3 JULY

BRITISH ARMY AGREES TO ALLOW PROTESTANT PARAMILITARIES TO PATROL WITH THEM.

3 July 1072 – After negotiations between the Ulster Defence Associaton, with its known links to Loyalist terrorism, the British army agreed to allow Protestant paramiliataries armed with batons and clubs to patrol alongside them in the mixed Catholic-Protestant neighbourhood around March Street and Ainsworth Avenue in West Belfast.

Subsequent officials documents noted that this was leading to an increase in intimidation and forcing Catholics to abandon their homes, but the policy of tolerating loyalist paramilitary patrols and roadblocks while removing similar barricades in Catholic areas continued. (1)

CHURCHILL PRAISES MUSSOLINI AND FASCISM

3 July 1937 – During a speech to his constituents at Wanstead, Churchill reminded the crowd of his then well known admiration for fascism. “If I had been an Italian,” he confessed, “I should have been on Mussolini’s side fifteen years ago when he rescued his country from the horrible fate of sinking into violent communism.” These fascist sympathies were deep rooted, an aspect of Churchill’s outlook which has been subsequently erased or overlooked by most historians.

As early as 1927 the Western Daily Press could comment that  “Mr. Churchill makes no secret of the fact that he has fallen under the thrall of Mussolini and would not be averse to follow in his footsteps.” The newspaper then referenced a quote which was almost identical to the words he chose when speaking to his constituents ten years later. “If I had been an Italian”, he declared, “I should have been wholeheartedly with you from start to finish in your triumphant struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism.”

FOOTNOTES

1. Margaret Urwin (2016), “A State of Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries,” Mercier Press, Cork p46-47.