National Fascisti

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The National Fascisti (NF) was a British far-right group started in 1924 by Lt. Col. Henry Rippon-Seymour. It split from the British Fascists because it wanted a clearer plan for a fascist state. At first it had about 60 members, growing to around 500 at its peak. Members wore black shirts, did some military drilling, but the group was small and not a real threat.

Ideology and goals: The NF promoted British fascism and British nationalism, with social conservatism, anti-communism, anti-capitalism, and antisemitism. They talked about racial purity and strengthening the British Empire, and they favored a government of experts.

Actions and attention: The group pulled stunts to get noticed, such as hijacking a lorry carrying the left-wing Daily Herald in 1925 and holding a Hyde Park meeting that ended in clashes with Communist Party supporters. They ran boxing and fencing clubs to train members and even marched with drawn swords, which attracted ridicule. Like the British Fascists, they contacted the Home Secretary before the 1926 General Strike to offer their services, but the government rejected them. Individual NF members could join the Special Constabulary during the strike.

Name change and clashes: In 1926 the group changed its name to the British National Fascists (BNF) under Rippon-Seymour. Internal disagreements grew; some leaders left for other groups. The NF did not last long after these rifts.

Notable incidents: In December 1926 Rippon-Seymour pulled a sword and an unlicensed gun on Croydon branch leader Charles Eyres after Eyres accused him of fraud and dictatorial leadership. Eyres had brought supporters to confront him; Rippon-Seymour’s gun belonged to someone else, and he was convicted of illegal firearm possession and common assault.

In 1927 a prominent member was Victor Barker, a transvestite who used several names. Arkell-Smith became secretary to Rippon-Seymour and trained members in boxing and fencing. Growing internal conflicts helped the group fade quickly.

Why it matters: The NF is remembered as the first British group to try to develop fascism as a distinctly British ideology. It also helped launch the political careers of William Joyce (later the Nazi collaborator Lord Haw-Haw) and Arnold Leese, who later founded the Imperial Fascist League.