British National Union, Overseas League

[gnr.ktrha]

Hello All,

I have been researching a WW1 VAD Nurse. She was born in Italy, to Scottish parents. Prior to WW1 the family moved back to Edinburgh and she enrolled in the VAD in 1913. When the war started she worked at a local hospital, but in late 1915 she moved to Rome where she trained as a Nurse. She later joined the 1st British Ambulance in North Italy, and served with them until the end of the war.

I just found that she went to Canada in 1934, this, according to the record, was a round the world trip organised by the British National Union Overseas League.

I have tried a few Google searches, but have not really come up with a match. Was this some kind of Ex Servicemans club, or is it a Fascist Organisation? I know someone out there must know .

Thank you very much for your time,

Stewart

[gnr.ktrha]

Just bumping this back up. Does anyone have a clue what this group was?

Regards,

Stewart

[Carmania]

Stewart

The following article which was in The Times of 14th April 1928 gives an account of the founding of the British National Union, I cannot see anything sinister about it. Are you perhaps confusing it with the British Union of Fascists?

I also found an article about the 1934 world tour which I will post seperately.

Aled

[Carmania]

Stewart

This is the article about the 1934 world tour and was in The Times of 22nd August 1934.

Aled

[gnr.ktrha]

Hello Aled,

Thank you very much for your replies. It's to know what sort of organisation it was. I did wonder if it might have been some sort of Fascist organisation, but knew it was not the BUF. There seems to have been a few similar organisations in the 1920's.

Thank you very much for the two press cuttings, they are very interesting.

regards,

Stewart

[toofatfortakeoff]

No I dont think this is Fascist activity. The typical names that crop up in the BUF IFL NL etc don't crop up in the article. Incidentally ''Mr Amery'' is probably Leopold Amery MP who was no fascist by any chalk-however his son John Amery was executed at the end of WW2 by the British courts martial-hung by Pierrrepoint he told him he had always wanted to meet him!) for organising the British Freikorps a small unit of British SS who were recruited from POW camps and whose war servic in the German forces was negligible. Amery was totally opposed to his son's involvement with the Nazis.