Chapter 62: By-Election

There had been no General Election since 1935. There would not be another one until 1945. But there was a by-election in Lancaster in 1941.

This pleased Jack Matthews no end. It gave him the first chance in years to support a political cause, which if successful, might have a real effect on the changes he wanted brought about in the country, once the war was over. The Independent Labour Party candidate, Fenner Brockway, was far-sighted enough. to be looking ahead in his speeches. He consistently outlined the changes in society that should take place after the so-called ‘People's War' was won.

There was also a pleasant side-effect for Jack during the election campaign. He had never had many restrictions placed on his long-standing affair with his former colleague at Skerton, Beth Farrell. His wife, Sheila, never questioned any of his spare time comings and goings. Nevertheless, the weeks of political activity, helping Fenner Brockway, gave him almost unlimited opportunities to be with her when he was not at work.

He read with interest some of the ideas in Fenner's writings, absorbed them and regurgitated them, whenever and wherever he had a chance to catch a vote.

Fenner had been to prison during the First World War. He had been a pacifist. He had published first-hand accounts, by front-line survivors, of what the battles in France were really like. For that, he'd been put in gaol. Authority hated the truth being told.

The Spanish Civil War and the rise of Fascism had caused Fenner to change his mind and he'd abandoned his pacifism. He'd learned from personal experience to hate and mistrust Stalin but he felt Fascism was even worse.

"I was in all my nature opposed to war," he said. "I could never see myself killing anyone. But I could not contemplate a Nazi victory. The Spanish Civil War settled this dilemma for me. I could no longer justify pacifism when there was a Fascist threat," he declared.

All very serious stuff! But, the campaign in Lancaster had its farcical side.

Opposed to Fenner Brockway, there was a truly gallant soldier, one Fitzroy Maclean. He'd risen suddenly and, by his own account, unexpectedly, from the lower ranks and become he said, " a f****** officer."

Tired of inaction in England, and dreading being sent to a chair job in London, he decided to try and go into politics. He was selected as the Conservative candidate at Lancaster. There was a month to the poll.

He'd never been a political speaker. Fenner had all of those skills and to spare. Fenner described himself as being fully behind the war-effort and the country's commitment to smash the Fascist enemy. However, he made a distinction between that and the awful failure of the old gang, now led by Churchill.

He listed the failures at Guam, Wake, Hong Kong, Manila, the Dutch East Indies, Rangoon, Benghazi and finally, the total disaster at Singapore after Chruchill became Prime Minister.
He spoke out against their attempts to ban newspapers which criticised Churchill's inadequacies as a leader. He condemned the wide-spread censorship in all of the others.

These attacks by the Government on the press, Fenner maintained, were a diversion, to stop the public from concentrating on the Government's lacklustre performances. They were blaming the messengers for bad news, instead of themselves. That was Fenner's message. It was not welcomed in all quarters!

Everyone agreed that Fitzroy was a hopeless speaker but he was good at downing pints of beer, shaking hands and smiling sweetly at people, especially women. He had good looks, almost of film-star quality, like Ronald Colman's. His candidature was endorsed by all three of the major party leaders. His smart uniform helped convince the Lancaster voters that here was the true patriot. Most of them were not going to vote for Fenner, whose truthful speeches could be accused of sapping morale.

According to Fenner, it was another of Fitzroy's assets which won the election for him. He had beautiful legs! He had a good figure, a smart uniform and a short kilt. Fenner complained, that while he was making a fine speech, Maclean would turn up and distract the listeners by displaying himself, peacock-fashion, at meetings.

Result: Maclean, 15,783 and Brockway, 5,418

After the result was announced, Beth and Jack mounted their bicycles and rode to Halton. There, Jack stayed with her for an hour before going home. They had a pleasant time forgetting their disappointment at losing the election!

Ten years later, there was a very close election contest at Lancaster. Legs again played a part. The Labour candidate was the beautiful war heroine, Dodo Lees. In the 1930s, she had been a journalist in Germany. Even Adolf Hitler, whom she detested, had said that he admired her long legs and fine speech making. Unfortunately, despite her superiority in the battle of legs and in speech-making, she too lost the election to Maclean.

Both had shown valour during the war. She was the only British nurse in the Free French Forces and won two Croix de Guerre awards. He won acclaim for his activities in Yugoslavia and wrote an acclaimed book, Eastern Approaches, all about his adventures there.

Lancaster was instinctively Conservative for many decades.

At the end of his life, Gordon would smile ruefully and say, "I've never voted for a successful candidate in my life."

Despite their defeat in 1941, Jack enjoyed the campaign and remained convinced that after the war the old policies would be rejected. there would be a better deal for the ordinary man and woman. "Our time is fast approaching," he assured Beth.

Two years before the 1941 by-election, his affair with Beth had reached scandalous proportions. At the two Skerton schools, the staffs had been well aware of what was going on between them. Neither of them was worried about being seen together. If anything, Beth was less concerned than Jack.

"What I do in my spare time is my business!" she would say, if challenged about her behaviour.

