forces were still racially segregated]], and the soldiers of the black labour companies were almost entirely black, while most of all officers were white, as were the MPs. Military commanders tended to treat these service units as "dumping grounds" for less competent officers, and leadership in the unit was poor.<ref name="Nalty">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B13CGJMiyOIC&pg=PA412 |pages=154–157, 228 |title=Strength for the Fight: A History of Black Americans in the Military |first1=Bernard C. |last1=Nalty |isbn=9780029224113 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]], Free Press |date=1 January 1986}}</ref>
The [[Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces|US Armed Forces were still racially segregated]], and the soldiers of the labour companies were almost entirely black, while most of their officers were white, as were the MPs. Military commanders tended to treat these service units as "dumping grounds" for less competent officers, and leadership in the labour companies was poor.<ref name="Nalty">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B13CGJMiyOIC&pg=PA412 |pages=154–157, 228 |title=Strength for the Fight: A History of Black Americans in the Military |first1=Bernard C. |last1=Nalty |isbn=9780029224113 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]], Free Press |date=1 January 1986}}</ref>


Officially the British government didn't approve segregation but decided to not interfere in the treatment of African-American people enlisted in the US army.<ref name=":0" /> Therefore the US military actively developed a segregation policy that involves the segregation of many facilities in Britain.<ref name=":0" /> To enforce, in Britain, the segregation of black troops, the US Army administration encouraged the formation of white-only and coloured-only restaurants, pubs and even fish and chip shops. Also they ordered separated days along the week for the troops to visit the city.<ref name=":0" />
The British government did not approve of segregation but decided they could not interfere in the treatment of African-American people enlisted in the US Army.<ref name="Wynn 2006" /> The British authorities would not organise segregated facilities nor enforce segregation in non-US Army facilities. In response the US Army administration encouraged separate days during the week for black and white troops to have leave passes.<ref name="Wynn 2006" /> The US military actively developed a policy that involved the segregation of many facilities in Britain.<ref name="Wynn 2006" /> Two separate Red Cross centres existed in Bristol: St George Street for coloured GIs; and [[Berkeley Square, Bristol|Berkeley Square]] for whites.<ref name="Wynn 2006" />


===Earlier incidents===
They established two separate Red Cross centres in Bristol: St George Street for coloured GI and [[Berkeley Square, Bristol|Berkeley Square]] for whites.<ref name=":0" />
There were frequent clashes between black and white GIs.{{quote|Fist fights almost always broke out when black and white GIs were drinking in the same pub. There were some shootings, most by whites against blacks. (Major General [[Ira Eaker]], commander of the [[Eighth Air Force]], declared that white troops were responsible for 90 per cent of the trouble), and a few killings — all covered up by the army.<ref>{{Cite book|title=D-Day|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|publisher=Pocket Books|year=1997|isbn=978-0-7434-4974-8|location=London|pages=148}}</ref>}} A US survey of soldiers' mail during the war revealed that white troops were particularly indignant about the public association of white women with black soldiers, which was unremarkable in Britain.<ref>{{Cite book|title=D-Day|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|publisher=Pocket Books|year=1997|isbn=978-0-7434-4974-8|location=London|pages=148}}</ref>


Minor racial incidents happened in Britain that foreshadow the [[Battle of Bamber Bridge]] in June 1943, which had led to 1 deaths, 7 wounded and 32 court-martialled, which follows the [[Detroit race riot of 1943|riots in Detroit]] earlier that week.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/when-the-american-military-said-sorry-to-bamber-bridge-1-4440360|title=When the American military said sorry to Bamber Bridge|date=12 April 2012|accessdate=2 June 2017|newspaper=[[Lancashire Evening Post]]}}</ref>
In June 1943 a significant racial incident, the [[Battle of Bamber Bridge]], led to one death, 7 wounded and 32 [[court martial]]led; this followed the [[Detroit race riot of 1943|riots in Detroit]] earlier that week.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/when-the-american-military-said-sorry-to-bamber-bridge-1-4440360|title=When the American military said sorry to Bamber Bridge|date=12 April 2012|access-date=2 June 2017|newspaper=[[Lancashire Evening Post]]|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702093526/https://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/when-the-american-military-said-sorry-to-bamber-bridge-1-4440360|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 1943 at [[Launceston, Cornwall|Launceston]] in [[Cornwall]] there was another armed confrontation between black GIs and MPs which left two MPs wounded; 14 black GIs were court martialled.<ref name="Wynn 2006" />


