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Cheering for the team at the Valley baths, Brisbane, December 1943

Lieutenant Colonel Blackween with actor John Wayne at Albion Park races, Brisbane, 1943

Feature: Sport and war

During World War II, hundreds of thousands of United States servicemen were based in Queensland. Consequently many inter-forces competitions were organised. For example, image number 102776 was described in the Sunday Truth, 21 Feb 1943 p7, as: 'members of the U.S. Boxing Team who competed against Australian servicemen at the inter-allied boxing tournament at the Brisbane Stadium on Saturday 27 Feb 1943'. The Americans lost nine fights to five in what was described as 'one of the most boisterous and raucous nights in the history of the old Albert Street arena'.

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