University of Sheffield Library. Special Collections and Archives Ref: MS 166 Title: Joyce Manuscripts

Transcription

1 University of Sheffield Library. Special Collections and Archives Ref: MS 166 Title: Joyce Manuscripts Scope: A collection of documents related to William Joyce and Cecil Courtney Lewis, ,together with documents and photographs relating to the British Union of Fascists; also included is a photograph of Joyce following his capture in 1945 Dates: (mainly ) Level: Fonds Extent: 1 box Name of creator: [presumed to be] Cecil Courtney Lewis Administrative / biographical history: The collection appears to have belonged to C.C. Lewis, and is noteworthy in that it contains five letters to Lewis in the hand of William Joyce, together with extensive annotations to Lewis s manuscript exercises on matters of current political interest also by Joyce, from the years It also includes early copies of The Blackshirt, and photographs of eminent members of the British Union of Fascists. In addition, the collection includes a photograph of Joyce shortly after his capture by British troops in William Joyce ( ) was born in Brooklyn, New York and was thereby an American citizen, although his father was born in Ireland and his mother in England. His father became a naturalised American citizen in In 1909 the family moved to Ireland. In December 1921 William Joyce came to England, followed shortly after by his parents, where he entered London University, being awarded a first-class honours degree in In 1922 he joined the OTC of the University, falsely claiming to be of pure British descent and a British citizen. From 1923 to 1925 he was a member of the British Fascists. In 1933 he applied for, and was granted, a British passport, claiming to have been born in Galway. From 1933 to 1937 he was a member of the British Union of Fascists, but during a financial crisis he and others were dismissed by Oswald Mosley, a move which Joyce resented bitterly. Joyce then left the B.U.F. and founded his own organisation, the National Socialist League. A renewal of his passport was granted on 24th August 1939, and three days later he dissolved the NSL, leaving with his wife at some point prior to the outbreak of war to Germany. A fortnight later he began the propaganda broadcasts on behalf of the Nazis which led ultimately to his trial for treason. His broadcasts, and the distinctive voice in which they were made, led to his being known as Lord Haw-Haw by the British population, at whose morale they were aimed. At the end of the war, on the 28th May 1945, he was shot in the leg in an encounter with 2 British officers near Flensburg on the Danish border with Germany. Although not in fact a British subject he was brought to trial in England charged with high treason, and was convicted on the debatable grounds that by carrying a British passport he thereby owed allegiance to the British Crown.

2 He was convicted and sentenced to death. Despite two appeals the verdict was upheld by the House of Lords and execution by hanging was carried out on 3rd January Cecil Courtney Lewis, a former Indian Army officer who retained use of the title Captain, was the original editor of Blackshirt. He was a solicitor, who acted as Oswald Mosley s legal adviser, and the author of two books. His Fascist convictions were acquired during a lengthy stay in Italy, and he accompanied Mosley on the latter s second visit to Rome in 1933 where the British party of fascists were welcomed by Mussolini. The Joyce letters relate to a course Lewis took run by the Institute of Political Secretaries, London, where Professor Joyce was a tutor, and to ambitions in the political field which Lewis considered. He remained in the B.U.F. until 1937, the year Joyce left it. Related collections: Blackshirts in Kingston Project; British Union Collection; Cooper Collection; Fascism in Great Britain Collection; Saunders Papers Source: Purchased in 1992 from sale by auction in Devon. Addenda donated in February 2018 System of arrangement: By category Subjects: Fascism - Great Britain Names: British Union of Fascists; Joyce, William; Lewis, Cecil Courtney; Mosley, Sir, Oswald Ernald, Conditions of access: Academic researchers by appointment Restrictions: None Copyright: Variously according to document Finding aids: Listed

3 Itemised list: 1. Letters to C.C. Lewis from William Joyce. (i) April 5th, 1932 (5 sheets) (ii) May 11th, 1932 (3 sheets) (iii) May 20th, 1932 (3 sheets) (iv) May 25th, 1932 (3 sheets) (v) n.d. incomplete. p5-7 only (3 sheets) 2. C.C. Lewis Papers. With annotations by William Joyce (i) Exercises. III. Speeches (1 sheet) IV. National Education (2 sheets) V. Current Topics (incomplete) (1 sheet) XV. Current Topics (20 sheets) XVIII. General (incomplete) (1sheet) XIX. Australian Problems of the Past & Present (5 sheets) XX. General (4 sheets) XXII. General (incomplete) (2 sheets) XXIV. General (ii) To the Editor, The Times. Stamped 29 Apr 1930, signed I.Carus (3 sheets) (iii) Current Topics & Controversies (2 sheets) (iii) The Establishment of the U.S.S.R. (4 sheets) (iv) Great Britain and the Near (and Middle) East (7 sheets) (v) Ireland (1 sheet) (vi) Political Position in Arabia. Inscribed Secret (4 sheets) (vii) Speeches (2 sheets) (viii) General 1 con (incomplete) (1 sheet) (viii)...answers he will automatically... (incomplete) (1 sheet) (ix)...solidly in favour... (incomplete) (1 sheet) (x) Receipts for tuition fees, Institute of Political Secretaries, London (i) January, 1932 (ii) May, 1932

