Battle of Bamber Bridge

The Battle of Bamber Bridge, which took place in June 1943 during the World War Two in the English village of Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, United Kingdom was an outbreak of racial violence between black and white American forces stationed there. The incident began when white Military Police (MPs) sought to arrest several African American soldiers from the racially segregated 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment at the Ye Olde Hob Inn public house in Bamber Bridge, only days after the 1943 Detroit race riot.

The United Kingdom was not racially segregated, and it was against the British law to drive the Afro-American soldiers away from the pub.

Black troops armed themselves with weapons from their base armory after the arrival of more military police armed with machine guns. Throughout the night, both sides exchanged fire. Several MPs and troops were hurt, and one black soldier was killed.

Category:20th-century battles
Category:1943 in Europe