The First Friendly Invasion: the US Military in First World War Britain

Dr Sam Edwards of Loughborough University gives a talk on the American Expeditionary Force's presence in First World War Britain.

Dr Sam Edwards from Loughborough University explores the 'first friendly invasion' — the arrival of the American Expeditionary Force in Britain over 1917–18, a precedent to the better-known Second World War presence. The talk reveals where the US military was based in Britain, the experiences of the 'doughboys', and how local communities received them. It concludes by looking at memorials and monuments left by this presence, from the western isles of Scotland to England's south coast. The event runs for 90 minutes at the Levinsky Theatre.