⚫
The days before the Park Street Riot saw an increase in tension between the black and white GIs. On 10 July at the Muller Orphanage, where some of the black troops were billeted, several white paratroopers arrived.<ref name="f3">{{Cite web|url=http://brisray.com/bristol/briot2.htm|title=Riots (2)|first=Ray|last=Thomas|website=brisray.com|access-date=2018-02-12}}</ref> The black soldiers claimed that they were insulted and then beaten by the paratroopers.<ref name="f3" />
In September 1943 at [[Launceston, Cornwall|Launceston]] in Cornwall happened another armed confrontation between black GI and MP which left two MP wounded and 14 black GI were court martialled.<ref name=":0" />


===545th Port Company mutiny===
⚫
The days before the Park Street Riot saw an increasing tension between the black GI and the whites. On the 10th of July, at the Muller Orphanage, where was billeted some of the black troops in Bristol, arrived some white paratroopers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://brisray.com/bristol/briot2.htm|title=Riots (2)|last=brisray@yahoo.co.uk|first=Ray Thomas -|website=brisray.com|access-date=2018-02-12}}</ref> The black GI claimed that they received an unjust treatment by the paratroopers that beaten them.<ref name=":1" />
On the night of 12–13 July the 545th Port Company, an all-black segregated unit that was billeted at [[Sea Mills, Bristol|Sea Mills]], mutinied. On the morning of 13 July the company refused direct orders to report for duty and remained in the barracks.<ref name="f3" /> They demanded better treatment from their officers, better accommodation for the soldiers in the guardhouse, and a halt to the paratroopers chasing black GIs through the streets of Bristol.<ref name="Judge Advocate General's Department 1946" /> The mutiny ended the same evening, without violence.<ref name="Judge Advocate General's Department 1946" /> One black soldier, Robert Davis of 542nd Port Company was accused of inciting the mutiny, and was court martialled on 6 September 1944 in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]]. He was sentenced to hard labour for life.<ref name="Judge Advocate General's Department 1946">{{Cite book| url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/llmlp/ETO-BOR_Vol-11/ETO-BOR_Vol-11.pdf |title=Board of Review|last=Judge Advocate General's Department |publisher=Office of Judge Advocate General |year=1946 |volume=11 |location=Washington |pages=81–90 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151112010233/https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/ETO-BOR_Vol-11.pdf |archive-date=2015-11-12 |access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref>

The night between the 12th and 13th of July the 545th Port Company (an all black segregated unit), that was billeted at [[Sea Mills, Bristol|Sea Mills]] mutinied, at the morning of the 13th, the company refused direct orders to go out and remained in the barracks.<ref name=":1" /> They request a better treatment from the officers, better accommodation for the soldier in the guardhouse and to stop the paratroopers to chase out black GI in Bristol.<ref name=":2" /> The mutiny ended the very evening, without any violence.<ref name=":2" />

One of the soldier, Robert Davis of another company (542nd Port Company), who was allegedly accused of excited the mutiny, was court martialled the 6th of September 1944 in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], and was condemned at hard labor for life.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/ETO-BOR_Vol-11.pdf|title=Board of Review|last=Judge Advocate General's Department|first=|first3=|publisher=Office of Judge Advocate General|year=1946|isbn=|volume=11|location=Washington|pages=81-90}}</ref>


