1944 - African American soldier dancing with a British Women's Auxiliary Air Force member at Paramount Dance Hall London.

Everybody was trying to figure out what to make of the roughly 1.5 million Americans who poured into England between July 1943 and D-day, introducing many Britons to such exotica as jitterbug, Jeeps and even pitchers' mounds.

When a mound was installed in Wembley Stadium for a baseball game between two U.S. service teams in early June 1944, the London Times informed puzzled readers that "its use adds to the speed of throw."

Despite their far-reaching empire, many Britons, particularly in the smaller towns, had never seen a black man until the G.I.s arrived.

From brizzle born and bred