What Happened When 26,000 Horny US Troops Hit Perth

Yankee Come Home? Did Langtrees Start the Tariff War?

Back in the good old days of 1941, while the world was falling apart at the seams, the good citizens of the UK, Australia, and New Zealand had another pressing concern: the Americans. Or more specifically, the overpaid, over-sexed, and over here Americans. That was the grumble from the locals as waves of fresh-faced Yanks from the US Army, Navy, and Air Force swanned into their towns, allegedly to prep for battle but suspiciously good at charming the local Sheila's in the process.

Over a million of Uncle Sam’s finest were stationed in Australia and New Zealand for pitstops on their way to war—and that included about 100,000 Black servicemen, too. It was supposed to be all handshakes and alliances, but before long, the local lads noticed that the Americans had an unfair advantage: money, manners, and movie-star accents. Suddenly, Sheila from the suburbs was more interested in ‘Sergeant Chad’ than ‘Bruce from down the road.’

Cue jealousy, punch-ups, and in one case, a full-blown brawl known as the Battle of Manners Street in Wellington. That 1941 dust-up saw Kiwi soldiers and Yanks trading fists for hours, with a few patriotic Aussie diggers joining the scrap in the name of Southern Hemisphere ANZAC solidarity. You couldn’t script it better if you tried.

Fast forward a few decades and the American presence was still making waves—literally—off the coast of Perth. Back in the day, the 7th Pacific Fleet used to casually roll up to Fremantle, and park imposingly off Fremantle. I well recall the hulking shape of the aircraft carriers looming offshore—too big to dock in Freo Harbour or even squeeze into Stirling naval base. True, some of the average 22 accompanying support vessels did park in the harbour, even inviting the public to tour the ships, which was lovely, if you’re into missiles and metal corridors. Soon after anchoring, the city streets were crowded with groups of Americas youth some dressed in spotless uniforms, others in the latest hip fashions from the homeland, all eager for a little Liberty Leave.

I remember those days when for example, in 1996 the USS Abraham Lincoln Battle Group arrived for R&R&R (Rest, Recreation and Rooting) parking the intimidating fleet off Freo in Gage Roads. From the big girl and her escort vessels some 7,000 generally clean-cut, young, fit and relatively handsome men and some women poured in like a human tsunami into the city and hearts of Perth. Colin Barnett, the Minister of Tourism at the time estimated that this one trip would add 6 million bucks to the WA economy. Annually for Oz in general, such visits were estimated to add on average 63 million bucks to the national economy. Who knew liberty leave was so lucrative?

But 1996 was small potatoes compared to the golden era of sailor invasions: 17,000 in 1987-88, and a whopping 26,000 in 1988-89 came to town to play!

Now, let’s not pretend all those Yankee dollars went solely into souvenirs, I guess we can all see some of that filthy lucre would find its way into the sex for profit economy. With Burswood Casino opening in 1985, thanks to Dallas Dempster (great name for a villain or Bond girl, by the way), drawing some of those invading forces closer to penetrating the prestige WA Bordello Langtrees VIP, strategically located across the road. Nothing like a bonk to settle your nerves after a loss on the tables, or to celebrate a big win.

It’s also necessary to recognise that our local Perth suburban Sallys—keen amateurs in the sport of international relations—plucked many a young serviceman from the Land of the Formerly Free (BF Trump) in hotel bars and nightclubs across the city. And once the fleet had buggered off, a not-so-small number of these local liaisons resulted in more than just fond memories from their sweaty trysts. Back then, almost everyone knew someone whose sister, cousin, or wayward daughter ended up pregnant to a dashing, now-vanished Yankee.

And if you’re struggling to picture the emotional aftermath of those whirlwind romances, just cue up Bridal Train by The Waifs—a hauntingly beautiful ballad about young Aussie girls boarding the train to marry their American baby daddies and start new lives across the sea. It's like a musical footnote to an era of love, loss, and a fair bit of libido-fuelled diplomacy.

And so, curious to hear the other side of this sticky saga, I turned my attention to the fine women of Perth’s adult industry. What did they make of these Yankee invasions? What were their experiences when our streets were full of horny, homesick heroes?

Time to dive in and—appropriately—hit the G-spot of research. And like a good girl, Madam Google did not disappoint. She tossed me a juicy bone to chew on...

To quote the exact article from the website of WIRED from May 2002 - Oversexed Downunder2M

Prostitutes in Perth, Australia, were reeling from exhaustion following an influx of U.S. sailors fresh from the war zone. Mary-Anne Kenworthy decided to close the doors of her famous Langtrees brothel for a day rather than risk its reputation. "The girls were starting to refuse to have sex but still wanted money just for taking their clothes off." Langtrees did a week's business in just three days after 5,500 American sailors disembarked from three warships.

Kenworthy said she wished the U.S. sailors would arrive in smaller numbers. “We usually find the Yanks are hard work but lots of fun, this time they needed the company too.”

Well, there you have it, folks—straight from the luscious lips of our beloved Madam. One has to wonder… did Langtrees raise the white flag or the red one when the American invasion rolled in? Was it surrender... or a strategic withholding of assets? Because on that fateful day in May 2002, when the doors closed and the goods went on embargo, it sure looked like Langtrees slapped a 100% sex tariff on the whole damn fleet.

Now I ask you—was that the real start of the global trade war? Not China. Not oil. But a Perth bordello declaring a sex-free zone and sending thousands of sailors back to their ships with blue balls and crushed dreams. Is it possible the Orange One (yes, that one) remembered the sting of Langtrees’ rejection and took it personally? Stranger things have shaped history.

But honestly—screw the politics. Let’s get to the good stuff. Wouldn’t it be delicious to hear the juicy stories straight from the ladies themselves? Those glorious women who were there in 2002, or during any of the great Yankee invasions, when Fremantle got frisky and Perth’s nightlife became a playground of military-grade mischief.

Sadly, the days of 7,000 testosterone-fuelled troops flooding the city are gone. These days, we might get the occasional nuclear sub slink in with its measly 350 man crew parking at Stirling Naval Base—not exactly a party!

Still, to all the fabulous femmes who played their part in this saucy chapter of local history—whether you're now a MILF, GILF, or just someone with a great story and a better memory—we want to hear from you. Drop your tales in the comments below and let’s immortalise the days when WA was wild, the Yanks were horny, and Langtrees held the nuclear codes to satisfaction.

Author: Magnum 
For: Langtrees.com 

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