Battle of Brisbane
Encyclopedia
The "Battle of Brisbane" was violence between United States (U.S.) military
personnel on one side and Australian servicemen and civilians on the other, in Brisbane
, Australia on 26–27 November 1942, during World War II
. Australia and the US were Allies
at the time. By the time the violence had been quelled one Australian soldier was dead, and hundreds of Australians and US servicemen had been injured. News reports of these incidents were suppressed during the war.
From 1942 until 1945 during the Pacific War
, up to one million U.S. military personnel were stationed at various locations throughout eastern Australia. These forces included personnel awaiting deployment to combat operations elsewhere in the Pacific, troops resting, convalescing, and/or refitting from previous combat operations, or military personnel manning Allied military bases and installations in Australia. Many US personnel were stationed in and around Brisbane, which was the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur
, Supreme Allied
Commander, South West Pacific Area
. Many buildings and facilities around Brisbane were given over to the usage of the U.S. military. Brisbane found it difficult to cope as their population of 300,000 increased to 600,000 almost overnight. The city was fortified, schools were closed, brownouts
enforced, crime increased and many families sold up and moved inland.
Access to goods and services
Although the military personnel from Australia and the U.S. usually enjoyed a cooperative and convivial relationship, there were tensions between the two forces that sometimes resulted in violence. Many factors reportedly contributed to these tensions, including the fact that U.S forces received better rations than Australian soldiers, shops and hotels regularly gave preferential treatment to Americans and the American custom of caressing girls in public was seen as offensive to the Australian morals of the day. Lack of amenities for the Australians in the city also played a part. The Americans had PXs
offering merchandise, food, alcohol, cigarettes, hams, turkeys, ice-cream, chocolates and nylon stockings at low prices, all items that were either forbidden, heavily rationed, or highly priced to Australians. Australian servicemen were not allowed into these clubs while Australian canteens on the other hand provided meals, soft drinks, tea and sandwiches but not alcohol, cigarettes and other luxuries. Hotels were only allowed to serve alcohol twice a day for one hour at a time of their choosing leading to large numbers of Australian servicemen on the streets rushing from one hotel to the next and then drinking as quickly as possible before it closed.
Differences in pay
Of major concern was the fact that U.S. military pay was considerably higher than that of the Australian military and U.S. military uniforms were seen as more appealing than those of the Australians. This resulted in U.S. servicemen not only enjoying greater success in their pursuit of the few available women but also led to many Americans marrying Australian women, facts greatly resented by the Australians. In mid 1942, a reporter walking along Queen Street
counted 152 local women in company with 112 uniformed Americans while only 31 women accompanied 60 Australian soldiers. That it was though necessary for the media to report this situation indicates the effect of the American presence. "They're overpaid, oversexed and over here", was a common phrase used by all Australians around this time and is still an anecdote recognised by some in modern generations.
Opinions of each other's soldiers
Another concern was the way the Australian military was viewed by American's high command. Douglas MacArthur had already expressed a low opinion of Australian troops then fighting along the Kokoda Track
; though Australia was bearing the brunt of the land war in New Guinea by itself. MacArthur would report back to the US on "American victories", but Australian victories were communicated to the US as "American and Allied victories."
Likewise Australians also looked down upon the fighting qualities of Americans - who seemed all glitz and brashness. This feeling would be confirmed during the Battle of Buna. Americans general ignorance of Australia, and American perceptions that Australians lacked a certain 'get-up-and-go' also soured relations.
Plans to abandon Australian territory
Though not widely reported at the time the American stance on the Brisbane Line
- where-by it was planned that Australia would leave a large portion of its territory undefended - caused ill feelings between Australians and Americans.
The Brownout Murders
Eddie Leonski, an American soldier was convicted in 1942 of the murder of several women in Melbourne
.
