Doreen May

Doreen May, known as Dot, was born in Bristol in 1925 and grew up in their family home in Knowle-West. At the time, Knowle West was very much the edge of Bristol and not far from the old Bristol Airport at Whitchurch.

^{Upper Knowle in 1939}

With the continual build-up of the US Army in Britain in 1943 and 1944, the sight of dashing young Americans in their olive drab uniforms was a common sight all over Bristol. For 18 year-old Dot, this was a very exciting time and a chance to escape the tedium of rationing and wartime restrictions.

^{American soldiers with Bristol’s children outside the Hippodrome, February 1943}

Dot worked at the Hippodrome and one day, while in the city centre, she met the man who she would start courting. This was a 20-year-old Texan named Doug Miller and they instantly hit it off. Unfortunately, Dot can’t remember what unit he was in, but believes he was stationed at the US Army camp on Novers Lane conveniently down the road from Knowle West.

^{Possible US Army Camp at the end of Novers Lane – Now Wills Way leading to Imperial Park}

Dot remembers having an awful lot of fun with him; they went to the pubs in Bedminster such as the General Elliot and The Turnpike. They also enjoyed walks on the Downs where there were hundreds of other GIs and their girls. The Downs was the site of two large US Army vehicle compounds and nearby was the US First Army Headquarters at Clifton College.

Another place that Dot and Douglas used to enjoy going to was to dances at the Wills Tobacco Factory Recreation Hall along with other Yanks. This building has long since disappeared but once stood where the Asda Bedminster car park is now.

They obviously had a very close and committed relationship as Douglas gave Dot his graduation ring (post-war he did ask for it back but Dot had given it to her father). His mother even sent stockings and chocolates all the way from Texas which was gratefully received by Dot.

However, the events that brought Dot and Douglas together were also those that broke them apart. Douglas’ unit was transferred to Newport in the run up to D-Day, which limited their time together. He did return at weekends and stay with her family and have trips out to Old Market. They also used to go to the Mauritania pub on Park Street, which seems to have been dedicated for use by US Army personnel. Dot also has fond memories of visiting the Priory Café in the centre and, of course, the Hippodrome.

^{The Mauritania left as shown with the US Army in the victory parade through Bristol}

Eventually, D-Day came and Douglas went to Normandy. They kept in touch and Douglas was really keen for Dot to return to Texas with him but she didn’t want to leave her family. As Dot says ‘We had great times and I missed him lots’.

Source: Written account by Doreen May, June 2023

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