I wanted to paint something a little different but yet stick within my plans for this year. I hope to paint up a small contingent of British Union of Fascists of about 500pts including their leader and founder, Lord Oswald Mosley. He is a special character whose details can be found on Page 79 of the Bolt Action Sea Lion Campaign book.

During the 1930s Mosley led Britain’s virulently anti-Semitic fascist movement, whose street fighters – known as blackshirts – were notorious for their violence against Jews and left-wing opponents. He was on friendly terms with Mussolini. Hitler was guest of honour at his second wedding which took place at the home of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels!

The British authorities definitely considered Mosley a threat. During World War Two he was interned as a suspected enemy sympathiser. It was widely assumed at the time that, had the Nazis successfully invaded the UK, he would have been installed as head of a pro-German puppet regime.

The figure has a distinct likeness to this photograph.

In the 20s he was a fashionable figure,” says Stephen Dorril, Mosley’s biographer. Born into an aristocratic family, Mosley was a champion fencer who distinguished himself during World War One and was elected Conservative MP for Harrow at the age of 21.

He married the daughter of an earl, and was invited to lots of parties. He knew Churchill, he knew all the politicians. A massive womaniser – he was very tall for the time, although he had a limp. He lived life shall we say “to the full”.

Actually, after leaving the Conservatives he became a Labour politician – the MP for Smethwick, in Tommy Shelby’s West Midlands stamping ground.

Following the 1929 stock exchange crash he became a government minister tasked with finding ways to solve the unemployment problem, but his proposals were rejected.

Mosley couldn’t accept this because he was incredibly egotistical, and believed he was the right man. He believed that he had the solution.

That’s when he set up the New Party, which held meetings stewarded by heavies known as the “biff boys”. Then, after touring Mussolini’s Italy, Mosley formed the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932, blending his economic programme with explicit anti-Semitism.

How could you build a contingent of Fascists without such a personality!

I have one figure to be mounted in the Lanchester and another for using on foot. I will also paint up his wife The Honourable Lady Diana Mosley.

More of her when I get around to painting the miniature of her.

Why the Armoured Car. It stems from a debate on the release of Oswald Mosley in the House of Commons on the first of December, 1943. During his speech Mr Daniel Chater, the Honourable Member for Bethnal Green stated “Every activity of Mosley and his Fascists was modelled upon the system which had been employed by both those men whom we are now fighting to dethrone. I have seen Oswald Mosley in his armoured car come through Bethnal Green with a chauffeur sitting with a steel bar ready to punch out at anybody.“ Citation: HC Deb, 1 December 1943, c409

According to the Bolt Action reference above the Blackshirts managed to acquire a broken down Lanchester armoured car that was found in a lock-up in Coventry. After it was more or less repaired Mosley used it for his personal transport. It is classed as in-experienced and must roll each turn for movement (pins or not) because the transmission was a bit dodgy!

In order to keep him in his Lanchester exerting his forces on the table I glued a trimmed metal washer to his base and a magnet into the tray of the Armoured Car. Works well. I could only find the one magnet so the turret will have to wait before I secure it in the same manner.