WW2 US mutiny in Australia by African-Americans soldiers uncovered

It was of course censored by the US government.

Australian historian uncovers WWII US mutiny

An Australian academic has uncovered what he believes is evidence of a mutiny by African-American soldiers stationed Down Under during World War II sparked by racial abuse.

"For 70 years there's been a rumour in Townsville that there was a mutiny among African-American servicemen," Holyoak told ABC Radio.

Holyoak said documents from the era reveal that some of a group of 600 African-American troops sent to Townsville in 1942 to build an airfield ended up involved in a siege in which they turned their guns on their white officers.

"After some serial abuse by two white US officers, there were several ring-leaders and they decided to machine gun the tents of the white officers," he told the state broadcaster.

Holyoak said the siege lasted eight hours during which the mutineers fired machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons into tents where their fellow Americans were drinking.

The historian said the incident was never reported, but he had found a report on it written by an American journalist embedded with the troops, Robert Sherrod.

Very interesting report. Racism at the time was all over so it's not really a surprise that this kind of thing happened. I'm sure lots of stuff like that happened and was never reported.