PADDYBOY

Why were Americans stationed in britain during the second world war so unpopular with the British public ?
Even today, elderly people still refer to them as those damned Yanks.
I remember reading somewhere about the British goverment sponsering pro-American docos to be shown in British cinemas to change the public opinion.
Wasn't there a saying that went, over here, over paid and over sexed.

Lucius

Even in the US, camp towns have a love/hate relationship with the GIs.

On the one hand, the servicemen are basically decent people(and their paychecks "boost the local economy"). On the other hand, they are young men who like to drink and fight.

NullZone

There were several reasons.

Rationing had been in place for several years, there were shortages of everything from clothes onwards and then you have a bunch of well fed yanks turning up with seemingly unlimited supplies and cash. It's bound to cause resentment.

Some people would have felt the americans had turned up late, after all we'd been at war for several years and know a new bunch had turned up to save the day.

Simple culture differences between the two, compare a US bar and a traditional UK pub. Some of the US guides to the UK were'nt exactly flattering.

The land grab for US bases would have seemed unfair to many. Giving up your house or farm for king and country is one thing, but for a bunch of foreigners.

Some of the americans (some of very high standing) were under the impression they were fighting the wrong side.

And...ahem...fraternising with the locals. Many of whose husbands had been abroad for some time.

OldSwabbie

I think NullZone is correct in my opinion... Having been in the Military and having traveled all over the world. I've been to bases and towns where we were loved, and those where we were hated. Actually the people near Forrest Scotland were some of the nicest people I've ever met abroad. Even just walking down the road in my flight suit, American flag on the sleeve my buddy and I didnt have to walk far. The lady who put us up for the night in her home didnt even charge us when we left two days later. We however left some cash under a pillow for her....

I could go on for hours on the good and bad places but I think he's correct. At "That" point in time they were resentful, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that once the pictures of the landings at Normandy started hitting the papers and the magazines.. the sentiments changed quite a bit. Those brash, overbearing, loud (that was a biggie) Americans were turning the beaches red with their blood. I imagine there were still some irritations but D-Day changed everything.

Discussion?

Pfaxt3ld

I bet a lot of the young british men hated American troops because of they were stealing their girlfriends. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think about 85,000 American GIs took british wives that they met while stationed in the UK.

Verus

The issue was perhaps more on the side of the Americans perception of British inactivity in the war. The Allied C in C Eisenhower ordered that the American GI's be given a "tour" of sites of devastation in southern England to help reinforce the certainly more correct image of the sufferings the Britons were enduring in the war effort.

Tynesider

Unpopular yanks? Seems to overstate the case and 85000 GI wives can't be wrong! Don't forget the Yanks brought cultural invasion, ie big bands, nylons, and free spending ways, which went down very well with a country pretty much on its knees. Yes there was bound to be resentment, particularly at the gulf between pay rates and the numerous shifting of female affections,
but the arrival of the Americans also meant something else - the worst was over and we were going to win. Films (The Way to the Stars) and TV series (We'll Meet Again) have been made in Britain which celebrate the Yank invasion, and there's a brilliant museum at Duxford near Cambridge celebrating the US 8th Air Force.

That said one interesting aspect was race - several pubs popular with Americans refused requests to enforce a colour bar against black GIs.

PADDYBOY

No doubt about that, but when you consider that a lot of young British men had other things on their mind, like fighting the Germans, dodgeing bombs and so on, and bearing in mind that so many of them were killed ! there were still plenty of women to go round.
If you consider the amount of young American men who were killed during the war, I can't imagine young American women being very pleased about the amount of foreign brides being brought home ?

Atlantid

It's not surprising. When it comes to competition for women, men close ranks with their own and show aggression towards any male outsiders. Unfortunately for the Brits, from what I understand, British women found Americans very expressive and bold, unlike British males.

PADDYBOY

With 85,000 brides to take home, it would seem that American males found British females more attractive than American females, in that case

Is this taking us anywhere ??