Blackshirts in Leicester

Introduction

The ten-year period spanning 1920-30 saw growing support for authoritarian and fascist ideology across Europe, notably in Germany, Spain, and Italy, with Italy becoming a fascist dictatorship in 1922. Oswald Mosley, an English politician and aristocrat, saw this rightward shift and was convinced that fascism was the natural next step for politics in the UK.[1] Mosley had bounced between parties through 1920 and ultimately ended up as the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the minority Labour government between 1929-31. During his tenure as chancellor, Mosley had become disillusioned with the party and government system in England, believing both to be ineffective. This led to Mosley quitting Labour and launching The New Party in early March 1931[2], with backing from some Labour and Conservative MPs.[3] Though not overtly fascist at first, after a lukewarm first election, Mosley spent time travelling Europe and became inspired by fascist movements and leaders, particularly Benito Mussolini. [4] The party would be merged with other fascist groups to create the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in October 1932.[5]

Early years

As the BUF started to gain some new members and positive media attention, Mosley focused his efforts on the young, the homeless and veterans from the First World War, deeming them the most receptive to his cause.[7] One of these new members was a young man from Leicester named Walter Gough. Walter was 17 when he originally became interested, and though there were already groups forming in neighbouring areas in the Midlands such as Coventry and Birmingham, Leicester was not yet represented. Leicester was known for its strong industrial base and played an influential role in the East Midlands, as well as being the biggest nearby city for many small towns and villages in the Leicestershire region.[8] In October 1932, Walter wrote to the BUF headquarters on King Road, Chelsea, enquiring about joining the party. Walter refers to the headquarters as “The Barracks”[9] however it seems to be more formally known as The Black House. This was where all administration took place, as well as training of the party’s paramilitary wing, the Fascist Defence Force (FDF) and the Blackshirts.[10] The Blackshirts were the general membership, so-called because of the black uniforms they wore. Walter was invited to the headquarters for an interview and formally became a party member in 1932. Due to his age and experience, Walter said that he was to wait until a more suitable candidate for a branch organiser appeared until the Leicester branch was formally set up. This seemed to be a long wait, as it was not until April 1934 that Walter received a letter from Colonel O. Alwyne Brown, a recent recruit that this position would be filled. Shortly after, a meeting was organised at the Colonel’s house on Humberside Drive, with six new members joining the group, who then started to prepare for the creation of the Leicester branch on May 1934.[11]

The Leicester branch's main activities seemed to be spreading propaganda through the form of handing out party literature and writing to the Leicester Mercury correspondence column. This caused some friction with the local Labour and Communist parties, who in turn would write oppositional letters that would be printed alongside challenging the BUF’s propaganda. [12] The group would hold speeches at the Leicester market on Sundays—a common practice for political and religious groups at the time. However, due to local hostilities, the group eventually relocated slightly outside the market area, near the Haymarket shopping centre.[13] The first official meetings were held at the Turkey Café on Monday 14 and Monday 28th May 1934, with speeches on the party's economic model and ideology, and letters from Mosley being read to the group.[14] There were also events across Leicestershire in villages like Tugby and Oakham, where Walter recalls being well received.[15]

Olympia

The party seemed to be gaining traction around the country, with the party estimating around 40,000 members,[16] with many small businesses across Leicester becoming quietly supportive of the BUF’s opposition to free trade and wanting to keep trade as domestic as possible.[17] This was to be rocked on June 7, 1934, after a large rally in London would become a disaster; a pivotal moment for the BUF across the country. The rally was held at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London and was the most ambitious rally to date. The event was widely publicised prior, as Rothermere papers held letter-writing competitions on "Why I Like the Blackshirts”, with the winning prize being tickets to the event.[18] The Communist Party and anti-fascists were adamant that they were going to stop the proceedings, with members buying up tickets and many wearing all black to disguise themselves as the BUF.[19] Well-coordinated disruption tactics of the anti-fascists caused violent clashes, as they created loud distractions across the venue making it increasingly difficult to hear the speakers, Mosley included. The brutality that Mosley’s paramilitaries used to deal with the anti-fascists was widely reported in the press and was a major hit to the organisation's public image.[20] The event was so fierce that it led to discussions in the House of Commons[21] and the violence pushed many of the less diehard members away.[22] Walter himself was one of the few members of the Leicester branch to have been at the rally, and gave a personal account to the Leicester Mercury from the BUF’s perspective[23], painting the anti-fascists as the savage, violent aggressors. However, this seemed ineffective and was not enough to stop the mass departure from the branch (leaving only around 30 members)[24], Walter notes that the rally brought a new kind of younger member who was more interested in the excitement of violence than politics.[25][26]

