Fighting for the United States, Executed in Britain: US Soldiers Court-Martialled in WWII

During World War II, American soldiers were executed in Britain for committing murders and rapes against British civilians. A treaty between Britain and America meant that they faced an American court martial, rather than a British civilian court. The last executions for rape in Britain were carried out at Shepton Mallet Prison. The book reflects the situation in the United States, where the ethnicity of the accused person often played a key role in both convictions and the chances of subsequently being executed.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 02 June 2021
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

This book delves into a chapter of American military history that many would prefer to forget. When the United States came to the aid of Britain in 1942, the arrival of American troops was met with unbridled enthusiasm, but unfortunately, wartime also brings out the worst in people. A handful of the soldiers took advantage of the hospitality extended to them by committing heinous acts such as murders and rapes against British civilians. Some of these individuals met their end at Shepton Mallet Prison in Somerset, which had been allocated for the use of the American armed forces.

Due to a treaty between Britain and America, those accused of such offenses faced an American court martial rather than a British civilian court, which led to some peculiar anomalies. Although rape had not been a capital crime in Britain for over a century, it still carried the death penalty under American military law. As a result, the last executions for rape in Britain took place during this period at Shepton Mallet.

Fighting For America: Executed in Britain is a poignant account that chronicles the stories of every American soldier executed in Britain during the Second World War. The majority of the executed soldiers were either black or Hispanic, reflecting the demographics of the United States itself, where the ethnicity of the accused often played a significant role in both convictions and the likelihood of subsequent execution.

This book serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of war and the devastating impact it can have on individuals and communities. It sheds light on the complexities of race and ethnicity in the context of military justice and highlights the need for greater accountability and justice for all victims of war crimes.

Weight: 504g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526790958