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Battle of Bamber Bridge

Background

The Battle of Bamber Bridge, also known as the Bamber Bridge race riot, was a tragic event that occurred on June 24th and 25th 1943. This battle took place in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, Northern England towards the end of World War II. African American soldiers that were stationed at a United States Army base were involved in an incident with the United Kingdom military police. This altercation between the black American soldiers and white military enforcement resulted in several injuries and the death of one black American soldier. The incident highlighted the challenges faced by black American soldiers and the many racial tensions that existed within the United States military during World War II.

At the time, the United States Army was segregated, and the 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment was primarily made up of black American soldiers, all of whom were stationed near the Bamber Bridge. A group of white American Military police were stationed nearby as well. Racial tensions in the United States army were heightened as the Detroit Race Riots had occurred just a month prior. The black American soldiers and white American military police were involved in a conflict that eventually resulted in an all night Battle at the Bamber Bridge, shaking the United Kingdom town.

Violence Outbreak

This incident began when a group of black American soldiers were at a pub nearby Bamber Bridge and two white military police officers were sent to investigate the group of black soldiers. One of the soldiers was dressed in an improper uniform, and the white military police officers attempted to arrest him. Many of the black soldiers disagreed with this decision and voiced their disagreement. This then led to an altercation between the soldiers and the military personnel who were called to the scene. Many of the British citizens voiced their support for the black soldiers, and one questioned one of the military police and said “Why do you want to arrest them? They’re not doing anything or bothering anybody” (BBC, 2005). The situation escalated rapidly, with bottles and rocks being thrown as the white military police left. Soon after, the white military police returned with reinforcements and an altercation occurred as the black soldiers were walking home from the pub. Later that evening, black soldiers at the base heard of the violence and armed themselves with rifles. The black soldiers were met at the Bamber Bridge with a roadblock from the white military police, and shots were fired. The battle continued until almost four o'clock in the morning, and many people were injured. William Crossland, a black American soldier, was fatally shot.

News Coverage and Sentencing

Following this incident, there was little news coverage of the incident in both the United States and the United Kingdom, though news of the incident spread far and wide through word of mouth. The most popular African American newspaper at the time the Pittsburgh Courier reported on the incident. They stated that "The murder of Private Crossland was not an isolated incident. The Army had repeatedly failed to control the racism of its personnel, especially in the South, where most of the black troops came from" (Pittsburgh Courier, 1943). As this story became widespread, race relations within the United States military had been investigated. Anthony Burgess, a British writer who served in WWII from 1940 to 1941, had observed many smaller racial conflicts in the United States army and was stationed near Bamber Bridge for a period of time. He wrote in 1945, “In 1943 there had been the Battle of Bamber Bridge, well remembered, though it never got into the official chronicles of the war” (BBC, 2005). The lack of documentation of racial tension within the United States army does not come as a surprise given the history of the United States.

After the Battle of Bamber Bridge, 28 black American soldiers faced charges while no white American soldiers were charged, despite accounts suggesting that they played a major role in inciting violence. This unfortunate incident highlights the racial bias prevalent within the US army. Although many of the accused were dishonorably discharged, their sentences were eventually reduced and several were reinstated into service within 10-15 months. It is probable that the US army required more personnel, and it was not a sudden change of heart that led to their reinstatement, indicating a lack of accountability for their actions.

Racial Tensions at the Time

A report known as the Gillem Report was created to address and take action in the fight of discrimination amongst African Americans who were surrounded by violence both at home and out of the country. A historian of African American history Chad Williams observed that, "African American soldiers fought a two-front war. They not only had to fight the enemy overseas but also the enemy within the US Army" (Williams, 2010). Many other activists and people of the African American community had expressed their opinions on violence targeted at Black Americans during World War II. A soldier spoke out and said “All the white boys had the nice coaches with air conditioning and wore their sun tanned uniforms. Once they got off the train they were clean and looked fine. The colored boys rode the front coaches where we had to open the windows to get air. Therefore, all we got was dirt the whole day, we wore our fatigues and looked like something dragged us through the streets” (Amsterdam News, 1943). This example shows how black soldiers were treated unequally compared to white soldiers. Black soldiers and white police officers had many aggressive encounters. Another example that occurred in England was when “military policemen remonstrated with negro soldiers behaving in an disorderly manner in the street of a town in the north-west of England” (Birmingham Gazette, 1943). The commander said that nothing was out of control but yet five enlisted soldiers were injured in the fight.

Commemoration

The event was recognized in June of 2013 at the University of Lancashire, and a plaque was installed across from the pub where the conflict started with the date of the Battle of Bamber Bridge.

References

“Birmingham Gazette Newspaper .” Historical Newspapers, 1943. https://www.newspapers.com/search/?iid=3825&_gl=1%2Ae1ue9f%2A_ga%2AODcxMjI3MzU0LjE2ODIxODI2Njk.%2A_ga_4QT8FMEX30%2AMTY4MjI3MjAzNy4yLjAuMTY4MjI3MjAzNy42MC4wLjA.&query=military+policemen+remonstrated+with+negro+soldiers+behaving+in+an+disorderly+manner+in+the+street+of+a+town+in+the+north-west+of+England&dr_year=1943-1943.

“Draft of the Gillem Board Report.” Harry S. Truman National Archives , 1964. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/research-files/draft-gillem-board-report?documentid=NA&pagenumber=1.

Kratz, Jessie. “Victory at Home and Abroad: Combating Segregation in the Armed Forces.” National Archives and Records Administration, 2021. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2021/02/18/victory-at-home-and-abroad-combating-segregation-in-the-armed-forces/.

“New York Soldier Airs Views on ‘Southernism.’” New York Amsterdam News, 1943. https://www.proquest.com/docview/226105644/fulltextPDF/AEC7C9FB99BA43D0PQ/8?accountid=14853.

Nielsen, Euell A. “The Riot of Bamber Bridge.” Black Past, 2020. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/events-global-african-history/the-riot-of-bamber-bridge-1943/.

Pollins, Harold. “WW2 People's War - The Battle of Bamber Bridge.” BBC. BBC, 2005. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/85/a3677385.shtml.

“The Pittsburgh Courier Double V Campaign ,” 1942. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED205956.pdf.

Rice Professor in English and American Studies, Alan. “Black Troops Were Welcome in Britain, but Jim Crow Wasn't: The Race Riot of One Night in June 1943.” The Conversation, 2018. https://theconversation.com/black-troops-were-welcome-in-britain-but-jim-crow-wasnt-the-race-riot-of-one-night-in-june-1943-98120.

Williams, Chad L. “Torchbearers of Democracy.” University of North Carolina Press, 2010. https://uncpress.org/book/9781469609850/torchbearers-of-democracy/.

Yurasko, William F. “An Advocate for Freedom.” The Pittsburgh Courier, 1941. https://www.yurasko.net/wfy/vv-campaign/pittsburgh-courier-double-v-campaign.