Good old fashioned Propaganda from 1940 tonight. William Joyce, who drew the infamous nickname Lord Haw-Haw was actually an American, born in Brooklyn but raised in Ireland who migrated to England after informing on IRA rebels to British forces occupying Northern Ireland. Settling in England he became involved with the British Fascist movement of Sir Oswald Mosley and quickly rose within the ranks. He fled England in August of 1939 on the tip-off he was to be arrested and interned for the duration of the war. He fled to Germany where he was enlisted by German Radio to broadcast propaganda to the British Isles and it was during that time we was coined Lord Haw-Haw by the Daily Express in London. Although there were several other English speaking announcers going by that nickname, it was Joyce who eventually broke his anonymity and identified himself.
Tonight's broadcast was typical of those he made. This one dealt with the subject: "Is Britain Going Pagan?"
Lord Haw-Haw (William Joyce): “Others again were obsessed by a passionate desire to see their beloved country rise again, out of its humiliation and despair. They were fired by a zeal to build up a new Germany, a nation united, freed alight from outside shackles and inward strife. They sought and found their spiritual strength in studying the lives of great men who had suffered, fought and conquered. They too could find guidance and strength in the teachings of Christ Jesus, who entackled and tempted by the crowds gave the answer to their question; shall we render tribute to Caesar? Render unto God the things that are God’s and unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. Jesus was no politician. He was a realist as well as an idealist.”
When the war was over Joyce was captured and sent back to England where he was tried for War Crimes and convicted of treason and hung in 1946.
