Easily Led

The Nazi movement in England had during the 1930's whipped up quite a following. My Great Uncle who had been a cripple all his life became caught up in this fervour. At last he had found a place to belong. He had found others to blame for his predicament and he was accepted by the other Moseley followers. HE even travelled to Germany and heard Hitler himself address a rally - no small achievement for a family of artisans whose travelling was limited to the GWR service. Of course his "friends" were very thin on the ground after war broke out and his brother-in-law (my grandfather) who was a policeman heard that his name was on a list of "threats to national security" and he would be incarcerated for the rest of the war. The family were split, my Uncle had struggled all his life and his parents and siblings took care of him and cared a great deal about him but their fear and loathing of the Nazi threat was huge. My Uncle went to ground in Weston Super Mare with a distant elderly relative - he only lasted a few weeks until the authorities came for him and he spent the remaining 5 years in prison on the Isle of Man. When eventually he came home after the war he had been enlightened as to the Nazi's views of disabled and crippled people and realised the depth of his youthful mistakes. In January 1946 my Great Grandparent's received a visitor, a leading member of Moseley's group, to see Uncle Vic. He realised he would never be free of his mis-spent youth in this country and emmigrated to Canada where he remains to this day. His advice to anyone who cares to listen? Don't be easily led!

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