4 (xi) Letters, Institute of Political Secretaries to C.C. Lewis (i) 18th February, Signed: Eric C. Lawford (ii) 27th March, Signed: Philip J. Woods (xii) Letter, Royal Institute of International Affairs, London 29th December, Signed: Harold Bowen 3. Miscellaneous printed documents (i) Theatre programme for Epilogue, in the Fascist Theatre, Nov. 9th - 11th, (?1933) Bears several signatures, including O. Mosley and Gandhi (ii) Olympia Zeitung, Nummer 14, 3. August 1936 (iii) Berlin Olympiade programme (1936) (iv) Universalita Romana, Anno II, Maggio - Giugno 1933, N The Blackshirt No. 2 March, 1933 No. 3 March 18th, 1933 No. 4 April 1st, 1933 No. 5 April 17th, 1933 No. 9 June 16th, 1933 Special R.A.F Pageant Number June 24th to July 1st, 1933 No. 10 July 1st - 7th, 1933 No. 11 July 8th - 14th, 1933 (3 copies) No. 12 July 15th - 22nd, 1933 (2 copies) No. 13 July 22nd - 28th, 1933 No. 14 July 29th - August 4th, 1933 No. 15 August 5th - 11th, 1932 [sic] No. 20 Sept.9th - 15th, 1933 No. 21 Sept. 16th - 22nd, 1933 No. 23 Sept. 30th - Oct. 6th, 1933 (2 copies) No. 24 Oct. 7th - Oct. 13th, 1933 (2 copies) No. 26 Oct. 21st - Oct. 27th, 1933 No. 27 Oct 28th - Nov. 3rd, 1933 (2 copies) No. 30 Nov. 18th - Nov. 24th, 1933 No. 33 Dec. 9th - 15th, 1933

5 No. 35 Dec. 23rd - 29th, 1933 No. 39 January 19th - 25th, Photographs (i) In Memory of Cynthia Mosley. Memorial booklet, with 3 photographs. (ii) Cake-cutting ceremony thought to be at the wedding of Ian Hope Dundas and Pamela Ernestine Dorman, 19th December x 6 L. to R.: Oswald Mosley, Ian Hope Dundas, Pamela Ernestine Dundas, Capt. C.C. Lewis, W.H. ( Peter ) Symes. Dundas was the BUF Chief of Staff, Lewis the BUF Legal Advisor, Symes BUF O/C Transport. The bride is sister of Geoffrey Dorman, later to be Action editor and columnist Bluebird and Blackbird, and god-daughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The wedding took place at St.Michael s Church, Chester Square, London. Mosley was best man. The reception was held at 10 Bruton Street, W.1, and the event portrayed may have been a post-reception ceremony with a BUF connection (November 10 shown on the poster was the date of the first issue of Fascist Week in 1933). (iii) C.C. Lewis. Subject at desk. 8 x 6 (iv) C.C. Lewis. Studio portrait. 9 x 7 (v) [Unidentified] Studio portrait. 8 x 6 (vi) Eric Hamilton Piercy. Studio portrait. 8 x 6 Piercy was O/C Defence Force Control, BUF, (vii) Eric Hamilton Piercy. Studio portrait. 8 x 6 (viii) [Unidentified] Studio portrait. 8 x 6 (ix) Joyce on stretcher following capture on 28th May 1945, being transferred to Luneberg Hospital. 4 x 6 Donated by A. Cantor who was present (identified by a x ) 6. Invoice for many of above items R.A. Fenner & Co, Tavistock Feb. 25, Addenda, received February 2018 (i) (ii) Certificate for Das Verdienstkreuz des Ordens vom Deutschen Adler mit dem Stern, bearing embossed crest and printed signature of Adolf Hitler. In cardboard folder with golden crest Newspaper cutting from The Daily Telegraph 8 February 1995 relating to William Joyce, Oswald Mosley and John Amery

6 (iii) Typescripts of text possibly for planned broadcasts by William Joyce, dated 26 May 1945, with crossed out and annotated text on reverse dated 14 April l.