The Localist in England - S2E1: The children left behind

Download S2E1: The children left behind

Matt Marvel explores stories of mixed American/British heritage children dubbed ‘Brown Babies’ and discovers how DNA technology is helping them find long lost families.

In January 1942 thousands of American troops arrived in the UK to join World War Two. A large contingent of black American GI’s formed part of that deployment.

Racial segregation was still part of life in the US at the time, and as such these men were not sent to the front line but helped build bases as part of the war effort.

Some of these men conceived children while they were in the UK, but when this was discovered by their superior officers, they were transferred elsewhere.

This is the story of the children left behind.

Host / Producer: Matt Marvel
Senior Producer: Ollie Peart
Executive Producer: Kathryn Morrison

Published on Wednesday, 26th January 2022.

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