==Riot==
==Riot==
In the Saturday evening of the 15th of July many as 400 black GI come around Park Street.<ref name=":1" /> A minor fracas between soldiers sprung out and prompted the deployment of the US Military Police, up to 120 armed policemen.<ref name=":0" /> Then they gather to marching back to the trucks that had to drive them back to their barracks. The MP tried to disarm some of them who had knives, some refused and in confrontation that started one policeman was stabbed and the assaulter was shot dead. The MP restored control closing the street with some buses and shooting several GI in the legs.<ref name=":1" />
On the evening of Saturday 15 July approximately 400 black GIs gathered in the area of Park Street.<ref name="f3" /> Some of them were accompanied by British women and a US military policeman stopped them.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk|title=City Inquiry into main street shooting match between rioting troops|date=19 July 1944|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> This caused a minor disturbance which prompted the deployment of more policemen. In total 120 armed military policemen attended.<ref name="Wynn 2006" /> The black soldiers were gathered to march back to the trucks that were to drive them to their barracks. The MPs tried to disarm some of them who had knives. The black soldiers refused to hand them over, their colleagues intervened and in the resulting confrontation one policeman was stabbed and his attacker shot dead. The MPs restored control by closing off the street with buses and shooting several GIs in the legs.<ref name="f3" /> Many black GIs were arrested and several were sent to the local hospital. A curfew was established in Bristol for many days afterwards.<ref name="f3" />

Many black GI were arrested and several was sent to local hospital. The curfew was established in Bristol for many days after.<ref name=":1" />


==See also==
==See also==
Line 45: Line 45:


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-32681824|title=Bristol's little-known role in US civil rights movement|work=BBC News |date=11 May 2015 |access-date=16 February 2018}}

{{coord|51.456868|-2.605766|type:event_region:GB|display=title}}


{{Riots in England}}
{{Riots in England}}
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[[Category:Black British history]]
[[Category:Black British history]]
[[Category:Crime in Bristol]]
[[Category:Crime in Bristol]]
[[Category:History of Bristol]]
[[Category:Race riots in England]]
[[Category:Race riots in England]]
[[Category:20th century in Bristol]]
[[Category:1940s in Bristol]]
[[Category:1944 crimes in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:July 1944 events in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 16:27, 24 October 2024

Park Street riot
Park Street, where the riot started
Date15 July 1944
Location
Park Street, Bristol, United Kingdom

51°27′25″N 2°36′21″W / 51.456868°N 2.605766°W / 51.456868; -2.605766
Caused byRacial tensions
Parties
US Military Police
Black US servicemen from segregated labour companies
Casualties
Death(s)1
InjuriesSeveral
Park Street riot is located in Bristol
Park Street riot
Location of park Street
Park Street riot is located in the United Kingdom
Park Street riot
Park Street riot (the United Kingdom)

The Park Street riot occurred in Park Street and George Street Bristol, England, on 15 July 1944 when many black US servicemen (GIs) refused to return to their camps after US military policemen (MPs) arrived to end a minor fracas. More MPs were sent, up to 120 in total, and Park Street was closed with buses. In subsequent confrontations an MP was stabbed, a black GI was shot dead, and several others were wounded.[1]

Background

[edit]

During World War II, African-Americans formed 10 per cent of US Army servicemen in Britain, a total of about 150,000 in 1944.[1][2] Most were in labour companies, engineers, stevedores and transport units. Many were based in the Bristol area because of the docks there. They had their barracks in Bedminster, Brislington, Henleaze, Shirehampton and the Muller Orphanage at Ashley Down.[1]

The US Armed Forces were still racially segregated, and the soldiers of the labour companies were almost entirely black, while most of their officers were white, as were the MPs. Military commanders tended to treat these service units as "dumping grounds" for less competent officers, and leadership in the labour companies was poor.[3]

The British government did not approve of segregation but decided they could not interfere in the treatment of African-American people enlisted in the US Army.[1] The British authorities would not organise segregated facilities nor enforce segregation in non-US Army facilities. In response the US Army administration encouraged separate days during the week for black and white troops to have leave passes.[1] The US military actively developed a policy that involved the segregation of many facilities in Britain.[1] Two separate Red Cross centres existed in Bristol: St George Street for coloured GIs; and Berkeley Square for whites.[1]

Earlier incidents

[edit]

There were frequent clashes between black and white GIs.