Differing views on race
To a lesser degree there was also tension over the appalling treatment and segregation of the African-American Soldiers by the U.S. Military. Due to white American resentment towards African American access to dance-halls and for associating with "white girls on the streets of Brisbane", troops of the U.S. 208th Coast Artillery rioted for 10 nights in March 1942, fighting against African Americans from the 394th Quartermaster Battalion. As a result, U.S. military authorities segregated
African Americans, restricting them to the south side of the Brisbane River
. However, trouble continued with a major race riot at Wacol
, knife fights in South Brisbane and American MPs assaulting or killing black troops simply for crossing the Brisbane River.
Although Australia's Aborigines had no citizenship rights Australians welcomed African-American servicemen in a way that shocked American sensibilities.
which left one Australian and the American dead, an Australian soldier was shot by an American MP in Townsville
, an American serviceman and three Australian soldiers in Brisbane's Centenary Park were involved in a knife fight which left one Australian dead, an American soldier was arrested for stabbing three servicemen and a Brisbane woman near the Central railway Station
, and twenty Australians fought American submariners and members of the USN Shore Patrol, mauling them badly. On the morning of the Battle, an Australian soldier was batoned by an American MP in Albert Street
.
According to Australian historian Barry Ralph, on 26 November an intoxicated Private
James R. Stein of the U.S. 404th Signal Company left the hotel where he had been drinking when it closed at 6:50 pm and began walking to the Post Exchange
PX on the corner of Creek
and Adelaide
Street some 50m further down the road. He had stopped to talk with three Australians when Private Anthony E. O'Sullivan of the U.S. 814th Military Police
Company (MP) approached and challenged Stein for his leave pass. While Stein was looking for it the MP became impatient and asked him to hurry up before grabbing his pass and arresting him at which the Australians began swearing at the MP telling him to leave Stein alone. American MPs were not well regarded by Australians as they were notorious for their arrogance and use of batons at the least provocation, when O'Sullivan raised his baton as if to strike one of the Australians they attacked him. More MPs arrived blowing whistles while nearby Australian servicemen and several civilians rushed to help their countrymen. Outnumbered, the MPs retreated to the PX carrying the injured O'Sullivan, Stein chose to go with them. In the meantime, a crowd of up to 100 Australian servicemen and civilians had gathered and began to besiege the PX, throwing bottles and rocks and breaking windows. Police Inspector Charles Price arrived but could do nothing as the crowd continued to grow with the American Red Cross
Club diagonally opposite the PX also coming under siege.
Sporadic fights broke out throughout the city. The Tivoli Theatre was closed with servicemen ordered back to their barracks and ships while soldiers with fixed bayonets escorted women in the city from the area. By 8pm up to 5,000 people were involved in the disturbance. Several Australian MPs even removed their armbands and joined in. Corporal Duncan Caporn commandeered a small truck driven by an Australian Officer and three soldiers. The truck contained 4 Owen sub-machine guns, several boxes of ammunition and some hand grenades. The Local Brisbane Fire Brigade arrived but simply looked on and did not use their hoses. The American authorities were later to criticise them for not doing so.
The 738th MP Battalion in the PX started to arm the MPs with 12-gauge Stevens
pump-action shotguns in order to protect the building and they moved to the front. People in the crowd took umbrage at this demonstration of force and attempted to relieve Private Norbert Grant of C company of his weapon. He jabbed one Australian with his gun before Gunner
Edward S. Webster of the Australian 2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment grabbed the barrel while another soldier grabbed him around the neck. During the scuffle it was discharged three times. The first shot hit Webster in the chest killing him instantly. The following two shots hit Private
Kenneth Henkel in the cheek and forearm, Private Ian Tieman in the chest, Private Frank Corrie in the thigh, Sapper
De Vosso in the thigh and Lance Corporal
Richard Ledson was wounded in the left thigh and left hand and also received a compound fracture of the left ankle. Two civilians were also hit, Joseph Hanlon was wounded in the leg and 18-year-old Walter Maidment was also wounded. Ledson was later discharged due to his injuries.
In the confusion, Private Grant managed to run back towards the PX hitting an Australian over the head with his shotgun, breaking the butt of his weapon while doing so. An American soldier, Private Joseph Hoffman received a fractured skull in the scuffle. By 10pm the crowd had dispersed leaving the ground floor of the American PX destroyed. A War correspondent
, John Hinde
, was on a hotel balcony overlooking the scene and later stated, "The most furious battle I ever saw during the war was that night in Brisbane. It was like a civil war."
