The treasonous tale of Lord Haw-Haw

3:56pm Sunday 7th September 2008

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Arguably Wandsworth Prison’s most infamous Second World War inmate, Lord Haw-Haw, was born in the US, but claimed British nationality through Irish descent - he was born before Ireland was partitioned.

A former Battersea Technology College student, Haw-Haw - real name William Joyce - informed on IRA rebels to the British forces during the Anglo-Irish War and became a senior member of the British Union of Fascists.

Just before the outbreak of war he fled England for Germany on August 26, 1939, when tipped off about his planned internment, and became famous for broadcasting Nazi propaganda, and especially his “Germany calling” introduction, via radio broadcasts from Berlin to Britain.

Lesser known is that while the notorious propagandist was at large his brother Edwin Quentin Joyce, was imprisoned for four years by the British Government - despite the security services believing he was innocent of any crime and that he posed no danger to the country.

That admission only came to light last week through newly declassified documents from the National Archives.

Edwin, a member of the National Socialist League, was interned shortly after the outbreak of war as security services believed he had links with a suspected German agent called Christian Bauer - with whom he corresponded.

They believed Bauer’s requests for rare stamps from British colonies in letters was actually a request for Edwin to send over detailed maps from the Air Ministry, where Edwin, then aged 22, was working.

But archived reports reveal agents who interrogated Edwin were convinced he was innocent.

One official wrote: “I can only conclude this report by saying that in the absence of any positive evidence that the correspondence between Edwin Quentin Joyce and Bauer had any interpretation other than the interpretation offered by the boy himself it would seem to me highly probably that he is innocent of doing anything against the interest of this country.

“In any case I don’t feel that I am in a position even if asked to recommend his continued detention.”

Letters first from Bristol Prison, where Edwin was originally held, and then later from Wandsworth Prison show he became increasingly bitter about being detained without trial - he wasn’t the first or by any means would he be the last.

In a letter to an appeal tribunal in 1943 he wrote he was paying the price of his brother’s crimes.

He said: “There is not to the best of my knowledge any classical or religious basis for visiting the sins of one brother upon another brother.

"This I must say is an entirely new departure. Secondly I feel I should state that if I am to suffer for the sins of William it is only just that I should enjoy more credit for the virtues of my other two brothers,” who both served in the British Armed Forces.

Edwin was released from detention in 1943.

Lord Haw-Haw was captured in Germany towards the end of the war and executed for treason - ironically at Wandsworth Prison where his brother was held, on January 3, 1946.

He was hanged by the legendary executioner Albert Pierrepoint at 9am - the notice of his death was published on the prison door where a large crowd had gathered.