Description
The extraordinary story of the Jewish ex-servicemen fighting fascism in
post-war Britain Returning to civilian life, at the close of the Second
World War, a group of Jewish veterans discovered that, for all their effort
and sacrifice, their fight was not yet done. Creeping back onto the streets
were Britain''s homegrown fascists, directed from the shadows by Sir Oswald
Mosley. Horrified that the authorities refused to act, forty-three Jewish
exservicemen and women resolved to take matters into their own hands. In
1946, they founded the 43 Group and let it be known that they were willing
to stop the far-right resurgence by any means necessary. Their numbers
quickly swelled. Joining the battlehardened ex-servicemen in smashing up
fascist meetings were younger Jews, including hairdresser Vidal Sassoon,
and gentiles as well, some of whom volunteered to infiltrate fascist
organisations. The Group published its own newspaper, conducted covert
operations, and was able to muster a powerful force of hundreds of fighters
who quickly turned fascist street meetings into mass brawls. The struggle
peaked in the summer of 1947 with the Battle of Ridley Road, where
thousands descended on the Hackney market to participate in weekly riots.
The history of the 43 Group is not just a gripping story of a forgotten
moment in Britain''s post-war history; it is also a timely lesson in how to
confront fascism–and how to win.
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