On the following night a crowd of 500 to 600 Australian servicemen gathered outside the Red Cross building. The PX building was under heavy security and heavily armed American MPs were located on the first floor of the Red Cross. NCOs went through the crowd and confiscated several hand grenades. In Queen Street a group of soldiers armed with MP batons ran into 20 U.S. MPs who formed a line and drew their handguns. An Australian Officer intervened and persuaded the American commander to take his men away from the area. The crowd then moved to the corner of Queen and Edward Streets outside of MacArthur's headquarters in the AMP Building
and began shouting abuse towards the building. The intersection was filled with rings of Australians beating up GIs and more than 20 were injured. U.S. Army Sergeant Bill Bentson who was present on both nights recalled how he was amazed to see "Americans flying up in the air".
Australian writer Margaret Scott who, along with her American husband, had been assaulted in Edward Street
during the riot, has stated that several U.S. servicemen were beaten to death and one shot in the fighting, but there are no official records supporting this claim.
Pvt. Grant was later court-martial
led by the U.S. military authorities for manslaughter
in relation to the death of Webster, but was acquitted on the grounds of self defense. Five Australians were convicted of assault as a result of the events described above, and one was jailed for six months.
The Chief Censor's Office in Brisbane ordered that "No cabling or broadcasting of details of tonight's Brisbane servicemen's riot. Background for censors only: one Australian killed, six wounded". The Brisbane Courier Mail
did publish a heavily censored article the next day about the incident. Although the article mentioned the death and injuries it did not give any idea of nationalities involved or any specific details. It is believed that the incident was never reported by U.S. media and American servicemen in Brisbane had their mail censored to remove any mention. As a result of the secrecy many rumours and exaggerated stories circulated in Brisbane over the following weeks including one saying that 15 Australian servicemen had been shot by Americans with machine guns with the bodies being piled on the Post Office steps.
Following the Battle of Brisbane, resentment towards American troops led to several smaller riots in Townsville
, Rockhampton
and Mount Isa. In other states similar riots also followed, the Melbourne
riots on 1 December 1942 and the Battle of Bondi
on 6 February 1943. The Battle of Perth
in January 1944 and the Battle of Fremantle
in April 1944 also stemmed from resentment towards American troops.
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
personnel on one side and Australian servicemen and civilians on the other, in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia on 26–27 November 1942, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Australia and the US were Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
at the time. By the time the violence had been quelled one Australian soldier was dead, and hundreds of Australians and US servicemen had been injured. News reports of these incidents were suppressed during the war.
Background
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, up to one million U.S. military personnel were stationed at various locations throughout eastern Australia. These forces included personnel awaiting deployment to combat operations elsewhere in the Pacific, troops resting, convalescing, and/or refitting from previous combat operations, or military personnel manning Allied military bases and installations in Australia. Many US personnel were stationed in and around Brisbane, which was the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, Supreme Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
Commander, South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
. Many buildings and facilities around Brisbane were given over to the usage of the U.S. military. Brisbane found it difficult to cope as their population of 300,000 increased to 600,000 almost overnight. The city was fortified, schools were closed, brownouts
Brownout (electricity)
A brownout is an intentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system used for load reduction in an emergency. The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag or dip. The term brownout comes from the dimming experienced by lighting when the voltage sags...
enforced, crime increased and many families sold up and moved inland.
Access to goods and services
Although the military personnel from Australia and the U.S. usually enjoyed a cooperative and convivial relationship, there were tensions between the two forces that sometimes resulted in violence. Many factors reportedly contributed to these tensions, including the fact that U.S forces received better rations than Australian soldiers, shops and hotels regularly gave preferential treatment to Americans and the American custom of caressing girls in public was seen as offensive to the Australian morals of the day. Lack of amenities for the Australians in the city also played a part. The Americans had PXs
Base exchange
A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
offering merchandise, food, alcohol, cigarettes, hams, turkeys, ice-cream, chocolates and nylon stockings at low prices, all items that were either forbidden, heavily rationed, or highly priced to Australians. Australian servicemen were not allowed into these clubs while Australian canteens on the other hand provided meals, soft drinks, tea and sandwiches but not alcohol, cigarettes and other luxuries. Hotels were only allowed to serve alcohol twice a day for one hour at a time of their choosing leading to large numbers of Australian servicemen on the streets rushing from one hotel to the next and then drinking as quickly as possible before it closed.
