Causley Festival: ‘An American Uprising’ Book Talk with Kate Werran

Part of the Digital Causley Festival of Arts and Literature.

The story of Mutiny in the Duchy has been a life-long interest of Kate Werran, ever since her childhood when one summer whilst holidaying in her father’s home of Launceston, she put her fingers in forgotten bullet-holes left in a war monument during WWII.

For five fateful minutes in 1943, American GI’s unleashed a dramatic ‘wild west’ shoot out in the Cornish town of Launceston. The subsequent sensational court martial became daily headline news in Britain and America – to the rising alarm of Whitehall and Washington top brass. US Army authorities tried to cover it up and when that failed, banned reporting of the verdict to bury the story.

Kate’s talk will concentrate on exploring the surprising countdown to mutiny that started in America and finally exploded on the streets of Launceston one September evening in the Second World War.

Find out why it happened and what this episode reveals about Britain, race and the real wartime “special relationship”. Kate’s talk begins with an introduction by the person who started this whole thing, former pupil of Charles Causley and general history buff, her dad, David.

Kate Werran is a journalist who has produced critically acclaimed 20th Century history programmes for Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC.

NB This event is only available Online. Please book your Free ticket. You will receive a confirmation of your Order straight away. Later, nearer the event date & time, you will be emailed your personal Zoom link to the Online event.

See the Festival Brochure here