When the pair of them were found in a compromising position, in a storeroom in the Girls' School, after school hours, they were reported by a cleaner to Authority. The cleaner was the wifw of one of the local Fascists. Her action was not inspired so much by her outraged morality as by political vindictiveness.

"At it they were," she told her husband, "just like a couple of dogs. One armed Commie shit! Brazen-faced bitch that woman of his!"

"Don't worry love," replied her husband, "we'll fix ‘em!"

Beth was not asked to resign from teaching, but a veiled threat ensured that she left Skerton. She applied for a new post, at Ryelands School. She was appointed there in September, 1939.

Beth and Leslie still lived together. Leslie knew Jack well and did not think he was a threat to her friendship with Beth. Sheila suspected Jack was up to no good but she was not bothered. Since his return from Spain, she was pleased when he was out of the house. It was not worth bothering about, if his affairs were to do with things other than politics. She was comfortable enough with the material things he provided. She enjoyed being a housewife with three nice children. If only he were more affable and kind to her she would have been quite satisfied with her life.

Only occasionally, his behaviour at home became intolerable to her. She would have a go at him.

"You're a funny sort of Socialist," she told him. "I thought you were supposed to care about people. Your trouble is, you only love what you read about in books. You treat us humans, the people you know and have to live with, badly. You're just plain cruel."After her outburst, she started to cry.

Jack said nothing in response. Tight-lipped, he went upstairs to his room.

When Sheila's friend, Margaret, told her about her modelling for Mr Martin, and about the success in a local exhibition, of the painting he'd done of her, she was not envious. She simply found it odd, how Margaret seemed to be changing.

Mrs Martin had told Margaret that she had several admirers, amongst those who had viewed the painting in which she figured. She was placed prominently in the middle of the composition. Her sad expression, her pale skin, her off-shoulder blouse made an impression on some of the susceptible males, amongst the art admirers of the area. Her features stimulated romantic longings in several. They wondered who she was.

She did not know who they were and did not want to know. She had declined an invitation to the opening of the exhibition and had not been to see the painting hung there. Going to an art gallery would have made her feel nervous. She was not used to going to places like that.However, she could not resist telling Sheila all the details which had been relayed to her by Mrs Martin.

Sheila could not help noticing the considerable improvement in her friend's appearance lately. First of all the new teeth. Then, after she'd taken the job in Joyce's pub, she'd started wearing a lot more make-up.

"Wearing your Sunday face every day!" she told Margaret.
"Have to keep up appearances when you're working in public!" responded Margaret.

Sheila didn't remind her that only a few months earlier, Margaret would have described any female wearing her skirts as short as she was now wearing hers as, "Common! Common as they come!"

Times were certainly changing. Sheila had no particular wish to change with them. But she wished that Jack would change back to how he used to be!

Chapter 39: Jack's War

Aerial bombing of Barcelona in 1938 by the Italian air-force
Image in the Public Domain

It was early January, 1938. Jack left Sheila and his kids to go to Spain.

It was a difficult parting. Sheila simply could not understand what was driving him to go on such a dangerous mission.

"When I left Stuart for you, you said that we'd always be together," she told him. "Nothing could ever separate us."
"We won't be apart," Jack argued. "Not really! It's not as though I'm leaving you permanently. I'm not deserting you."
"Well, what are you doing then?"
"I'm going to do a job that someone has to do. The government won't do it, so it's up to volunteers."
"Why you? You're a family man with responsibilities."
"I've told you, you won't go short of anything. Every month there'll be twenty pounds in the bank for you. I've arranged for the rent on this place to be paid as well."
"I suppose the money's coming from the same source as for your precious charities. We're to be your new charity, are we?"
"You're not being fair. I'm trying to do my best for you and for what I believe in. They need men. Commitment's what's wanted. Try and understand! It's to do with justice. After all I've said at school, at meetings, to my friends, I have to do it. It won't lessen my commitment to you. I don't expect to be away for ever."

She had never been able to understand why he had been wasting all that money by giving it to The Cause. It seemed incredible to her what he was doing. Going and risking his life for strangers! She knew he was idealistic and impulsive but it was too ridiculous for words. He was always going on about keeping rules. His main rule should be to look after her and the children.

"You've changed your beliefs before now," she said, starting to cry, "when you gave up the church and took me on. What's so special about these Republicans?"

She knew she was wasting her time. His mind was made up. She'd have to make the best of things. At least the money he was allowing her would be sufficient. It was twice what a lot received to keep bigger families than hers.

Like Gordon, she questioned him about his very recent plans to move house and workplace. "How about the new job at Skerton School? What about the Corporation House on Ryelands?

"That's all taken care of. Until I get back!"
"If you get back!"
"Everybody seems to think I'm going to be killed. I'll be back! And starting at Skerton after the summer holidays. They're keeping a house for us as well."
"With a little help from your political friends I suppose! There's a lot of people wanting those houses. You and your rules! You make them to please yourself! You twist and turn like a snake."

She went off to bed, leaving him to write more letters. His correspondents had suggested he make his way to the south of France and cross into Spain from there.

Sheila did not go to the station with him to see him catch his train to London. She did not leave the dining-room when he departed. He gave the children hugs and told them to behave themselves. He picked up his packed suitcases from the hall and called back, "I'm off then. I'll write to you." She did not reply. He slammed the front door behind him and went to the waiting taxi.