Of major concern was the fact that U.S. military pay was considerably higher than that of the Australian military and U.S. military uniforms were seen as more appealing than those of the Australians. This resulted in U.S. servicemen not only enjoying greater success in their pursuit of the few available women but also led to many Americans marrying Australian women, facts greatly resented by the Australians. In mid 1942, a reporter walking along Queen Street
Queen Street, Brisbane
Queen Street in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is one of the city's major streets. It is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. Queen Street ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches...
counted 152 local women in company with 112 uniformed Americans while only 31 women accompanied 60 Australian soldiers. That it was though necessary for the media to report this situation indicates the effect of the American presence. "They're overpaid, oversexed and over here", was a common phrase used by all Australians around this time and is still an anecdote recognised by some in modern generations.
Opinions of each other's soldiers
Another concern was the way the Australian military was viewed by American's high command. Douglas MacArthur had already expressed a low opinion of Australian troops then fighting along the Kokoda Track
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
; though Australia was bearing the brunt of the land war in New Guinea by itself. MacArthur would report back to the US on "American victories", but Australian victories were communicated to the US as "American and Allied victories."
Likewise Australians also looked down upon the fighting qualities of Americans - who seemed all glitz and brashness. This feeling would be confirmed during the Battle of Buna. Americans general ignorance of Australia, and American perceptions that Australians lacked a certain 'get-up-and-go' also soured relations.
Plans to abandon Australian territory
Though not widely reported at the time the American stance on the Brisbane Line
Brisbane Line
The "Brisbane Line" was a controversial defence proposal allegedly formulated during World War II to concede the northern portion of the Australian continent in the event of an invasion by the Japanese...
- where-by it was planned that Australia would leave a large portion of its territory undefended - caused ill feelings between Australians and Americans.
The Brownout Murders
Eddie Leonski, an American soldier was convicted in 1942 of the murder of several women in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Differing views on race
To a lesser degree there was also tension over the appalling treatment and segregation of the African-American Soldiers by the U.S. Military. Due to white American resentment towards African American access to dance-halls and for associating with "white girls on the streets of Brisbane", troops of the U.S. 208th Coast Artillery rioted for 10 nights in March 1942, fighting against African Americans from the 394th Quartermaster Battalion. As a result, U.S. military authorities segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
African Americans, restricting them to the south side of the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
. However, trouble continued with a major race riot at Wacol
Wacol, Queensland
Wacol is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. According to the 2001 census, a total of 4851 people lived within the boundaries of Wacol. The suburb is located on the east bank of the Brisbane River, 18 km south-west of the Brisbane central business district, on the Brisbane-Ipswich railway...
, knife fights in South Brisbane and American MPs assaulting or killing black troops simply for crossing the Brisbane River.
Although Australia's Aborigines had no citizenship rights Australians welcomed African-American servicemen in a way that shocked American sensibilities.
Events immediately prior
According to authorities, up to 20 brawls a night were occurring between Australian and American servicemen. In the weeks leading up to the Battle of Brisbane there were several major incidents, including a gun battle between an American soldier and Australian troops near InkermanInkerman, Queensland
Inkerman is a town located in North Queensland, Australia on the Bruce Highway. It is well known for nearby Mount Inkerman, which has a road going up it and a scenic view from the top. At the 2006 census, Inkerman had a population of 520.-External links:*...
which left one Australian and the American dead, an Australian soldier was shot by an American MP in Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, an American serviceman and three Australian soldiers in Brisbane's Centenary Park were involved in a knife fight which left one Australian dead, an American soldier was arrested for stabbing three servicemen and a Brisbane woman near the Central railway Station
Central railway station, Brisbane
Central railway station is, as the name suggests, the central railway station for the Queensland Rail City network in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
, and twenty Australians fought American submariners and members of the USN Shore Patrol, mauling them badly. On the morning of the Battle, an Australian soldier was batoned by an American MP in Albert Street
Albert Street, Brisbane
Albert Street is a road in Brisbane, Australia. It was named after Prince Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and it runs between George Street and Edward Street, and from Alice Street to Wickham Terrace....
