Bamber Bridge in WW2 History | World War II Database

24 Jun 1943

United Kingdom

Several black American soldiers of 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment of US 8th Air Force visited the Ye Olde Hob Inn, a local public house in the village of Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom during their off duty time. Two white US Army military policemen, Corporal Roy Windsor and Private First Class Ralph Ridgeway, of US 234th Military Police Company attempted to arrest them for not wearing their uniforms. Tension quickly built up, with the two military policemen on one side of the argument, and the black soldiers and English villagers on the other. When the military policemen left, someone threw a beer at their jeep, leading to a larger group of military policemen being dispatched to arrest the black soldiers. The two groups ran into each other on the road between the base and the pub. When the black soldiers refused to cooperate with the arrests, the white military policemen opened fire, striking Private William Crossland in the back and killing him. The death of Crossland caused panic among the black soldiers, who began arming themselves in defense, expecting a large number of white military policemen to soon arrive to round everyone up violently. ww2dbase [Bamber Bridge, England | CPC]

25 Jun 1943

United Kingdom

On the previous night, white military policemen Corporal Roy Windsor and Private First Class Ralph Ridgeway of US 234th Military Police Company killed black soldier by gunfire near the Ye Olde Hob Inn, a local public house in the village of Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom for being out of uniform. Other black soldiers of 1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment of US 8th Air Force panicked and began to arm themselves. A firefight broke out, wounding 1 white officer, 1 white military policemen, and 3 black soldiers. The firefight ended around 0400 hours, and the situation calmed by the afternoon. A later court martial convicted 32 black soldiers of mutiny, and none of the white military policemen were charged, including Corporal Roy Windsor and Private First Class Ralph Ridgeway who killed Private William Crossland with a shot in the back. ww2dbase [Bamber Bridge, England | CPC]

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