Description
Object description
British civilian involved in anti-war movements in GB during First and Second World Wars; member of British Communist Party and supporter of Republican government during Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Glasgow, Scotland: Russian Jewish family background; childhood; father's political beliefs; loss of religious convictions; effect of war on political beliefs; description of attending anti-war meetings and development of anti-war stance; story of losing job for supporting conscientious objector; attitude to treatment of conscientious objectors; activities with socialist Sunday School; attitude of working class Glaswegians to war; influence of James Maxton, Tommy Bell, Philip and Ethel Snowden, Helen Crawford; anti-war beliefs of men exempted from military service working in munitions; attitude of father to popular enthusiasm for war in 1914; food rationing and shopping; comparison of food situation in First and Second World Wars; story of obtaining potatoes and fish; food queues; shortage of sugar.
REEL 2 Continues: comparison of rationing system in First and Second World Wars; story of employment with Jewish baker; reason for eating black bread; sending of food parcels and knitted socks to troops; awareness of conditions of soldiers; story of father obtaining offcuts of material from job as tailor; reason for father's bankruptcy; story being ejected from meeting for heckling Havelock Wilson and beating up of father; description of involvement in Glasgow Rent Strike, 1915; role of munitions workers in resolution of strike; memories of Helen Crawford; further comments on Rent Strike and attitude of mother; assessment of strike; opinion of Independent Labour Party newspaper 'The Forward'; opinion of poem 'A Bundle of Dirty Rags'; reaction to Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, 1917; description of soldiers leaving Glasgow for front and memory of song 'There's a long, long trail awinding
'; attitude to wartime propaganda and use of white feathers.
REEL 3 Continues: further comments on white feathers; health problems of munitions workers; problem of flu epidemic, 1918; question of antagonism between anti-war groups; story of imprisonment and death of John McLean; description of James Maxton's meetings; memories of Willie Gallacher; support for anti-war views from Pankhurst family and Ramsay McDonald; anti-war stance of socialist parties; distinction between pacifist and anti-war viewpoints; attitude to concept of 'just war'; position of conscientious objectors; further comments on Pankhurst family; opinion of anarchist Gus Aldred and anarchist activity in Glasgow; opinion of role of Scottish Labour Party and Independent Labour Party; further comments on Bolshevik Revolution, 1917; attitude to Brest-Litovsk Treaty; story of collecting food for Russians and wearing Cossack hat; anti-Russian propaganda; story of husband nearly being sent to Russia with Allied forces; reason for husband serving in army despite anti-war views; attitude to possible revolution in GB; further comments on John McLean; problem of spies at political meetings.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to news of Armistice, 11/1918; story of father altering demob suits; mother's involvement with revolutionary movements in Russia; story of role in founding Communist Party, 1921; reason for becoming communist; question of distinction between Labour Party and socialist policies; links with Soviet Union; revolutionary activity in Glasgow; participation in hunger and unemployment marches in Scotland during 1930s; opinion of Ellen Wilkinson; problem of husband's unemployment; story of witnessing arrest of Mannie Shinwell and Willie Gallacher; comparison of demonstrations and policing tactics in 1930s with present day; story of husband's involvement with General Strike, 1926.
REEL 5 Continues: support for General Strike in Scotland; reaction to end of General Strike; opinion of Economic League and Minority Movement; description of involvement with Glasgow to Edinburgh march, 1934; reaction to outbreak of Spanish Civil War, 1936; story of husband's involvement in Spanish Civil War; attitude to political situation in Spain; description of role in various pro-Republican activities.
REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Nan Green and Bill Alexander; question of Soviet Union's support for Republicans in Spain; attitude to role of British and other European governments during Spanish Civil War; role of Communist Party in GB and links with various anti-war movements; attitude to Soviet Union's call for United Front; reaction to Nazi-Soviet Pact, 1939; question of Jewish background affecting political beliefs; opinion of Harry Pollitt; attitude to Communist Party official line; story of Jewish refugees joining Communist Party; reaction to German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941 and pro-war stance of British Communist Party; role of husband in distributing pro-war propaganda; question of anti-Semitic views among working classes; role of Communist Party in promoting Second Front.
REEL 7 Continues: description of involvement in Second Front campaign; employment with Prudential Insurance Co in London and problem of anti-Semitic employer; story of organising workers into union; involvement with Aid to Russia fund; further comments on Second Front campaign and role of British Communist Party; visits to the Soviet Embassy and pro-Soviet stance; further comments on Aid to Russia fund; question of support for anti-war movement during Second World War; reaction to closure of Daily Worker newspaper at start of war; attitude to wartime strikes; opinion of position of Soviet Union during Second World War; reaction to disbanding of Comintern, 1943; attitude to onset of Cold War and hostility to Soviet Union; opinion of propaganda and brainwashing; question of medical condition of men enlisting in 1939.
REEL 8 Continues: tells joke about communism and capitalism; description of activities with CND and Greenham Common women; opinion of arms race between US and Soviet Union; attitude to concept of 'just wars' in Nicaragua and Chile; opinion of effectiveness of United Nations; attitude to religion; examples of discrimination due to political beliefs; story of evacuation from Glasgow to Aberdeen, 9/1939; opinion of accommodation and living conditions; role in helping to organise evacuees; reason for concealing communist beliefs; comparison of lifestyles in Glasgow and Aberdeen; story of visiting Communist Party HQ in Aberdeen; story of evacuation of own children and finding suitable accommodation; further memories of Helen Crawford.
REEL 9 Continues: story of daughters contracting ringworm and description of symptoms and treatment; attitude to separation from family during war; effects of war and evacuation on daughters' health and education; comparison of situation with First World War.