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The 43 Group: The Untold Story of Their Fight Against Fascism
UK Jews' war on British fascist party post WWII
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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April 2, 2019An absolutely superb story that needs shouting from the roftops. This is the account of the 43 Group, an association of mostly Jewish ex servicemen in post-war Britain (also some women, some gentiles) who were appalled to see the resurgence of British fascism after the war, the indifference or complicity of the police, and the threatened return of Oswald Mosley.
Hard to believe fascists tried to make a comeback immediately post war, but they did, starting in London, exploiting the misery of austerity--sorry, rationing--in order to whip up xenophobia and antisemitism, which was steadily, one might say institutionally, ignored by Labour in governmentt. What's also clear is that while it was mostly working class people on the streets, it was led by a wealthy privileged man who had an entire group of rich well-born cryptofascists waiting for their opportunity. It's pretty much not possible to miss the parallels with now.
The 43 Group was having none of it. They went out on the streets to disrupt fascist meetings and speakers and thuggery with violence--while various disapproving respectable organisations were making non-violent, proper protests to the Home Secretary and signing petitions, all of which were completely ignored. The 43 Group infiltrated the various fascist organisations with moles, faked tickets to get into closed meetings, started their own newspaper, worked with other groups (local community groups, trade unions), had a black cab wing of cabbies who did the transport on jobs like raiding a fascist HQ for propaganda leaflets to burn, and mostly got in there to scare people off. And it worked. Apparently it's less fun parading around in a black shirt shouting Heil Mosley if you're liable to get your head kicked in. Puts people right off.
Despite the pro-fascist policing--including vast numbers of police to protect speakers, information being leaked to the fascists, and even police acting as stewards at fascist demos--the relentless aggressive no-platforming of the 43 Group kicked a hole in Mosley's ambitions. You can't be a little Hitler if you can't hold a demo without a riot, or if your thugs are the ones running away. (Also no-platforming here means they would literally tip over the speaker's platform, which is nice.) By end 1949 British fascism was a busted flush, at least for a while.
This is a terrific story which deserves to be told widely, remembered, and used as a lesson. This account is by one of the members and it's functional rather than literary, but it's vivid, raw, detailed, and powerful.
I am also thrilled to report that one young recruit to the 43 Group was Vidal Sassoon, the hairdresser. Who knew.
Hard to believe fascists tried to make a comeback immediately post war, but they did, starting in London, exploiting the misery of austerity--sorry, rationing--in order to whip up xenophobia and antisemitism, which was steadily, one might say institutionally, ignored by Labour in governmentt. What's also clear is that while it was mostly working class people on the streets, it was led by a wealthy privileged man who had an entire group of rich well-born cryptofascists waiting for their opportunity. It's pretty much not possible to miss the parallels with now.
The 43 Group was having none of it. They went out on the streets to disrupt fascist meetings and speakers and thuggery with violence--while various disapproving respectable organisations were making non-violent, proper protests to the Home Secretary and signing petitions, all of which were completely ignored. The 43 Group infiltrated the various fascist organisations with moles, faked tickets to get into closed meetings, started their own newspaper, worked with other groups (local community groups, trade unions), had a black cab wing of cabbies who did the transport on jobs like raiding a fascist HQ for propaganda leaflets to burn, and mostly got in there to scare people off. And it worked. Apparently it's less fun parading around in a black shirt shouting Heil Mosley if you're liable to get your head kicked in. Puts people right off.
Despite the pro-fascist policing--including vast numbers of police to protect speakers, information being leaked to the fascists, and even police acting as stewards at fascist demos--the relentless aggressive no-platforming of the 43 Group kicked a hole in Mosley's ambitions. You can't be a little Hitler if you can't hold a demo without a riot, or if your thugs are the ones running away. (Also no-platforming here means they would literally tip over the speaker's platform, which is nice.) By end 1949 British fascism was a busted flush, at least for a while.
This is a terrific story which deserves to be told widely, remembered, and used as a lesson. This account is by one of the members and it's functional rather than literary, but it's vivid, raw, detailed, and powerful.
I am also thrilled to report that one young recruit to the 43 Group was Vidal Sassoon, the hairdresser. Who knew.
April 22, 2019
One of the best books I've read. If you enjoyed Inglorious Basterds, this is the real life version -- British Jewish ex-servicemen and their allies kicking the shit out of British fascists in the streets. Their relentless physical attacks on nazis and their strategic assault on them in the press and parliament were instrumental in showing those cowardly shitbirds for what they were and in destroying them as a force in both British politics and in the streets. Until the 60s, and then the 80s, and now -- fascism is an infection that can never be ended once and for all but like all vermin requires occasional fumigation. I encourage anyone who opposes the nazi sewage Trump's given cover to to read this book. Any antifa should study it like a text book.
