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Book reveals allied soldiers brawling on Brisbane streets

MAXINE MCKEW: Well, now to a moment in history.

When US forces arrived in Brisbane in 1942, they were given a rapturous welcome.

The Allied forces appeared united in the face of Japanese aggression.

Propaganda films show Australian troops and their new American mates working in perfect harmony -- but the reality was somewhat different.

In November of 1942, after months of tension and niggling incidents, Australian and American soldiers fought openly on Brisbane streets, resulting in the death of an Australian serviceman.

Military censorship at the time meant the incident went largely unreported.

But a new book has revealed the identities of those involved and has led to calls for an apology from the United States.

Simon Royal reports.

PETER THOMPSON, AUTHOR: It was complete mayhem there -- there were people hanging out of windows, there were people at the Gresham Hotel seeing what was going on, trying to work out what the action and all the excitement was all about.

There were Americans in the US Red Cross having their turkey dinners who got involved.

Everybody in that area was caught up in the battle of Brisbane.

SIMON ROYAL: In the middle of World War II, as Australia faced the possibility of Japanese invasion, soldiers from the United States and Australia forgot about the common enemy and instead for two days went to war against one another on the streets of Brisbane.

An Australian soldier was killed by an American military policeman.

Many more men from both sides were wounded.

Not that locals, or indeed the rest of Australia, were told.

The details were subject to strict military censorship.

Now, 58 years later, journalist Peter Thompson has written a book on the battle of Brisbane and he believes it's time the Americans apologised.

PETER THOMPSON: The full story was never told and, therefore, it's unfinished business between the people who were involved -- the ones who are still living -- and their families.

They really want to know what happened and what can be done about it.

SIMON ROYAL: The relationship between Australia and the Americans started out with a rapturous, almost delirious, welcome.

US soldiers had come to a country petrified of the seemingly unstoppable Japanese advance.

But US servicemen like Major Bill Bentson were to find Australia in the early 1940s was a very different place to home.

MAJOR BILL BENTSON, FORMER US SERVICEMAN: Well, it's like -- overpaid, oversexed and over here and you know, our uniforms were a little better.

There were a lot of comments about that.

The Australian uniforms could be a little better for the troops and they're a bit slouchy and, of course, Americans had more money and their canteen had more goodies in the canteen -- you'd see an American with a girl on his arm down the street and things like that.

It kind of irritated the Australians.

PETER THOMPSON: The Americans were told on the ships coming over here that Australia was at least 100 years behind America in terms of industrial development.

The Americans had everything -- they looked good, they had the equipment, they had the perfect teeth, which the Australian girls liked.

They knew the movie stars, or so they said they did and the Australians, really -- it's not a question of the Yanks having too much, it's the Australians had very little.

SIMON ROYAL: Slowly, the petty irritations grew.

The fact Australians couldn't shop in the US canteen, the difference in rates of pay and then, the unstoppable American advance on Australian women.

Peter Thompson argues tension was inevitable and Generals Douglas McArthur and Thomas Blamey -- the American and Australian commanders -- should have prevented it.

ALLAN CAMPBELL, NORTHERN COMMAND INTELLIGENCE: Yeah, well, that was taken on Operations somewhere.

I think that was taken in the Admiralties.

SIMON ROYAL: Allan Campbell was a captain in Australian military intelligence.

Ironically, one of his tasks was to foster the relationship between the two allies.

According to Campbell, with soldiers from both countries on leave, commanders were warned of the potential for trouble.

ALLAN CAMPBELL: I'm pretty sure that the Adjutant-General, a Major Cummings, was advised.

I also told a couple of high-up officers that I thought it was a dangerous position, but the leave wasn't cancelled and the thing just got out of hand.

SIMON ROYAL: On Thanksgiving Day 1942, the barely concealed tensions became open hostilities.

An Australian soldier had been clubbed by an American MP and the 'battle of Brisbane' was on.

PETER THOMPSON: And a group of Australian soldiers chased this MP to the American PX store on the corner of Creek and Adelaide Streets and they laid siege to the building trying to get this man out.

Webster tackled Norbert Grant, the MP with the shotgun who arrived in the middle of the brawl, told him to put the gun away.

There were shouts from the crowd.

Grant was in fear of his life, he said.

He fired at Webster, he hit Webster in the chest and Webster fell dying just here in the spot on the pavement.

SIMON ROYAL: Webster was Gunner Edward Webster from Millmerran in Queensland and a decorated veteran of the war in the Middle East.

Webster was shot by US military policeman Norbert Grant.

Until now, Grant's name has remained a a secret and even finding a photo of him has still proved impossible.

PETER THOMPSON: Norbert Grant was acquitted at a court martial and when an official inquiry was held he wasn't even called as a witness.

No-one was allowed to cross-examine him.

He issued a statement and the Americans insisted that the blame for the whole thing was placed on the Australians, three of whom went to prison.

MAJOR BILL BENTSON: The MP company that was here, they were well-trained military police and they did the job that they were supposed to do and unfortunately, things like that happened.

SIMON ROYAL: For men like Bill Bentson, the battle of Brisbane is an issue long since buried, but Peter Thompson won't let the battle rest until Ed Webster and the Australians officially blamed for the fight are cleared.

PETER THOMPSON: It's actually being able to say, "This happened, what can we do about it?"

And to look at it dispassionately and to be -- not for Australia to be the small partner to the big brother.



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