British Union of Fascists

[StefanM]

Many thanks again DrPMC, your posts on this subject are interesting and informative

[EddyR]

Many thanks for showing some interesting items DrPMC. Three other places which have in interesting photos / items are the Imperial War Museum site, the Friends of Oswald Mosley (photos) and the GMIC militaria collectors site. I haven't put links as I'm unsure if this is permissible.

[DrPMC]

Many thanks for showing some interesting items DrPMC. Three other places which have in interesting photos / items are the Imperial War Museum site, the Friends of Oswald Mosley (photos) and the GMIC militaria collectors site. I haven't put links as I'm unsure if this is permissible.

Its a pleasure!

There's no problem of posting links that I know of. The GMIC site has some interesting threads on this topic I see. I couldn't see a search facility on the site itself but a site-specific Google search brought up quite a lot. Perhaps you can search if you register? I'd better not as I'm already wasting too much time on WRF! If I'm not working for money, I'm either supposed to be fixing up the house or writing a book but often find myself on here instead!

Philip C

[EddyR]

Not a badge I'm afraid, but an interesting unused ticket for one of Oswald Mosley's meetings.

[DrPMC]

Not a badge I'm afraid, but an interesting unused ticket for one of Oswald Mosley's meetings.

Eddy,

Thanks for posting that interesting item - first one that I've seen. See below for the BU report on the meeting, which it compared to one which Churchill had held at the same venue a few days before.

Philip C

[EddyR]

That's very interesting Philip, thanks for posting that.
Here is the leaflet advertising the rally, I guess all these big Mosley meetings were advertised with leaflets, posters and had special tickets, however, hardly any survive

[DrPMC]

That's very interesting Philip, thanks for posting that.
Here is the leaflet advertising the rally, I guess all these big Mosley meetings were advertised with leaflets, posters and had special tickets, however, hardly any survive

Eddy, another very interesting item. As you say, few of these have survived - I can't recall having seen any other handbills for specific BUF meetings. The leaflet is notable for the list of local District Headquarters it includes. By this time the Blackshirts had lost a high proportion of their active members into the armed forces but despite that were still able to keep their organisation together and even put on big meetings like this one. Its also quite surprising that the fascists managed to book the venue - after the outbreak of war they were finding it even more difficult to get halls.

I've included a photo taken outside the Manchester Free Trade Hall which shows the posters for an earlier fascist meeting held there. I wonder if any of the big 'Mosley Speaks' posters survive? I've never seen one. A variant of the same image appeared on the jacket of the official biography of Mosley, by A.K. Chesterton. Chesterton was second cousin to G.K. Chesterton.

Philip

[John]

There are quite a few nice BUF items on GMIC, however, I think the politically correct brigade started to get upset at what was being posted and silly comments were made, collectors understandably got fed-up and abandoned the site.

[StefanM]

There are quite a few nice BUF items on GMIC, however, I think the politically correct brigade started to get upset at what was being posted and silly comments were made, collectors understandably got fed-up and abandoned the site.

Thanks John, for the pointer to the GMIC website! I agree there are some great BUF items shown in the posts on there

It is sometimes very difficult not to discuss and get embroiled in the politics surrounding some of the things we collect as they nearly always symbolise the very politics of the people that created them...

[EddyR]

A couple more interesting items Philip. In recent years I did see a leaflet and a sticker advertising the Earls Court Rally sell on eBay for mega bucks, also somewhere I have a picture of a dozen or so general BUF posters which once again sold on eBay, I will try to find it and post it.
I agree with the PC comment, just a because you are interested in a political organisation of the past it doesn't mean you support what they stood for, it's all history anyway.