Granby Halls

Though ultimately being dealt a devastating blow the year prior, the Leicester branch stayed active and on 14 April 1935, Leicester’s biggest BUF rally was held at Granby Halls, with Mosley personally coming to deliver a speech. After originally failing to secure the De Montfort Hall due to worries of violence breaking out and potential damage being caused to the building, the Halls became the next best option.[27] Though Walter painted the meeting in a positive light,[28] it seemed to have been another failure, filling only 1500 seats in the 6000-capacity hall, many of these seats filled by BUF members from branches around the country.[29] Mosley's speech was extremely antisemitic in nature and was a departure from the branch's public silence on the issue.[30] The disruption from anti-fascists inside the hall was so effective that it became increasingly difficult to hear the speakers, with multiple fights breaking out across the hall during Mosley's speech. A counter-protest saw 150 anti-fascists march from the market to the Granby Halls on the same day, joining with another 9000 protesters waiting outside of the venue. As the Blackshirts' stewards and accompanying police tried to eject the disrupters, there was a real worry that wider violence may break out causing a possible riot. It seemed that even though officially the police saw the disrupters as the real cause of violent disorder across the rally, because it was another of their events ending in chaos, the violent reputation of the BUF was solidified in the public consciousness. The rally did very little to bring new members, showing the irrelevance of the party in the city whilst also being deeply humiliating for Mosley.[31]

‘I went along to the Granby Halls and entered. For the first time in my life, I had a curious first impression of the inside of this colossal structure – a long chain of blackshirts stretched to the centre of the hall from a gigantic pile of folding chairs which were being swung from hand to hand into position. The whole place was alive with activity and strict organisation was apparent. Working side by side were national headquarters officers… High Squad men, which were the, presumably the equivalent of the SS, they were the, they wore jackboots and were particularly efficient looking gangsters.’  Walter Gough.

Aftermath and demise

The Leicester branch would have a change of leadership and for the rest of 1935, most of the group's activities were focused on more traditional party-political activities trying to get into government through the ballot box, though this was extremely unsuccessful.[32] By the summer of 1936, it was reported there were only five members.[33] By the second half of 1936, the branch was focused on stopping British intervention in the Spanish civil war and the Abyssinia crisis in support of the fascist and right-wing groups that were involved.[34] There was more violence across 1936 with a second Granby Halls meeting that was said to be more violent than the first, with many travelling BUF members preferring to stand at the back, waiting for disrupters to fight, than sit and listen to Mosley's speech.[35] The anti-fascists would keep up this persistent campaign to protest against the BUF for the rest of its history, showing up to many of the planned speeches at the marketplace and Victoria Park gates. There were instances of upwards of 800 organised anti-fascist demonstrators being recorded, even at some of the smaller events. [36]

‘We had an influx of refugees into Leicester from the Basque territory, to which we strongly objected ‘cos we felt there enough English boys and girls in state of poverty that deserved our attention rather than these children being driven out of Basque territory. Our sympathy to the Franco regime is perhaps exemplified that we called our new headquarters, our major headquarters we had in Leicester for some time in Upper Wellington Street, ‘Alcatraz House’, which of course was the castle which Franco’s men heroically held out against the Communists for nearly 18 months.’  Walter Gough.

Cable Street

By the end of 1936, things were not any better for the group, and on October 4, 1936, the BUF planned a march through the East End of London, to commemorate the anniversary of the party’s formation. The march became a failed show of force by Mosley and the Blackshirts who planned the route through areas with a significant Jewish population. From start to finish, the march was plagued with violence, with a majority of the skirmishes being between the anti-fascists and the police charged with protecting the marching BUF.[37] The violence came to a head on Cable Street where the anti-fascists cordoned off the main street and many side roads.[38] An estimated 100,000 anti-fascists, made up of a cross-section of different ethnic and political communities from across the area, had travelled to stop their march.[39] This was opposed to the significantly smaller Blackshirts group of between 2000- 3000[40] with a police escort of another 6000.[41] It's estimated around 88 protesters were arrested[42] and 100 were injured[43] (though there is some dispute on the exact numbers). The disruption was so large that Mosley had to call off the march after police thought it would be too dangerous to continue. The planned march was abandoned with the event taking a different route through west London, finishing at Charing Cross pier.[44] This was seen as an important win for the anti-fascists, showing the larger negative public feeling towards the Blackshirts. The battle led to the passing of the Public Order Act of 1936, allowing police to deny permission to groups organising large meetings and demonstrations and banning political uniforms, ultimately prohibiting the Blackshirts from wearing their iconic attire. [45]