December 27, 2022
Super fascinating, super readable. This book is 75% accessible history book and 25% memoir since the author clearly did extensive research but was also a member of the 43 Group from the beginning. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always incredibly relevant - a story about an incredibly successful organized movement to stop anti-Semitic fascists when police and legislators were (mysteriously…) unwilling to take action to do so.
Reading this, it’s wild to think about how the 43 Group almost succeeded TOO well - they stopped post-WWII fascist groups that were active in the UK and then, since their job was done, they disbanded, fading into almost total obscurity. I’m so glad this author put in the time to make a record of what the 43 Group accomplished.
Reading this, it’s wild to think about how the 43 Group almost succeeded TOO well - they stopped post-WWII fascist groups that were active in the UK and then, since their job was done, they disbanded, fading into almost total obscurity. I’m so glad this author put in the time to make a record of what the 43 Group accomplished.
May 10, 2017
Returning home after the end of WW2, Jewish ex-servicemen in London were shocked to find that the immediate post-war years saw a resurgence of fascism on Britain's streets, led by Mosely. They quickly formed the "43 Group", so-called because there were initially 43 members, and included many former commandos. They quickly set about disrupting the fascists' meetings, and were joined by many more members not just in London, but across the country. The police and the state moved swiftly to protect the fascists, but the 43 Group continued their work undaunted.
This is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the history of anti-fascist activity in the UK, particularly post WW2. It is written in a warming style and leaves the reader in no doubt as to the courage of those who, in the face of opposition from the fascists, the police, the state, and even their own leaders in the Jewry, managed to beat down the far-right, often leaving both sides bloody and battle-scarred.
This is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the history of anti-fascist activity in the UK, particularly post WW2. It is written in a warming style and leaves the reader in no doubt as to the courage of those who, in the face of opposition from the fascists, the police, the state, and even their own leaders in the Jewry, managed to beat down the far-right, often leaving both sides bloody and battle-scarred.
March 20, 2011
After WWII ex-service men and women, had thought they had seen an end to the Nazis and Fascism. But instead the post-war world saw a resurge in organised fascist thugs and racist/anti-semitic groups. Already the all too worrying signs were showing; the state was defending the far-rights speeches and marches, alongside this organised jewry was ignoring the situation as had been the case in mainland Europe. As a result political similarities were emerging with that of Germany 1933.
Giving an almost fiction like narrative, Beckman and the 43 group come into the scene to try and confront the enemy on their own terms and look to be having fun doing it. This is an history book written the way history should be written, i.e. accessible, and this book particularly is possibly the most important written on the subject of resistance anti-fascism after the Second World War.
Giving an almost fiction like narrative, Beckman and the 43 group come into the scene to try and confront the enemy on their own terms and look to be having fun doing it. This is an history book written the way history should be written, i.e. accessible, and this book particularly is possibly the most important written on the subject of resistance anti-fascism after the Second World War.
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July 25, 2025* This memoir recounts the post-WWII struggle by a group of Jewish ex-servicemen who, disillusioned by government inaction, organized to combat the resurgence of British fascism led by Oswald Mosley.
* The 43 Group, named after the number of original members, formed in 1946 in London and actively disrupted fascist meetings, propaganda, and recruitment until the early 1950s.
* The book combines first-hand narrative, interviews, and tactical recounting, documenting their organized resistance in vivid and unapologetic detail.
---
### **Key Themes and Examples**
* **Formation of the 43 Group**
* Sparked by the return of Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, Jewish war veterans felt betrayed by a country that had just fought fascism abroad.
* Founding meeting took place at Maccabi House, where members resolved to take direct action due to police and government refusal to act.
* **Direct Confrontation with Fascists**
* The Group employed military discipline in disrupting fascist rallies.
* Tactics included breaking up meetings, infiltrating fascist groups, sabotaging printing operations, and gathering intelligence through informants.
* Example: At Ridley Road, a well-known site for BUF propaganda, Group members repeatedly clashed with fascists in street battles, often outnumbered but tactically superior.
* **Moral Rationale for Militancy**
* Beckman defends the Group’s physical confrontation by citing the silence of legal authorities and the parallels to Nazi Germany’s early years.
* Members saw their actions as a continuation of the war against fascism, one that Britain had failed to finish at home.
* **Solidarity and Diversity**
* Though initiated by Jewish veterans, the Group welcomed non-Jewish allies, including Irish dockers, communists, and other anti-fascists.
* Example: Vidal Sassoon, a teenager at the time and later a famous hairdresser, was a prominent member, representing the Group’s generational and social range.
* **Intelligence and Surveillance**
* The Group’s operations included surveillance of fascist gatherings and publication of newsletters that documented Mosley’s activities.
* Their intelligence efforts revealed plans for violent attacks on Jewish homes and community centers.
* **The Decline and Legacy**
* By the early 1950s, fascist activity diminished significantly due to sustained resistance.
* The Group disbanded voluntarily, but its legacy influenced future anti-fascist movements.
