A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
ANGLO - AMERICAN
In August of 1942 a Regional Advisory Panel on Anglo-American relations was set up and met at the Regional Office. The Regional Information Officer visited influential people in various parts of the Region and Hospitality Committees, consisting of representatives of leading voluntary organisations, the civic authority and the Local Information Committee, were inaugurated. One of the first problems which arose was the question of premises for leave hostels, clubs, etc.
The first large-scale celebration which afforded press publicity both here and in the United States was Thanksgiving Day, November, 1942. Celebrations were arranged throughout the Region and a particularly ambitious programme at Boston, Lincs., was carried out most successfully. A lengthy procession of American troops, R.A.F. and A.T.C., Civil Defence personnel and the Mayor and members of the Council led the way to the historic Parish Church where an impressive service was held. Afterwards the American guests were entertained by the townspeople. All arrangements for publicity by national and local newspapers and agencies, photographic agencies and the B.B.C., Home and Foreign Broadcasts, were handled by the Regional Press Officer.
On numerous occasions during the following eighteen months publicity on the above scale was obtained. Through the efforts of the Regional Officer, civic dignitaries and organisations such as the E.S.U. were encouraged to offer hospitality and entertainment to groups of Americans stationed in their areas. The following were typical examples of such occasions:-
Thanksgiving Day, 1943, was again celebrated at Boston, Lincs., the preacher on this occasion being the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the Spring of 1944, Civic receptions were given to U.S. troops by the Lord Mayors or Mayors of Northampton, Nottingham, Leicester and Derby. On each occasion a dance followed.
At the Northampton luncheon the American guests were representative of each of the 48 States of the Union and on the table in front of each guest was a hand painted copy of the flag of his State. At Nottingham each man received a gift of lace as a memento of the occasion.
In March, 1944, the Anglo-American Committee at Nottingham organised a Sunday concert at the Empire Theatre to which Allied Servicemen and women of all nations were invited. American artists entertained the huge audience.
A Field Day of Sports events and a Baseball game was held on the grounds of Loughborough College in April, 1944. The Special Service branch of the U.S. Army sponsored this programme and troops from the nearby Quorn Camp took part. The events were watched by over a thousand British guests.
A similar track meeting was organised in the following September by a local Committee under the Chairmanship of the Mayor of Loughborough. On this occasion the competitors included members of the U.S. and British Forces, R.A.F., British Women's Services, pre-Service Units and Civil Defence workers. Four thousand spectators were present; the prizes were distributed by the Mayoress.
British and American wounded were invited to a luncheon given by the Leicester Branch of the E.S.U. in honour of Mr. Harvey Gibson, American Red Cross Commissioner to Great Britain, on May 2nd, 1944.
On June 9th, 1944, the highest peak of Anglo-American celebrations was reached when the Mayor of Peterborough gave a luncheon party at which H.R.H. the Princess Royal, the heads of the three British Women's Services met women of the U.S. Forces. The luncheon, at which the Princess Royal spoke, was followed by a visit to the Cathedral and a garden party in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace,
The Victory of D Day was celebrated in Leicester on July 16th by the Lord Mayor giving a garden party and dance to U.S. paratroops returned from Normandy. Guests included members of the Civil Defence, Women's Services, N.F.S. and nurses.
The Leicester Branch of the E.S.U. on August 26th, 1944 at a Garden Fete held at the University College, presented to the Divisional General of Airborne Troops, Brigadier Gavin, a silver tray as a permanent memento of the friendship between the civilian populations and U.S. troops stationed in the neighbourhood.
When the Freedom of the Borough of Derby was conferred upon the diplomatic representatives of U.S.A., China, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, Mr. Winant was present at a Civic Luncheon and Dinner to celebrate the occasion.
In the winter of 1944 a dinner was held for senior representatives of R.A.F. and U.S. Army Medical Services stationed in the area. The outcome of this was that during the following months a series of highly successful medical lectures were delivered by world famous members of the profession - Sir Alexander Fleming, Professor Henry Cohen, and Sir Reginald Watson-Jones.
The large industrial concerns of Nottingham in the summer of 1945 contributed between £20,000 and £30,000 to found Roosevelt Travel Scholarships to the memory of the late President. These will enable boys of Nottingham to spend a year in the States. On October 26th General of the U.S. Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, travelled from his Headquarters to Nottingham to dedicate the Scholarships.
In addition to this large-scale hospitality there were regularly run weekly sight-seeing tours of convalescent soldiers from each of the five U.S. hospitals in the Region. A bus load of about 30 soldiers was invited to see some local spot of historic interest, some factory, some country house and beauty spot, or some famous school, and were then invited to tea by an organisation or private individual. On these occasions the convalescents were photographed and their photograph and a personal letter from the host were sent to the editor of each man's home town newspaper and often also to his next of kin.
One of the difficult tasks of the Ministry was the formation of British Welcome Clubs - members of which were British civilians resident in a particular area and Americans stationed in the vicinity. Although in a few spots these Clubs were run successfully, particularly for Officers in a country house atmosphere, it was generally found that the continual change of personnel mitigated against the success of these Clubs. The most successful, run in a large town, was the Club at Derby which forgathered on Sundays for many months.
Before the British Council guidebooks were prepared for the use of American troops, booklets and leaflets describing various districts of the Region (e.g. Sherwood Forest, Derbyshire Dales, Leicester, Nottingham, Lincolnshire) were distributed by the Regional Office through American Red Cross Clubs. Some brochures published before the war were redesigned with a view to easy mailing home to the States.
Youth Organisations in the Region showed deep interest in things and people American and it was possible to assist Local Education Committees to organise Youth Conferences on America. Most large towns in the Region held these Conferences at which as many as two thousand children at one time met together and were addressed by such well-known personages as Professor Dobie, Mrs Helen Kirkpatrick, Mrs Edward Burrows, Professor Arthur Newell, Mr Michael Powell and Miss Louise Morley. After main addresses, Conferences usually divided up into small discussion groups led by American servicemen and women who willingly gave up their time to foster good relations between the two countries.
In some areas, where American units were stationed, it proved possible to arrange for service personnel to address youth groups regularly during the winter months.
There was very close liaison between the Regional Office and American Red Cross Clubs, Units and hospitals in the district and valuable assistance was given to Commanding Officers, Welfare and Education Officers, etc. It sometimes proved possible for advice to be given to enable units to obtain equipment, helpers, hospitality, etc. A huge list of names of residents in the area willing to invite Americans as guests during off duty hours and leave periods was prepared, and schedules showing entertainments in the towns of the Region were regularly circulated. Ministry speakers addressed U.S. audiences and film units and equipment were at the disposal, of camps and hospitals.