The 43 Group was a British
anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
group set up by
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
ex-servicemen after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. They did this when, upon returning to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, they encountered
British fascist organisations such as
Jeffrey Hamm's
British League of Ex-Servicemen and later
Oswald Mosley's new
fascist
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
party, the
Union Movement. The activities of these fascist groups included
antisemitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
speeches in public places, and from the rank-and-file fascists, violent attacks on
London Jews and Jewish property.
Group members broke up
far-right
Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
meetings, infiltrated fascist groups, and attacked the fascists in
street fighting
Street fighting or street combat is hand-to-hand combat in public places between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g., a street), and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or even death. Some street ...
.
Their newspaper, ''On Guard'', was published from 1947 to 1949.
Early history and activities
The name "43 Group" came from the number of people in the room of
Maccabi House (a Jewish sports centre in
Hampstead, London) during the group's founding meeting in April 1946. Those who convened the initial meeting included:
*
Morris Beckman, served in the
Merchant Navy during World War II. He lived through two torpedo attacks during the War.
* Gerald Flamberg, a middleweight boxing champion and member of
156 Battalion. Flamberg won the
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the British Armed Forces, armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, below commissioned o ...
at Arnhem during
Operation Market Garden;
* Leonard Sherman, a martial arts expert and member of the
Welsh Guards;
* Alec Carson, who flew
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
s in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
.
The organisation had two aims: to prevent fascist activities by physical force if necessary, and to pressure Parliament into making racial incitement a criminal offence.
The 17-year-old
Vidal Sassoon joined the group and later joined the
Israeli Defence Forces to fight in the
1948 Arab-Israeli War
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
. Sassoon later founded a multinational hair styling business.
The initial membership was around 300 people. The group grew to include many hundreds of men and women, not all Jewish.
Many among them had been decorated for bravery, including the
VC (Petty Officer
Tommy Gould), DSO, DFC, DSM, and MM. The organisation was sometimes portrayed by its enemies as a front for either Jewish
terrorist
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
s or
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
s, but in fact it was mostly composed of British ex-servicemen.
The group published ''On Guard'', from July 1947 to December 1949, an anti-fascist paper which often published intelligence gathered by Group spies. As well as covering the activities of Oswald Mosley and the British fascists, ''On Guard'' reported on the activities of fascists all around the world and racist injustices in countries including the USA and South Africa.
Relationship with other organisations
The 43 Group was viewed by established Jewish organisations, such as the
Board of Deputies of British Jews
The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 17 ...
, as counterproductive.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews worried that the 43 Group's activities could damage the Jewish community's reputation, especially in light of the terrorist acts and
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
carried out by militant
Zionist
Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
groups such as the
Irgun
The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...
in
British Mandate Palestine. However it also had promiment supporters, both political and social. Left-wing Labour MPs such as
D. N. Pritt,
John Platt-Mills, and
Woodrow Wyatt were keen supporters, while entertainment giants
Jack Solomon and
Bud Flanagan regularly donated significant sums to the organisation.
However, the 43 Group never sought to replace the more traditional groups who preferred debate and discussion, but who had failed to stop the BUF, partly due to the non-cooperation of the then
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
,
James Chuter Ede
James Chuter Chuter-Ede, Baron Chuter-Ede, (; 11 September 1882 – 11 November 1965), was a British teacher, trade unionist and Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for 32 years, and served as the sole Home Secretary u ...
. Rather, 43 Group sought to prevent the Union Movement mobilising and gathering support, remembering that the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
had gained prominence in a similar fashion as the
Brownshirts on the streets of post-World War I Germany.
Dissolution and impact
The 43 Group was voluntarily disbanded on 4 June 1950, as various Jewish organizations and influential individuals members considered that the immediate threat had passed.
Although Mosley's Union Movement remained active throughout the 1950s, it was not until 1962, when
Colin Jordan
John Colin Campbell Jordan (19 June 1923 – 9 April 2009) was a British politician and a leading figure in post-war neo-Nazism in the UK. In the far-right circles of the 1960s, Jordan represented the most explicitly Nazi inclination in his ope ...
and his
National Socialist Movement unfurled an enormous banner in
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...
bearing the words "Free Britain from Jewish Control" that former 43 group members formed the
62 Group in the former group's image and British fascists again encountered any significant privately organised street-level resistance.
The overall effect of 43 Group is unclear. Morris Beckman argued that it was crucial in stopping a resurgence of fascism in post-war Britain. The 43 group was undoubtedly an inspiration to other militant
anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
groups such as the
62 Group and
Anti-Fascist Action
Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) was a militant anti-fascist organisation, founded in the UK in 1985 by a wide range of anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations.
It was active in fighting far-right organisations, particularly the National Front a ...
.
Legacy
In 2004, the group was the subject of
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
programme ''A Rage in Dalston'', part of
The Archive Hour series.
In September 2015, it was announced that
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
and
NBC were co-developing a six-part drama series alongside surviving members of The 43 Group and produced by The Tenafly Film Company and Tiger Aspect Drama, but the series was not made.
Historical Marker
Placed by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, U.K. Branch, organised by Martin Sugarman, financed by Jerry Klinger (JASHP), and the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, at the site of the 43 Group Headquarters. The marker is located about 1/4 mile from Trafalgar Square in London.

"At 4 Panton Street was the Headquarters of the mostly Jewish ex-servicemen and Women's organization. The 43 Group They confronted the British Neo-fascist movement in 1946-50 and early 1960s to rid Britain of Antisemitism and all hatred. Be strong and of good courage (Joshua 1:9) Hebrew (The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation U.K. Branch and AJEX UK)"

December, 2023, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, U.K. Branch, together with the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, organised by Martin Sugarman, placed the Ridley Rd. Marker. The Ridley Rd. area was the key area where the hatred, bigotry and racism of the British Neo-Nazi/Fascist movement was confronted by the 43 Group.
The Text reads:
"This Ridley Road plaque marks a key site where the mainly Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women anti-Fascist organization 'The 43 Group' Confronted the British Neo-Fascist movement in 1946-50 and early 1960s to rid Britain of antisemitism and all hatred."
"Be Strong and of Good Courage (Joshua 1:9)
(The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation UK Branch and AJEX UK)
See also
*
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
*
62 Group
References
Further reading
* Morris Beckman: ''The 43 Group.'' Centerprise Publication, June 2000
* Daniel Sonabend: ''"We Fight Fascists". The 43 Group and Their Forgotten Battle for Post-War Britain.'' Verso Books, October 2019 {{ISBN , 978-1788733243
* (in German) Daniel Sonabend: ''Die 43 Group wurde ein Opfer ihres eigenen Erfolgs.''
jungle world, Berlin, #36, 2020, september 3, p. 17
External links
''Voices on Antisemitism'' Interview with Vidal Sassoon from the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust, dedicated to the documentation, study, and interpretation of the Holocaust. Opened in 1993, the museum explores the Holocaust through p ...
London's Jewish community after the warInterview with Morris BeckmanThe 43 Group - UK Jewish Anti-Fascist Organization - J-Grit.com
Anti-fascist organisations in the United Kingdom
Anti-fascism in the United Kingdom
Jewish British history
Jewish anti-fascism