My Life

My Life - Oswald Mosleysurged forward and Sir Oswald was knocked to the ground. He lashed out at hisattackers and quickly got to his feet, to reach the microphone. ... He stood under a hailof coins, oranges and other missiles, until Police Superintendent — climbed on to thelorry, took the microphone from him and told him the meeting had to end.' (DailyTelegraph, August 1, 1962.)'Sir Oswald Mosley was knocked down, punched and trampled on in the battle ofRidley Road, in London's East End, last night. Jewish ex-servicemen, posing as hissupporters, infiltrated the cordon of two hundred foot police and fifteen mountedpolice guarding the meeting-place in Dalston. When Sir Oswald, sixty-five year oldleader of Union Movement, appeared from a side road, he was knocked down in asudden melee.' (Daily Mail., August 1, 1962.)'Sir Oswald Mosley was jumped on and beaten to the ground as soon as he arrived tospeak at a meeting last night. He rolled in the roadway, lashing out at his attackers. Aspolice stopped the fight, Sir Oswald directed a well-aimed blow at the chin of a heftyspectator. His son Max, aged 22, was among fifty-four people arrested. Police heldhim when he went to his father's aid.' (Daily Sketch, August 1, 1962.)The treatment of my son Max, who with other supporters came to my assistance, wasone of the most curious incidents of the day. Subsequent court proceedings werereported in the Press as follows: 'Max Mosley, twenty-two, Sir Oswald Mosley's son,was cleared at Old Street yesterday of threatening behaviour at a meeting at Dalstonon Tuesday when his father was knocked down and kicked. "It was not only my right,but my duty to go to his aid," he said. Superintendent — said in evidence: "I saw MaxMosley engaged in a fierce fight with members of the crowd. I pulled him away andrestrained him". Max Mosley said that when he and his father arrived they wererushed and attacked. He pushed a man down and tried to reach his father, who was onthe ground struggling. "I cannot be expected to stand idly and watch a gang of roughskick my father while he is struggling with assailants on the ground," he added.' (DailyTelegraph, August 2, 1962.)Many of my friends then believed and still believe there was a deep-laid plot to killme. I do not think it was anything of the kind, and have another explanation. The firstquestion is why the police placed those two buses in that particular position with theclear object of preventing my supporters accompanying me, thus ensuring that Ishould arrive alone at the platform. My answer is that the news of these meetingsbecame so hot that it could not be suppressed, and after years of boycottingcompletely my large and orderly meetings TV cameras turned up to record theseevents in films which were shown all over Europe. In the view of authority it wouldnot have looked well if I had arrived at the platform surrounded by cheeringsupporters with the rest of the crowd whether hostile or friendly too far away to berecorded. Things had to be so staged that this was prevented and I arrived a lonelyfigure at the platform, while a few subsequent shots of hostile groups of spectatorswould have provided the necessary mise en scene. However, the best laid plans ofwhomever it was went badly astray, and the fun nearly went too far.Mr. Henry Brooke, the Conservative Home Secretary, was technically responsible forthe affair, as political chief, but I do not suppose he knew much about it, andsubsequent questions in the House of Commons were not pressed sufficiently to cause382 of 424