Great Britain: British Union Of Fascists BUF 3rd Grade Rank Insignia, circa 1932-1940. Three yellow cloth weave ‘gold’ bars on black cloth backing. Rare.
Condition: Good Condition.
The British Union of Fascists, or BUF, was a fascist political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. It changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to British Union. It was finally disbanded in 1940, after it was proscribed by the British government following the start of the World War Two.
The BUF emerged in 1932 from the British Far-Right, following the electoral defeat of its antecedent, the New Party, in the 1931 General Election. The BUF’s foundation was initially met with popular support, and it attracted a sizeable following. The press baron Lord Rothermere was a notable early supporter. As the party became increasingly radical, however, support declined. The Olympia Rally of 1934, in which a number of anti-Fascist protestors were attacked, isolated the party from much of its following. The Public Order Act of 1936 which banned political uniforms and responded to increasing political violence, had a particularly strong effect on the BUF whose supporters were known as “Blackshirts” after the uniforms they wore.
Growing British hostility towards Germany, with which the British press persistently associated the BUF, further contributed to the decline of the movement’s membership. It was finally banned by the British government in 1940 after the start of the Second World War, amid suspicion that its remaining supporters might form of pro ww2 German leadership “fifth column”. A number of prominent BUF members were arrested and interned under Defence Regulations 18B.