When he arrived in Perpignan, he travelled on to Cerbere. A little train took him through a mountain tunnel to Port Bou in Spain. He was interrogated by Communist officials there, but despite not being a card-carrying member of their Party, he talked them into letting him proceed to Barcelona.

A month earlier, there had been terrible battles for Teruel. The Republicans had taken Franco's forces by surprise and won a famous battle. Over Christmas they were playing their guitars and dancing in the streets during what was to be their brief occupation of the place.

On the eighth of January, Franco launched a fearful counter-attack. It was one of the worst winters in Spanish memory. Soldiers in the field were frost-bitten and many arms and legs had to be amputated. Atrocities, committed by both sides, were absolutely barbaric. By the twenty-second of February, Franco had won. The Republicans had ten thousand dead and nearly fifteen thousand captured.

During the months when the Communists took sole charge, and before the final onslaught by Franco and his Fascists on Barcelona, Jack craftily persuaded the suspicious temporary rulers of the City to accept him as one of them. He'd discovered that it was true, the Communists were in sole charge. The old idealism and the hope for Socialist reforms were on the back-burner. All Stalin wanted was a victory against Fascism and a feather in his cap. He cared nothing for the Spanish peasants and their hopes for land reform. His vision was narrow, laser-like, always fired by self-interest.

Jack became a cook for a group of twenty wary Communists. He'd hardly boiled an egg in his life before. He wasn't given a rifle -- only dedicated members of the Party were given those.

He did have the advantage of being able to speak quite good Spanish and the Party made occasional use of his ability to translate for them so he soon gained some friends amongst the loyal Spaniards. He survived along with a few trusted English friends, right under the eyes of the suspicious Comrades.

These friends were members of the British Independent Labour Party who had been refused repatriation at the time of the Communist take-over. They had lived with the knowledge of the execution and imprisonment of some of their former friends. As with Jack, it was a case of making an accommodation with a lesser evil against a greater one. But they all had increasing doubts and were beginning to waver in their allegiance with the Communists.

Amongst most on the side of the Republicans in Barcelona morale was still high. There was a confidence that the struggle would eventually go their way. Jack worked in a large requisitioned house near the centre of the city. The troops had the best of what was available but some of the civilians were already suffering hardships and going hungry.

At the beginning of April, there was very bad news. People began to doubt if the war was winnable. Franco had captured Levida and reached the coast at Vinaroz. His triumphant soldiers plunged into the sea and swam rejoicing and exulting in their triumph. The Republic had been cut in two. The previous year the Basques had been subdued, their dreams of their own homeland gone!

Things were going from bad to worse. Many despaired.

Bombing raids by German planes intensified. Along with many others Jack often sought shelter on a platform of the Underground railway. Numerous buildings were shattered by bombs. The number of casualties mounted. He cursed the British Government for not having intervened. Its attitude was encouraging Hitler's hope that Britain would never try to prevent anything he did.

In May, France relented for a short while and opened her border. Arms flooded in to help the Republican cause. Three hundred Russian aeroplanes were transported into Spain to support the Republic. La Pasionara of the inspiring 'They shall not pass!' slogan denounced an effort to negotiate a peace with Franco. Still no help from Britain!

One afternoon, Jack was slow seeking shelter. A bomb exploded near him and he was left unconscious for many hours under rubble. When found he was taken to a hospital where his mangled right arm had to be amputated.

When he had recovered sufficiently, his friends were able to arrange for him to go back the way he'd come, through the mountains and back into France.

Jack's war was over. In July, he was at home with his family, in Lancaster. In three weeks time, he would be a father again.

At least he knew where he stood now politically. He detested the Communists. He'd seen at first hand their cruelties inflicted on many who should have been their natural allies. What a cock-up! What a mockery of unity being strength!

After much discussion, Jack and Gordon both joined their friends in the ILP. The decision of Fenner Brockway to renounce his pacifism that had led to his imprisonment during the First World War was instrumental in their decision. The two friends agreed that it was best to work for peace but there was such a thing as a just war. During a just war you had to fight for the good cause. They both felt that pacifism was not the answer if Hitler was ever to be thwarted. Jack became politically active in Lancaster again. He resumed his domination of many a meeting of those on the left and frequently made impassioned statements denouncing the Communists.

Nationally, the main problem remained unsolved. What was to be done about Hitler? Many, like the Prime Minister, thought that there were limits to his ambition. Only a few, like Churchill, strongly advocated more and more rearming. The trouble was Churchill had such a poor track record of failure and of being wrong on so many other issues. He stayed in a minority and his warnings went unheeded.

The Spanish Civil War had not been a minor affair, which its neglect by historians might suggest. One account states that there were well over half a million casualties.

•  Fenner Brockway was born in Calcutta in 1888. In his remarkable long life (he died just 6 months before his 100th birthday) he experienced some of the most significant, and horrific, events in 20th century history: two world wars, the Cold War, the development of nuclear weapons. For over 80 years he worked in every way he could to promote peace. There's more information about him here on the Peace Pledge Union web site