Report by Stan Morrissey.
Oliver Davey became interested in the topic when he found that his aunt had married an American soldier following World War Two. This led him to research the story.
When the Second World War broke out in Europe, the USA had an isolationist policy and officially refused to get involved until Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Previously all American males aged 21-45 were required to register for military service and by 1945 some 10 million men were inducted into the armed forces, either voluntarily or by conscription. Many of these saw service in Europe, some 1.5 million of them in the UK.
Many camps grew up in the south west of England and Americans were common sights in Gloucestershire and around Bristol. British attitudes to Americans were summarised by Toynbee: “America is a large friendly dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair”.
Many American units were based in our area, and many personnel were billeted in private homes and became integrated into the local community. The rules of baseball were explained in a local paper to encourage English participation in this sport. Many GIs met English girls at dances and many married after the war.
Red Cross social clubs were set up but official US Army racial discrimination required separate facilies. One in Great George Street was for Blacks, and another in the West of England Academy for Whites. Black servicemen were treated badly, being forbidden to mix socially with their white fellow troops and attacked if they dared to date a white girl. A major riot occurred outside the Great George Street Club, resulting in several GIs being shot – this was hushed up as bad for morale. As in other parts of Britain, attempts by Americans to impose apartheid in local pubs by barring coloured troops were resisted by the locals with many resulting brawls.
The First Army HQ was established at Clifton College, which became a centre for D-Day planning. A Machine Record Unit, one of the first non-military units, was based on the Downs in Clifton College, then a private house. A vehicle servicing unit was based in Shirehampton on the golf course, and at the Blaise Castle estate.
Some of the buildings used by the Americans survive. Their main cookhouse was in Wells Road; the water tower at Frenchay was appropriated; a building in Brislington, later an orphanage, was used for billets. Wartime graffiti can still be seen on a wall in Westbury. The Americans took over Frenchay Hospital and Tortworth Court, both used heavily in the aftermath of D-Day. Avonmouth Docks were of course very busy with imports, including planes that were transported to Filton airfield. Wapley Common depot in Yate was used to disperse incoming shipments from Avonmouth.
Chipping Sodbury housed the Photographic Company of 168 men with their HQ in the Grammar School and billets in several locations. This, it was said, was a “very welcoming and friendly community” and was visited at one point by Queen Mary.
So, what about Thornbury? Americans were not billeted here, that was reserved largely for the (British) Maritime Regiment, but many injured servicemen saw the town briefly as they were brought by train to Thornbury Station and transferred by road to Tortworth for hospitalisation. A one-way system was introduced, and American police controlled the traffic as convoys came through. Leading up to and after D-Day (April 1944 to Feb 1945), some 6000 patients were catered for.
Americans had a reputation for wild behaviour but when billeted in private accommodation there were very few complaints. Oliver highlighted the personal stories of several GIs who married local women, such as nurse Norma Riley, who met her future husband at a dance, went to Normandy and married at Cherbourg. The future boxing champion Rocky Marciano was at one point billeted in Bristol.