Title: Searchlight oral histories collection
Description: This title comes from the Political Extremism and Radicalism digital archive series which provides access to primary sources for academic research and teaching purposes. Please be aware that users may find some of the content within this resource to be offensive.

The 62 Group, an anti-fascist coalition set up in 1962 largely in response to the resurgence of fascism in Britain, appointed Gerry Gable to work with their intelligence operation. This led to the formation of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, alongside Searchlight Associates, an information service aimed at exposing racist and fascist groups. Searchlight Associates collected material from a wide-range of radical right groups, primarily in Britain, but also internationally. They especially focused on the British National Party, Combat 18 and the English Defence League as well as the activist groups which opposed them. In 2015, in collaboration with Gerry Gable and using Searchlight's network, researchers from the University of Northampton recorded interviews with anti-fascist activists active from 1940's-1990s. These are exclusive recordings with anti-fascists about their experiences, discussing the post-war history of anti-fascism and what caused them to get engaged in the movement. The oral history project's collection includes recordings taken during interviews with members of the original 43 Group (Jewish anti-fascists who opposed Mosley after the war), informants who acted as anti-fascist moles infiltrating groups such as the British National Party, as well as anti-racist campaigners who formed advocacy groups in response to racial violence, like the Stephen Lawrence murder. This collection is an important resource for researchers of British history and politics in the twentieth century as well as fostering new research into Britain's current multicultural society and extreme right politics.
Subjects: Antisemitism, Fascism, Racism
Places: Great Britain