Mosley Speaks in Hobbs Park, Dreadful Scenes - A Mean Streets Tabletop Game in 28mm

 THE HOBBS END GAZETTE

A MOSLEY MEETING AND DREADFUL SCENES.

CHAOS AND DISORDER IN HOBBS PARK.

The Fascists marched from their headquarters to the park in good order, many people came out to watch the spectacle and the Police were there to make sure order prevailed. Sir Oswald Mosley marched with his men behind the Fascist flags.

Marching two abreast and followed by their propaganda and Fascist Defence Force vans the procession snaked its way past Hobbs End Town Hall and up Park Road to its final destination.

 

In the High Street a counter demonstration by the Communist Party was forming, falling in behind their vehicle were many of the areas toughest fighters, well known to the Police of this district, and they were itching to get amongst the Blackshirts.

At the park entrance Sir Oswald was confronted by the Reverend Harris who asked even at this late stage to cancel the meeting and march back to their headquarters in the name of peace, Sir Oswald declined saying he was here to spread the Fascist creed to the people of Hobbs End and no one was going to silence him. Meanwhile in the High Street tensions were rising.

The BUF meeting began with a warm up speech by Billy Boyce (one of Mosley's inner circle cronies), he is a short stocky man with a rather striking blemish on his right cheek. He spoke about International Finance and the dangers of Communism, it seemed to me that most of the locals were there just for the shear novelty of it all rather than any deep seated interest in what he was saying, but Fascist newspaper sellers were doing a brisk trade. On station Road Police reinforcements were arriving and the Communists were allowed to demonstrate outside the Town Hall.

Some of the Communists chose to use the alleyways to come out onto Station Road closer to the park and from the park some Blackshirts emerged to stir up trouble shouting obscenities.

As the Communist rally was getting warmer, in the park Billy Boyce was coming to the end of his tirade, a last ditch attempt, this time by the assistant Commissioner of Police, utterly failed, Mosley was having none if it, speak he would, consequences be damned!

As negotiations broke down with the BUF the Reverend Harris and the Police tried to talk the Communists down, but with Mosley about to speak and the crowd shouting out M.O.S.L.E.Y MOSLEY at a very annoying volume their breath was wasted, with nervous looks on their faces the Police waited for the inevitable.

It all happened quite suddenly, the sound of Mosleys voice on the loud speaker system galvanised the opposition, forming a "flying wedge" and rushing forwards the thin blue line was bent but not yet broken, attacking both park entrances at the same time the onslaught was almost too much for the Police to handle.

Communist fighters soon broke through and fought with Blackshirts, the Police were doing their best against the odds, but very soon the mounted Police made their presence felt with batons drawn.

 

Calling down from the van Mosley encouraged his men to stand fast, fighting now on two fronts the Blackshirts took early casualties but their numbers were bigger, on the streets outside the Police still had their hands full. With shouts of "down with Fascism", "down with Mosley" and just "get him!" the Communists fought on, some freeing themselves from the clutches of the Police and running towards the park to join their brothers.

The Police having gained the upper hand on the streets were now forming up their mounted division to baton charge the park, meanwhile fighting in the park was vicious. The Communists now had their eyes on the prize,  to knock Mosley off his perch.

The Blackshirts were doing a good job of holding the Park Road entrance but the Station Road invaders were now dangerously close to unseating Mosley, directing his men like a general Mosley was now hoping to see the blue uniforms riding to his rescue!

With the baton charge gaining speed on Park Road and the fighting on that entrance becoming bloodier and bloodier Mosley's position was becoming desperate, his Blackshirts were fighting hard but the opposition was fighting harder. With all hopes of a speech now gone he braced himself for a fight.

At last the baton charge hit, heads were knocked, bodies tumbled and the mounted Police crashed into the park. This was the final straw for the Communists at the Park Road entrance, they broke and fled. For those remaining on the other side near Mosley's van the fight continued with one man climbing up and attacking Mosley.

It would seem the the arrival of the mounted Police saved Mosley, but he actually put up a decent fight, the chap he was fighting was quickly arrested and the meeting came to an inglorious end.

The whole situation was soon taken in hand by the Police, Mosley was told to vacate the park, a battered, bloodied and bruised BUF column formed up and marched back to their HQ. At the end of the day 11 were arrested and 21 were hospitalised, 4 of them were Policemen, 8 Blackshirts and 9 Communists. This was the most disgraceful day in Hobbs End recent history, I sincerely hope this situation does not get worse, however,  Mosley has vowed to return.

 

Taken from the Hobbs End Communist Party newspaper