Traitors I.

This is coolbert: [my comments in bold]

In the aftermath of World War Two [WW2], two Englishmen were executed for treason. These were men, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, had sided with the Germans during the war. Collaborated and actively took the side of the fascists and paid the most severe price possible for their actions. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE WERE THE ONLY TWO ENGLISHMEN EXECUTED FOR TREASON IN THE AFTERMATH OF WW2.

Of these two traitors, the name of William Joyce, aka "Lord Haw Haw" is the best known. Joyce was a British fascist who in the years prior to the war emigrated from England to Germany and did become a German citizen. And all throughout the war he made propaganda broadcasts for the Germans to England. Broadcasts that were received with the utmost derision by the British public. Joyce has always been portrayed as a buffonish character, whose strident grating voice on the radio is often remembered in the most vivid manner by those persons still alive who heard his absurd remarks on the radio on an almost daily basis. Click here to read an interesting site about Joyce.

"Dismissed by many historians as a comical, almost pathetic, figure in reality his life was far more complex."

If you examined the life of most persons, their life is probably more much complex than anyone realized.

"Joyce was born in New York of an Irish father and an English mother"

By birth he could claim American citizenship.

"when he was only three the family moved to Ireland, settling in County Mayo. Joyce was educated at a convent school in Galway -"

Grew up and was educated in Ireland.

He had strong Irish roots.

"Joyce had his nose broken . . . giving him the nasal broken drawl so familiar in his later broadcasts from Germany."

Joyce did have a unique, grating voice. He stood out for this.

"Joyce's early life was marked by violence, including an attack on his father's business and attacks on the family home by Sinn Feiners."

Joyce did seem to have a violent early life, a life marked by brawling and fisticuffs and even beyond that.

"Far from being the puny figure described by the press during World War II, William Joyce was of average height and strongly built. During his youth he excelled at boxing, swimming and fencing. This was to hold him in good stead later when he was involved in many street battles."

Joyce was not a milquetoast. A man who did not shun mixing it up with the fists when necessary. Many leaders in European fascist movements were persons who did have a degree of physical courage.

"A. K. Chesterton described Joyce as a "brilliant writer, speaker who addressed hundreds of meetings... always revealing the iron spirit of Fascism."

Almost sounds like an English Adolph Hitler!

"fights which Joyce never shrunk from. Joyce made no effort to hide his admiration for Adolf Hitler and praised him whenever possible. Joyce had made up his mind long before World War II that it was the result of provocation by Jewry and International Finance."

In fascist circles throughout Europe prior to the outbreak of war, many men held similar sentiments.

"His wartime broadcasts to England became infamous - he was nicknamed 'Lord Haw-Haw' by a Daily Express journalist because of his aristocratic nasal drawl. Unknown to the public at this time, his image was very different from the scar-faced fascist thug he was usually portrayed as."

"Germany calling Germany calling," which because of Joyce's broken nose sounded like: "Jarmany calling, Jarmany calling."

If you have actually heard this introduction, you can instantly recognize why the grating voice must have gotten on the nerves of a lot of people.

"Joyce's fate at the gallows was then merely a formality and the British press whipped up all the hysteria they could - reminding people that he was a snarling traitor. The British Government passed the Treason Act 1945 the day before Joyce was flown back to Britain."

Now, this is most interesting. Under the Treason Act, to charge Joyce under this law would be considered to be EX POST FACTO. I am surprised that this is the case. I wonder if this legal concept does not apply in England??

"Although Joyce was born in the USA, brought up in Ireland and took German nationality on 26 September 1939, he was charged with treason from 3 September 1939 to 2 July 1940, the date his British passport ran out, and sentenced to death."

Again, this seems to be a clear cut case of EX POST FACTO. I wonder how this was reconciled? And after the Easter Uprising in WW1 in Dublin, Eamon De Valera was spared death because he was an American citizen. But not William!?

And of course, the sentence of death was carried out.

To be continued.

coolbert.