Park Street riot
| Date | 15 July 1944 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Participants | US Military Police, Mutineers of 545th Port Company |
| Outcome | 1 dead, several injured |
| Website | http://brisray.com/bristol/briot2.htm |
The Park Street riot occurred in Park Street and George Street Bristol, England on 15 July 1944 when a large number of black GI refused to come back to their camps after the 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.[1]
Background
During world war II, African-Americans, formed the 10% of US Army (the other service had less enlisted), in Britain served 132253.[1] May black US labour companies (engineers, port, transport, etc.) had their barracks in Bristol: Bedminster, Brislington, Henleaze, Shirehampton and the Muller Orphanage at Ashley Down.[1]
US Armed Forces were still racially segregated, and the soldiers of the black labour companies were almost entirely black, while all of the 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.[2]
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.[1] Therefore the US military actively developed a segregation policy that involves the segregation of many facilities in Britain.[1] 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.[1]
They established two separate Red Cross centres in Bristol: St George Street for coloured GI and Berkeley Square for whites.[1]
Minor racial incidents happened in Britain that foreshadow the Battle of Bamber Bridge in June 1943 that follows the riots in Detroit earlier that week which had led to 34 deaths, including 25 black casualties.[3]
In September 1943 at Launceston in Cornwall happened another armed confrontation between black GI and MP which left two MP wounded and 14 black GI were court martialled.[1]
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.[4] The black GI claimed that they received an unjust treatment by the paratroopers that beaten them.
The night between the 12th and 13th of July some GI of the 545th Port Company, that was billeted at Sea Mills mutinied refusing to do their duties and remained in the barracks.[4] One of the soldier, Robert Davis of another company the 542nd, who was allegedly accused of excited the mutiny, was court martialled and was condemned at hard labor for life.[5]
Riot
In the Saturday evening of the 15th of July many as 400 black GI come around Park Street.[4] A minor fracas between soldiers sprung out and prompted the deployment of the US Military Police, up to 120 armed policemen. 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.[4]
Many black GI were arrested and several was sent to local hospital. The curfew was established in Bristol for many days after.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h 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: 324–346.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "When the American military said sorry to Bamber Bridge". Lancashire Evening Post. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e brisray@yahoo.co.uk, Ray Thomas -. "Riots (2)". brisray.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ Judge Advocate General's Department (1946). Board of Review (PDF). Vol. 11. Washington: Office of Judge Advocate General. pp. 81–90.
External links
- Portcities with images of the riots
- Documentary by Borja Cantera, narrated by local poet Miles Chambers
51°27′52″N 2°34′57″W / 51.4645°N 2.5824°W
{{Riots in England
{{DEFAULTSORT:1980 St Pauls Riot [[Category:1980 riots|St Pauls Riot, 1980 [[Category:1980 in England|St Pauls Riot, 1980 [[Category:Black British history [[Category:Crime in Bristol [[Category:History of Bristol [[Category:Race riots in England [[Category:St Pauls, Bristol [[Category:20th century in Bristol [[Category:April 1980 events