大象传媒

This is a story told me by my father, Sydney Brooks (1917-92). He was unfit for military service but was called up into a reserved occupation, and joined the Home Guard. He was a member of the North Staffs regiment and was stationed at Uttoxeter.
In the build-up to D-Day, a large American contingent was stationed nearby. In the evenings, when the pubs were open, there was always trouble between white and black American soldiers.
After a time, American military police (I think he called them Snowdrops) would arrive in force, laying about them on all sides with batons. Some soldiers would be arrested but most would slink back to their camp, bruised. The problem - that part of it, at least - was eventually solved by the Americans' introduction of "black nights" and "white nights". It quickly transpired that black American soldiers, who were impeccably behaved, could get on well with British soldiers in the town.
However, on white nights, there began to be trouble of a different kind. My father said the Americans always started it, and they picked on British soldiers, who, in their turn, resented the taunts of these Johnny-come-latelies who had more money and showed off about their prowess, even though after the fall of France the British had held Hitler at bay on their own. When the fights were at their most violent, the Snowdrops would arrive and lay about them in their usual fashion. At some point, also, two British naval officers - I swear he said naval officers! - would arrive in a phut-phutting jeep and potter down the main street whilst all the British soldiers seemed to melt away. They never seemed to arrest anyone.
After D-Day, with most of the Americans gone, relative peace returned to the town in the evenings.

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