.
The battle
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
James R. Stein of the U.S. 404th Signal Company left the hotel where he had been drinking when it closed at 6:50 pm and began walking to the Post Exchange
Base exchange
A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
PX on the corner of Creek
Creek Street, Brisbane
Creek Street is a major street in the central business district of Brisbane. Although the street is immediately within the Brisbane CBD, it has not been named accordingly, similar to that of other streets in the CBD...
and Adelaide
Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Adelaide Street, which is a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, runs parallel to Queen Street and Ann Street.Notable buildings and parks along Adelaide Street include Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, ANZAC Square with the Shrine of Remembrance , ANZAC Square Arcade, Law...
Street some 50m further down the road. He had stopped to talk with three Australians when Private Anthony E. O'Sullivan of the U.S. 814th Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
Company (MP) approached and challenged Stein for his leave pass. While Stein was looking for it the MP became impatient and asked him to hurry up before grabbing his pass and arresting him at which the Australians began swearing at the MP telling him to leave Stein alone. American MPs were not well regarded by Australians as they were notorious for their arrogance and use of batons at the least provocation, when O'Sullivan raised his baton as if to strike one of the Australians they attacked him. More MPs arrived blowing whistles while nearby Australian servicemen and several civilians rushed to help their countrymen. Outnumbered, the MPs retreated to the PX carrying the injured O'Sullivan, Stein chose to go with them. In the meantime, a crowd of up to 100 Australian servicemen and civilians had gathered and began to besiege the PX, throwing bottles and rocks and breaking windows. Police Inspector Charles Price arrived but could do nothing as the crowd continued to grow with the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
Club diagonally opposite the PX also coming under siege.
Sporadic fights broke out throughout the city. The Tivoli Theatre was closed with servicemen ordered back to their barracks and ships while soldiers with fixed bayonets escorted women in the city from the area. By 8pm up to 5,000 people were involved in the disturbance. Several Australian MPs even removed their armbands and joined in. Corporal Duncan Caporn commandeered a small truck driven by an Australian Officer and three soldiers. The truck contained 4 Owen sub-machine guns, several boxes of ammunition and some hand grenades. The Local Brisbane Fire Brigade arrived but simply looked on and did not use their hoses. The American authorities were later to criticise them for not doing so.
The 738th MP Battalion in the PX started to arm the MPs with 12-gauge Stevens
Savage Arms
The Savage Arms Company is a firearms manufacturing company based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with a division located in Canada. The company makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as marketing the Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns...
pump-action shotguns in order to protect the building and they moved to the front. People in the crowd took umbrage at this demonstration of force and attempted to relieve Private Norbert Grant of C company of his weapon. He jabbed one Australian with his gun before Gunner
Gunner (rank)
Gunner is a rank equivalent to Private in the British Army Royal Artillery and the artillery corps of other Commonwealth armies. The next highest rank is usually Lance-Bombardier, although in the Royal Canadian Artillery it is Bombardier....
Edward S. Webster of the Australian 2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment grabbed the barrel while another soldier grabbed him around the neck. During the scuffle it was discharged three times. The first shot hit Webster in the chest killing him instantly. The following two shots hit Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
Kenneth Henkel in the cheek and forearm, Private Ian Tieman in the chest, Private Frank Corrie in the thigh, Sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
De Vosso in the thigh and Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
Richard Ledson was wounded in the left thigh and left hand and also received a compound fracture of the left ankle. Two civilians were also hit, Joseph Hanlon was wounded in the leg and 18-year-old Walter Maidment was also wounded. Ledson was later discharged due to his injuries.