Though the branch still aspired to acquire positions in local council and Parliament, the dream for Walter was finally dead.[46] By 1937, the branch was left with Walter and two other members and in October of this year, Walter was finally made the branch organiser.[47] Due to the increased vulnerability to violence, in addition to their small membership, public speaking all but stopped across Leicestershire, with only a few regular speeches at the safety of the entrance to the Marlborough Road HQ.[48] In the eyes of the population of Leicester, the BUF was irrelevant and anti-fascist groups moved their efforts towards the growing might of Germany's Nazi party. In 1938, all branch premises except for a small office, were closed and soon after, Walter was left to be the last remaining member. Finally, accepting defeat in his home county, Walter would spend the next few years leading up to the Second World War travelling the country and speaking at BUF meetings. Walter would give his last speech in August 1939 at the Portsmouth docks.[49] The party was officially banned in May 1940, with Mosley and many other remaining members being interned for the majority of the war.[50]

This page was written by Chris Brindle.

References

You can listen to the relevant recordings in the EMOHA here:

Walter Gough interview.

Blackshirts in Leicester compilation.

[1] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 189-192

[2] Ibid. pp. 163

[3] Worley, M. (2010) Oswald Mosley and the New Party. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 6

[4] Ibid., pp. 10

[5] Ibid., pp. 161

[6] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 14,15

[7] ‘Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[8] J. Beckett, A Regional History of England: The East Midlands from AD1000 (London, Longman, 1988), pp. 5-15.

[9] 'Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[10] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 189,246

[11] ‘Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[12] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 169-170

[13] Ibid. pp. 182

[14] Ibid. pp. 169

[15] ‘Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[16] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 14, 168

[17] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 173

[18] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 295

[19] B.Rubin, “The Rise and Fall of British Fascism: Sir Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists,” intersections 11, no. 2 (2010): 323-380. Pp. 363

[20] Pugh, M. (2005). Hurrah For The Blackshirts!: Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars. Random House. pp. 159-161 & 171

[21] B.Rubin, “The Rise and Fall of British Fascism: Sir Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists,” intersections 11, no. 2 (2010): 323-380. pp. 366

[22] Ibid. pp.44

[23] 'Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[24] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 176

[25] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 300

[26] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 180

[27] Ibid. pp. 183

[28] 'Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’ Ref: EMOHA82/23

[29] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 193

[30] Ibid. pp. 189-190

[31] Ibid. pp. 189-192

[32] Ibid. pp. 191,193

[33] Ibid. pp. 196

[34] Ibid. pp. 192-194

[35] Ibid. pp. 198-197

[36] Ibid. pp. 180

[37] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 390-392

[38] Benewick, R. (1972). The Fascist Movement in Britain. Penguin Books. pp 226-229

[39] Ibid. Pp 227

[40] Jones, N. (2004). Mosley (Life & Times). Haus Publishing. pp 114

[41] Skidelsky, R. J. A. (1975). Oswald Mosley. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. pp. 405

[42] Dorril, S. (2006). Blackshirts: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism. London: Penguin Books, pp. 392

[43] Skidelsky, R. J. A. (1975). Oswald Mosley. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. pp. 405

[44] Jones, N. (2004). Mosley (Life & Times). Haus Publishing. pp. 116

[45] B.Rubin, “The Rise and Fall of British Fascism: Sir Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists,” Intersections 11, no. 2 (2010): 323-380. pp. 375-376

[46] ‘Blackshirts in Leicester Before World War Two’.

[47] Morgan, C (2008) ‘The British Union of Fascists in the Midlands, 1932-1940’ PhD Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, pp. 199

[48] Ibid. pp. 199-100

[49] Ibid. pp. 200

[50] Jones, N. (2004). Mosley (Life & Times). Haus Publishing. pp.133