* Example: Later anti-racist groups in the UK, such as the Anti-Nazi League, drew directly from the 43 Group’s tactics.
---
### **Tone and Writing Style**
* **Tone:** Defiant, proud, and unapologetically militant.
* **Writing Style:**
* First-person narrative interwoven with testimonies from other members.
* Clear, direct prose that avoids sentimentality but maintains emotional conviction.
* Rich in concrete, operational detail—meeting descriptions, tactics, names, times, and places.
**How the Style Supports the Content:**
The clarity and conciseness of the prose mirror the Group’s tactical discipline and moral focus. The unvarnished tone reinforces the seriousness of the threat and the justifiability of direct action. The style embodies the Group’s ethos: practical, principled, and prepared for a fight.
---
### **Author Qualifications and Their Impact**
* **Morris Beckman** was one of the original members of the 43 Group, making his account not only credible but primary.
* As both participant and chronicler, Beckman provides access to strategies, motivations, and risks with unmatched insight.
* His experience as a Jewish WWII veteran shaped his rejection of passive response to fascism; that sense of historical continuity—between the battlefield and the street—is central to the book’s message.
* Beckman’s writing is not only a record of events, but a call to vigilance. His authority stems from lived experience, political clarity, and moral conviction.
* The 43 Group, named after the number of original members, formed in 1946 in London and actively disrupted fascist meetings, propaganda, and recruitment until the early 1950s.
* The book combines first-hand narrative, interviews, and tactical recounting, documenting their organized resistance in vivid and unapologetic detail.
---
### **Key Themes and Examples**
* **Formation of the 43 Group**
* Sparked by the return of Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, Jewish war veterans felt betrayed by a country that had just fought fascism abroad.
* Founding meeting took place at Maccabi House, where members resolved to take direct action due to police and government refusal to act.
* **Direct Confrontation with Fascists**
* The Group employed military discipline in disrupting fascist rallies.
* Tactics included breaking up meetings, infiltrating fascist groups, sabotaging printing operations, and gathering intelligence through informants.
* Example: At Ridley Road, a well-known site for BUF propaganda, Group members repeatedly clashed with fascists in street battles, often outnumbered but tactically superior.
* **Moral Rationale for Militancy**
* Beckman defends the Group’s physical confrontation by citing the silence of legal authorities and the parallels to Nazi Germany’s early years.
* Members saw their actions as a continuation of the war against fascism, one that Britain had failed to finish at home.
* **Solidarity and Diversity**
* Though initiated by Jewish veterans, the Group welcomed non-Jewish allies, including Irish dockers, communists, and other anti-fascists.
* Example: Vidal Sassoon, a teenager at the time and later a famous hairdresser, was a prominent member, representing the Group’s generational and social range.
* **Intelligence and Surveillance**
* The Group’s operations included surveillance of fascist gatherings and publication of newsletters that documented Mosley’s activities.
* Their intelligence efforts revealed plans for violent attacks on Jewish homes and community centers.
* **The Decline and Legacy**
* By the early 1950s, fascist activity diminished significantly due to sustained resistance.
* The Group disbanded voluntarily, but its legacy influenced future anti-fascist movements.
* Example: Later anti-racist groups in the UK, such as the Anti-Nazi League, drew directly from the 43 Group’s tactics.
---
### **Tone and Writing Style**
* **Tone:** Defiant, proud, and unapologetically militant.
* **Writing Style:**
* First-person narrative interwoven with testimonies from other members.
* Clear, direct prose that avoids sentimentality but maintains emotional conviction.
* Rich in concrete, operational detail—meeting descriptions, tactics, names, times, and places.
**How the Style Supports the Content:**
The clarity and conciseness of the prose mirror the Group’s tactical discipline and moral focus. The unvarnished tone reinforces the seriousness of the threat and the justifiability of direct action. The style embodies the Group’s ethos: practical, principled, and prepared for a fight.
---
### **Author Qualifications and Their Impact**
* **Morris Beckman** was one of the original members of the 43 Group, making his account not only credible but primary.
* As both participant and chronicler, Beckman provides access to strategies, motivations, and risks with unmatched insight.
* His experience as a Jewish WWII veteran shaped his rejection of passive response to fascism; that sense of historical continuity—between the battlefield and the street—is central to the book’s message.
* Beckman’s writing is not only a record of events, but a call to vigilance. His authority stems from lived experience, political clarity, and moral conviction.
September 7, 2020
An amazing book about the brave men and women who fought the fascists in Britain in the years after WW11. Morris Beckman tells it how it was, warts and all, from his position as part of the 43 group. A recommended read for all who are studying the rise of fascism and racism in today's world.
October 20, 2019
A practical guide to punching fascists. This is essential and unfortunately relevant reading, highly recommended.
October 28, 2025
More people should read this book and anything affiliated with the 43 group. Especially in times where the term "imported anti-semitism" becomes ever more prevalent.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews