The Military Workshop
1st Lieutenant
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
- Messages
- 4,778
The other night a documentary called Black Soldier Blues was shown on Aussie TV (SBS).
It is an ABC production and the synopsis on their web page is as follows
"When America established its Pacific base in Australia, the country’s Prime Minister warmly welcomed the thousands of GIs stationed there - except for the black GIs who were told to stay on their boats. When they were finally allowed to come ashore, they soon discovered their greatest threat was the enemy within.
Black Soldier Blues is a WW11 story with a difference. Told by the American and Australian veterans who were there, this is a tale of unexpected friendships and danger in a land with a government whose policy was to keep Australia “white”.
A very interesting doco. A bit awkward allowing US troops to come to Oz to help defend the country and initially not allowing black regiments off the boat !!
After the Prime Minister did allow them to land and be based in Oz they were treated extremely well by the locals. However the accounts of their treatment by their own army and the white MP's were shocking.
Some interesting accounts by the soldiers themselves and Aussie locals including Keith Payne VC.
It was interesting to note that whilst Oz could be considered a rascist country at that time the Aussie soldiers apparently would more likely side with the balck soldiers against the white US troops. So much so that when there was an important basketball match between the USN (which had college stars) and a black Army team in the finals the Aussie soldiers were cheering for the Army.
www.abc.net.au/abccontentsales/s1452136.htm has details.
It is an ABC production and the synopsis on their web page is as follows
"When America established its Pacific base in Australia, the country’s Prime Minister warmly welcomed the thousands of GIs stationed there - except for the black GIs who were told to stay on their boats. When they were finally allowed to come ashore, they soon discovered their greatest threat was the enemy within.
Black Soldier Blues is a WW11 story with a difference. Told by the American and Australian veterans who were there, this is a tale of unexpected friendships and danger in a land with a government whose policy was to keep Australia “white”.
A very interesting doco. A bit awkward allowing US troops to come to Oz to help defend the country and initially not allowing black regiments off the boat !!
After the Prime Minister did allow them to land and be based in Oz they were treated extremely well by the locals. However the accounts of their treatment by their own army and the white MP's were shocking.
Some interesting accounts by the soldiers themselves and Aussie locals including Keith Payne VC.
It was interesting to note that whilst Oz could be considered a rascist country at that time the Aussie soldiers apparently would more likely side with the balck soldiers against the white US troops. So much so that when there was an important basketball match between the USN (which had college stars) and a black Army team in the finals the Aussie soldiers were cheering for the Army.
www.abc.net.au/abccontentsales/s1452136.htm has details.
