Many Southampton people recall striking up friendships with the American visitors. For periods of time roads in Shirley, Bitterne and central Southampton were blocked with queuing tanks and jeeps. A common story is that these soldiers were invited to bed down in people’s living rooms and front doors were left open for them. A Shirley resident remembers English and American soldiers being camped outside his house: ‘We used to leave the door open at night so they could come in and sleep on the floor of the sitting room instead of sleeping in tanks’. Children would pester soldiers for sweets and treats and their persistence was often rewarded

If American soldiers could get an English address they were allowed to have leave from the Army, so they would stay with English families and friends. For locals and American troops to mix ‘The Bargate Club’ in the High Street, was formed by the Red Cross as a place to socialise, and there was a dance every Sunday night at the Guildhall. One woman remembers, ‘I wouldn’t go out or dance with an American, I had brothers in the Navy, they’d have gone mad! We looked down on women that did, they were disloyal’.

For deprived locals and soldiers, years of rationing made the Americans seem very wealthy. Their daily ration during the invasion was nearly twice that of British troops. Bad feeling about the difference between British and American pay scales made for some uncomfortable encounters. Incidents were recorded of British ratings [definition] shouting abuse at American troops in the port, and a general order from Rear-Admiral Ripon was read out 4th August 1943 threatening serious punishments for such behaviour.

There were also incidents of racial tension between American soldiers. Prejudices from America were brought with the troops. Black and white soldiers did not serve in the same squadrons and even their social lives were segregated. A chapel, since demolished, in London Road served as a social club for black soldiers. It was still very controversial for a black American and a white woman to be seen together, and this was a flash point for trouble in some cases. During the American stay there were 27 cases of racially motivated violence recorded in Southampton.

In the docks a short walkout was called when armed American guards were posted to discourage the theft of supplies that were being shipped in for the troops. Civilian stevedores [definition] resented the implications of the move and refused to work under armed guard. As a compromise the markings were changed on crates containing luxuries like sweets and tobacco. Guards without guns were used instead.

Despite the problems, on the whole the mood in Southampton was one of cautious optimism about the future. On New Years Eve 1944 people in Southampton were able to hear the church bells ring out. They had not been heard since the start of war in 1939. For the first time since the disastrous days of retreat from Dunkirk, it seemed that the end of the war might be in sight.

The first Americans

Soldiers in the streets

Time to go home