Sometimes termed ‘The Diaper Run’ due to the large number of babies on-board, the S.S. Argentina set sail from Southampton to New York City on 26th January, 1946 - transporting 456 ‘War Brides’ and their 170 children from Britain to the USA.

Each was permitted to bring 200lb of luggage, and faced an uncertain future on arrival in the States - some reuniting with their one true love; others finding themselves shacked up with in-laws who resented their existence.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how this historic crossing triggered a change in U.S. immigration policy; examine the appeal of clean-cut American servicemen to working-class British women; and recall the much-forgotten additional passenger - ‘the War Groom’...

Further Reading:

• ‘Coming To America: The War Brides Act of 1945’ (The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, 2020): https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/war-brides-act-1945
• ‘War Brides - America’ (WWII magazine): http://www.americainwwii.com/articles/war-brides/ 
• ‘G.I. Brides Sail’ (Pathé News, 1946) - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wiUotiD9HI

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.

#40s #War #US #UK

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