PanzerKaput's Illustrations
The Socialists and the Left Wing, Part Three
Today I am journeying into the world of 1938 A Very British Civil War and I bring you the third and final part of the People’s Armies and the left Wing.
Irregulars
While building up a field force, the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Comintern considered those areas in which the forces of the Crown were dominant. Rather than leaving such locations to the mercies of the British Union of Fascists, small groups of highly motivated individuals were sent behind enemy lines, to carry out irregular action, including sabotage, assassination, the Workers Army claimed the targets included their members, and general disruption. Inevitably, the British Union of Fascists countered with reprisals and hostage taking; far from being universally popular, the Irregulars were sometimes bitterly hated by the civilians in the areas affected. The Party’s network of members ensured that the Irregulars continued to operate and Crown forces were dispatched to patrol behind the lines.
Thus, the Irregulars performed a strategically important role.
Conclusion
By the winter of 1938, Britain was ablaze, from the Fife coal fields to the Channel ports, from the South Wales Valleys to the Norfolk Broads, forces fighting against King Edward VIII and Prime Minister Mosley, and for various visions of a better, socialist future were engaged. Towards the end of 1938, three People’s Assault Columns were positioned in Portsmouth, Liverpool and North Yorkshire. An offensive designed to “crush the Mosleyite vipers” once and for all could not be far off.
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