Fist fights almost always broke out when black and white GIs were drinking in the same pub. There were some shootings, most by whites against blacks. (Major General Ira Eaker, commander of the Eighth Air Force, declared that white troops were responsible for 90 per cent of the trouble), and a few killings — all covered up by the army.[4]

A US survey of soldiers' mail during the war revealed that white troops were particularly indignant about the public association of white women with black soldiers, which was unremarkable in Britain.[5]

In June 1943 a significant racial incident, the Battle of Bamber Bridge, led to one death, 7 wounded and 32 court martialled; this followed the riots in Detroit earlier that week.[6] In September 1943 at Launceston in Cornwall there was another armed confrontation between black GIs and MPs which left two MPs wounded; 14 black GIs were court martialled.[1]

The days before the Park Street Riot saw an increase in tension between the black and white GIs. On 10 July at the Muller Orphanage, where some of the black troops were billeted, several white paratroopers arrived.[7] The black soldiers claimed that they were insulted and then beaten by the paratroopers.[7]

545th Port Company mutiny

[edit]

On the night of 12–13 July the 545th Port Company, an all-black segregated unit that was billeted at Sea Mills, mutinied. On the morning of 13 July the company refused direct orders to report for duty and remained in the barracks.[7] They demanded better treatment from their officers, better accommodation for the soldiers in the guardhouse, and a halt to the paratroopers chasing black GIs through the streets of Bristol.[8] The mutiny ended the same evening, without violence.[8] One black soldier, Robert Davis of 542nd Port Company was accused of inciting the mutiny, and was court martialled on 6 September 1944 in Newport. He was sentenced to hard labour for life.[8]

Riot

[edit]

On the evening of Saturday 15 July approximately 400 black GIs gathered in the area of Park Street.[7] Some of them were accompanied by British women and a US military policeman stopped them.[9] This caused a minor disturbance which prompted the deployment of more policemen. In total 120 armed military policemen attended.[1] The black soldiers were gathered to march back to the trucks that were to drive them to their barracks. The MPs tried to disarm some of them who had knives. The black soldiers refused to hand them over, their colleagues intervened and in the resulting confrontation one policeman was stabbed and his attacker shot dead. The MPs restored control by closing off the street with buses and shooting several GIs in the legs.[7] Many black GIs were arrested and several were sent to the local hospital. A curfew was established in Bristol for many days afterwards.[7]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wynn, Neil A. (November 2006). "'Race War': Black American GIs and West Indians in Britain During The Second World War". Immigrants & Minorities: Historical Studies in Ethnicity, Migration and Diaspora. 24 (3): 324–346. doi:10.1080/02619280701337146. ISSN 0261-9288. S2CID 144592893.
  2. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. (1997). D-Day. London: Pocket Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7434-4974-8.
  3. ^ 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. ISBN 9780029224113.
  4. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. (1997). D-Day. London: Pocket Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-7434-4974-8.
  5. ^ Ambrose, Stephen E. (1997). D-Day. London: Pocket Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-7434-4974-8.
  6. ^ "When the American military said sorry to Bamber Bridge". Lancashire Evening Post. 12 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Thomas, Ray. "Riots (2)". brisray.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Judge Advocate General's Department (1946). Board of Review (PDF). Vol. 11. Washington: Office of Judge Advocate General. pp. 81–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ^ "City Inquiry into main street shooting match between rioting troops". Daily Mirror. 19 July 1944. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
[edit]
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