African American soldiers based in UK during WW2

(P/O Cy Grant undertook air operations out of Elsham Wold as a Navigator with No 103 Squadron.He went into the bag after his Lancaster was downed homeward bound from Gelsenkirchen)

Regarding Canadian offspring in Great Britain....wasn't Eric Clapton's mother left pregnant by her Canadian forces boyfriend?

Fraternisation has always occurred throughout history,friend or foe...some formal,some not.

Some years ago I saw a fraternisation with the enemy programme in which a relationship between a young French woman and a member of the Wehrmacht was covered.The Normandy invasion intervened and the German was captured during the invasion, if I recollect, but after the war they were able to get married despite the hostility in Normandy where they lived.

Eisenhower was concerned about it,after Germany's defeat to the extent that he issued an order forbidding it.....it was ignored and propagation took its course...bartering seems to have been the foundation for some relationships.

 

Here is a story with some relevance. The Kingsclare Murders (now claimed as a haunted pub). Ten American soldiers refused entry to a pub by an MP, but return with guns for a wild west style shootout. Most of the people involved, less for the unfortunate landlady, were black.
http://kingsclere.org.uk/pdf/murders.pdf

 

Wow. Like a lot of members I read about WWII whenever I can and this is the first I've heard of something that should have been a huge story. It certainly was suppressed. Cold blooded premeditated murder. I hope they all died in Leavenworth.

 

Clapton's father:
Edward Walter Fryer, born March 21, 1920, Montreal.

"He could con the horns off a billy goat"

His Father's Eyes - Article

 

I think Cy Grant flew with Ronald Fitzgerald Herbert

 

Hello, my name is Sandra and I do research project in a social enterprise called Culture Healing Communities. For the past 18 months I have spoken with anyone and everyone, trying to find African-American military that were stationed in Britain during the WW2. I am spooked by the fact that there are no records, barely a photo or news about people that have endured a great deal to bring freedom to the rest of the world. We are in dire need of this group's help.
Please, if you know someone that is a descendant of a WW2 veteran that was stationed in Britain, if you are a veteran that can remember in which area you were, if you have a name, a photo, an article, anything at all, please get in touch.
We have managed to get a list of battalions, codes and areas.
If you, by any chance, recognise anything, please get in touch.
This is a project that means a lot to us, and we are stuck.
Thank you for reading.
Here is the list:
Hull
17 Special Service Company, 3 Platoon * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion (Transportation Corps), HQ & HQ Det * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion (Transportation Corps), 254 Port Co * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion (Transport Corps), 257 Port Company * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion (Transportation Corps), HQ & HQ Det * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion (TC), HQ & HQ Detachment * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion TC, 255 Port Company * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion TC, 256 Port Company * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion TC, 257 Port Company * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
498 Port Battalion TC, HQ & HQ Detachment * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
856 Quartermaster Fumigation & Bath Company (M) (-) * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
1517 Quartermaster Truck Battalion (-), HQ & HQ Det * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
1517 Quartermaster Truck Battalion, 2024 QM Trk Co * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
1517 Quartermaster Truck Battalion, Medical Det * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
856 Quartermaster Fumigation & Bath Company (M), (-) * Yorkshire, East Riding
17 Special Service Company, 3 Platoon * Yorkshire, East Riding WA6250
856 Quartermaster Fumigation & Bath Company (M), (-) * Yorkshire, East Riding
Scorton
595 93 - 86 Station Complement Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
595 93 - 422 Night Fighter Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
149 94 - 1053 Signal Company (Service Group), Detachment A Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
149 94 - 1444 Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
149 94 - 2197 Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation) Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
86 Station Complement Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
74 Service Group, 1 Service Squadron P Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
75 Station Complement Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
1224 Quartermaster Company (Service Group), Det A Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
1 Service Squadron P(Provisional?) Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
30 Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
86 Station Complement Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7125
425 Night Fighter Squadron Yorkshire, North Riding QZ7320
Potters Hill
191 Medical Dispensary (Aviation) (Yorkshire, West Riding) (VE7807?)
13 Replacement Control Depot, Squadron C (Yorkshire, West Riding) (VE7807)
331 Station Complement Squadron (-) (Yorkshire, West Riding) (VE7807)
591 Army Postal Unit (Yorkshire, West Riding?) (VE7807)
1515 Quartermaster Truck Bn, 1938 QM Truck Co (-) * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7807 WG7807
1516 Quartermaster Truck Bn, 1950 QM Truck Co, Det A * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7807 WG7807
17 Replacement Control Depot, Squadron O Yorkshire, West Riding VE7807 WG7807
635 77 - 17 Replacement Control Depot, Squadron R Yorkshire, West Riding VE7807 WG7807
Wortley
1912 Ordnance Ammunition Company * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7819
2104 Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation) * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7819
1961 Ordnance Depot Company, Detachment A *Yorkshire, West Riding VE7819
635 77 - 1962 Ordnance Depot Company (*?) Yorkshire, West Riding VE7819
635 77 - 2104 Quartermaster Truck Company (Aviation) * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7819
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
HQ Eastern Base Section, Detachment C, Provost Marshal Northumberland
22 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, HQ & HQ Battery Northumberland QZ7383
10 - 22 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, Headquarters Northumberland QZ7383
638 95 - 321 Fighter Control Squadron Northumberland QZ7383
638 95 - 573 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion, HQ & HQ Co Northumberland QZ7383
22 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, Headquarters Northumberland QZ7383
321 Fighter Control Squadron Northumberland QZ7383
573 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion, HQ & HQ Co Northumberland QZ7383
Sheffield
HQ Eastern Base Section, Military Police Detachment A Yorkshire, West Riding VE8208
605 Quartermaster Graves Registration Co, 2 Platoon Yorkshire, West Riding VE8208
HQ West Base Section, Military Police Detachment A Yorkshire, West Riding VE8208
Haltwhistle
250 Field Artillery Battalion, Battery C Northumberland QZ1080
European Theatre of Ops Prisoner of War Encl No 6 Northumberland QZ1080
513 33 - 440 Prisoner of War Processing Company Northumberland (QZ1080?) QZ1985
Harrogate
7 General Hospital Yorkshire, West Riding VE7874
65 General Hospital Medical IET Detachment A Yorkshire, West Riding (VE7874?) BLANK
115 General Hospital Yorkshire, West Riding VE7874
Detachment of Patients 4198 HP Yorkshire, West Riding VE7874
North Shields
32 10 Hospital Train Northumberland QZ8388 QZ0388
Leeds
HQ Eastern Base Section, Military Police Detachment D Yorkshire, West Riding VE7654
Penistone
364 Engineer General Service Regt, 2 Bn, Company D * Yorkshire, West Riding VE7123
Holmes
41 Signal Construction Battalion, Company A * Yorkshire, East Riding WA2958 BLANK
Riccall
990 Engineer Treadway Bridge Company Yorkshire, East Riding WA0958
South Dalton
655 18 7 Signal Center Team Yorkshire, East Riding WA4465
Middlesbrough
564 Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion, HQ Plot Company Yorkshire, North Riding QZ9935
Middleton
7 Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company Yorkshire, East Riding WA4269
North Burton
ETO Prisoner of War Encl No 8, Enclosure 8B Yorkshire, East Riding WA5691
European Theatre of Ops Prisoner of War Encl No 8 (-) Yorkshire, East Riding WA5691
Thank you

