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Emma Picton-Bryant

December 8, 2019

Day 18 of my sweet journey into all that is 1938 A Very British Civil War lands today on the leadership and command of the British Union of Fascists. In 1936 when at the time the current Prime Minster, Stanley Baldwin, resigned over the failure of King Edward VIII to do the right and proper thing and abdicate over his marriage to Wallis Simpson, the King invites his good friend and ally Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley to help him form a Government and led the country as Prime Minister, this meant followers of the BUF given high favour and positions. One of these fellows was Emma Picton- Bryant.

After experience as an ambulance driver on the Salonika front Emma Picton-Bryant founded the British Fascisti in the early 20‘s. By the time of the General strike they were a small but efficient operation, organizing transport and protection for ‘black leg’ labour.

Picton-Bryant’s personal life led to a period of rehabilitation in a Swiss Clinic. She was well enough to return to Britain in 1937 as the crisis was developing. Through her efforts the British Fascisti support was mobilized and transformed into a militia at the outbreak of war.

Seeing Mosley’s considerable incompetence in the Canterbury campaign she pledged her support directly to the King and took her militia over to Worcestershire. As the structure of the Severn Valley Forces emerged, her organisational ability continued to impress, so much so that she was given the field rank of colonel and command of the 3rd Volunteer Brigade with the job of rebuilding the eastern defences after the Severn Valley campaign