In the confusion, Private Grant managed to run back towards the PX hitting an Australian over the head with his shotgun, breaking the butt of his weapon while doing so. An American soldier, Private Joseph Hoffman received a fractured skull in the scuffle. By 10pm the crowd had dispersed leaving the ground floor of the American PX destroyed. A War correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
, John Hinde
John Hinde
John Hamilton Hinde AM was an Australian broadcaster and film reviewer. He worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for more than fifty years, in both television and radio....
, was on a hotel balcony overlooking the scene and later stated, "The most furious battle I ever saw during the war was that night in Brisbane. It was like a civil war."
On the following night a crowd of 500 to 600 Australian servicemen gathered outside the Red Cross building. The PX building was under heavy security and heavily armed American MPs were located on the first floor of the Red Cross. NCOs went through the crowd and confiscated several hand grenades. In Queen Street a group of soldiers armed with MP batons ran into 20 U.S. MPs who formed a line and drew their handguns. An Australian Officer intervened and persuaded the American commander to take his men away from the area. The crowd then moved to the corner of Queen and Edward Streets outside of MacArthur's headquarters in the AMP Building
MacArthur Central, Brisbane
MacArthur Central is an English Renaissance styled building located on the north-east corner of Queen Street and Edward Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
and began shouting abuse towards the building. The intersection was filled with rings of Australians beating up GIs and more than 20 were injured. U.S. Army Sergeant Bill Bentson who was present on both nights recalled how he was amazed to see "Americans flying up in the air".
Australian writer Margaret Scott who, along with her American husband, had been assaulted in Edward Street
Edward Street, Brisbane
Edward Street is a busy thoroughfare in the Brisbane central business district, Queensland, Australia. It is a one way street located between Albert Street and Creek Street, and runs from Upper Edward Street to Alice Street....
during the riot, has stated that several U.S. servicemen were beaten to death and one shot in the fighting, but there are no official records supporting this claim.
Aftermath
On the first night one Australian serviceman was killed, eight people suffered gunshot wounds and several hundred people were injured. The second night, eight U.S. MPs, one serviceman and four American officers were hospitalised with countless others injured. The Units involved in the riots were relocated out of Brisbane, the MPs' strength was increased, the Australian canteen was closed and the American PX was relocated.Pvt. Grant was later court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
led by the U.S. military authorities for manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
in relation to the death of Webster, but was acquitted on the grounds of self defense. Five Australians were convicted of assault as a result of the events described above, and one was jailed for six months.
The Chief Censor's Office in Brisbane ordered that "No cabling or broadcasting of details of tonight's Brisbane servicemen's riot. Background for censors only: one Australian killed, six wounded". The Brisbane Courier Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
did publish a heavily censored article the next day about the incident. Although the article mentioned the death and injuries it did not give any idea of nationalities involved or any specific details. It is believed that the incident was never reported by U.S. media and American servicemen in Brisbane had their mail censored to remove any mention. As a result of the secrecy many rumours and exaggerated stories circulated in Brisbane over the following weeks including one saying that 15 Australian servicemen had been shot by Americans with machine guns with the bodies being piled on the Post Office steps.
Following the Battle of Brisbane, resentment towards American troops led to several smaller riots in Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, Rockhampton
Rockhampton
Rockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
and Mount Isa. In other states similar riots also followed, the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
riots on 1 December 1942 and the Battle of Bondi
Bondi, New South Wales
Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi is located seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. The postcode is 2026.-Location:...
on 6 February 1943. The Battle of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in January 1944 and the Battle of Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
in April 1944 also stemmed from resentment towards American troops.
See also
- Battle of Manners StreetBattle of Manners StreetThe Battle of Manners Street refers to a riot involving American servicemen and New Zealand servicemen and civilians outside the Allied Services Club in Manners Street, Wellington, New Zealand in 1943. The club was a social centre, open to all military personnel.In 1942-44 there were many American...
a similar 'battle' in New Zealand - Zoot Suit RiotsZoot Suit RiotsThe Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots in 1943 during World War II that erupted in Los Angeles, California between white sailors and Marines stationed throughout thehi c mlc city and Latino youths, who were recognizable by the zoot suits they favored...
- Eddie Leonski