 

“They treated us royally” The experiences of black Americans in Britain during the Second World War

 

Hi, thank you, I know the article and Emily (she is no longer the curator). They have confessed that they have no record of individuals, and nothing related to the list I have published.

 

WOW! I have no idea why my initial search did not produce anything, so I have created a new post... but on the same subject. Yes, I have a list of battalions that was meant to be only for 1944, but after 18 months researching everywhere, there isn't one clue about a single name of that list. The areas of interest are Yorkshire and Northumberland, with the African-American troops. I can see that this post has been created in 2008, so, we are now in 2024: any update? Any list of individuals that fought in any of those battalions? Some books speak about 2.000 mixed-race children, but I have been running through social media and I haven't found one! Just one! I really want to see who these African-American troops were, in those areas. More than that, did anyone return to Britain? Did someone came to plant roots here and now there are families descendants from those veterans? Did they make any contribution to a change of culture and heritage in local societies? Please, anyone that could help with individual cases? Thank you.

 

That is super, thank you so much.
I have placed a reply there:
'WOW! I have no idea why my initial search did not produce anything, so I have created a new post... but on the same subject. Yes, I have a list of battalions that was meant to be only for 1944, but after 18 months researching everywhere, there isn't one clue about a single name of that list. The areas of interest are Yorkshire and Northumberland, with the African-American troops. I can see that this post has been created in 2008, so, we are now in 2024: any update? Any list of individuals that fought in any of those battalions? Some books speak about 2.000 mixed-race children, but I have been running through social media and I haven't found one! Just one! I really want to see who these African-American troops were, in those areas. More than that, did anyone return to Britain? Did someone came to plant roots here and now there are families descendants from those veterans? Did they make any contribution to a change of culture and heritage in local societies? Please, anyone that could help with individual cases? Thank you.'

 

To add some details to this cryptic post:
Rich relations : the American occupation of Britain, 1942-1945
Dr Juliet Gardiner > Dr Juliet Gardiner > WW2History.com
The Afro-American and the Second World War
When Jim Crow met John Bull : black American soldiers in World War II Britain

For some wider context:
Professor Ulysses Lee wrote an official history: The Employment of Negro Troops, so his other work may be worth exploring too.
“Coloured troops” at TNA - the War Cabinet memoranda (CAB 66) are revealing of their concerns and ‘paternalistic’ attitudes.

 

Sandra,

Have a look at the last post in: How a British sense of justice saved black American GI wrongly sentenced to death in WW2

Did any of your units participate in this march in London? It is I expect such a remarkable event even today their descendants would remember.

Some of your listed units are Quartermasters, perhaps the point of contact in Post 3 could help? See: US QUATERMASTER UNITS @ HANINGTON WILTS 1944

 

Welcome Sandra

Your previous enquiries may help others: WW2 Black troops in Britain

I presume your locations come from Phil Grinton’s work: United States of America - links about half way down the page.

 

An old request for anything on:

but herewith a thread from elsewhere:
African American Soldiers

 

Have you seen this previously?

‘Brown Babies’ of the Second World War

 

Yes, I did, I have covered all I could in terms of books, but there is a gigantic gap in terms of the North. I have a list of troops, including Yorkshire areas and Northumberland, and got a response from MoD saying that they have no records of African-American troops for any area.