William Ash
Encyclopedia
William Ash MBE, was a Royal Canadian Air Force
pilot, writer, and Marxist.
Born into a lower middle-class family in Dallas, Texas
, Ash was a migrant worker during the U.S Great Depression
and took a University course, doing privileged pupils' essays in order to gain money and also for his personal development as an author. It was around this time when the Spanish Civil War
broke out, and the largely apolitical Ash, driven by a hatred of bullies and fascism
, decided that if the war was still going when he was old enough to fight (aged 21), he would join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
.
In 1939, he left for Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force
and passed out as a fighter pilot, reaching the UK shortly after the end of the Battle of Britain
. He flew Spitfires in World War II
on many defensive and offensive missions, including an attack on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, culminating in "big wing" fighter sweeps over France, on one of which, in March 1942, he was shot down and was caught by the Gestapo
, twice being sentenced to death before being "rescued" by the German Luftwaffe
, and shipped off to Stalag Luft III
. He was later moved to and escaped from Oflag XXI-B
through the latrine tunnel with Harry Day and Peter Stevens. Escaping became his prime preoccupation for the rest of the war and he was subsequently awarded the MBE
for his escaping activities.
Demobilised back in England at war's end, he discovered that the act of "taking the King's shilling" in 1939 had robbed him of his U.S. citizenship and that he was now a stateless person. He became a naturalised Briton and went to Balliol College, Oxford
to read for another degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, before getting himself a job in the BBC
's overseas service and posted as the Corporation's official representative to the Indian sub-continent.
Returning to England some four year later, and still on the staff of the BBC's External Services, he began to take an active part in left-wing "Gutter Politics", frequently to the embarrassment of his employers. He soon found himself out of a job and at about the same time the Communist Party of Great Britain
refused him membership.
Later, he was able to get work in the BBC's radio drama department as a script editor, but he never did enter the ranks of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Instead, he and others formed the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
and his association with it took him to China; to Paris as a secret agent; and into close relationships with leading men and women of the Left all over the world.
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
pilot, writer, and Marxist.
Born into a lower middle-class family in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Ash was a migrant worker during the U.S Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and took a University course, doing privileged pupils' essays in order to gain money and also for his personal development as an author. It was around this time when the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
broke out, and the largely apolitical Ash, driven by a hatred of bullies and fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, decided that if the war was still going when he was old enough to fight (aged 21), he would join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Abraham Lincoln Brigade
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade refers to volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War in the International Brigades. They fought for Spanish Republican forces against Franco and the Spanish Nationalists....
.
In 1939, he left for Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and passed out as a fighter pilot, reaching the UK shortly after the end of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. He flew Spitfires in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on many defensive and offensive missions, including an attack on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, culminating in "big wing" fighter sweeps over France, on one of which, in March 1942, he was shot down and was caught by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, twice being sentenced to death before being "rescued" by the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, and shipped off to Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
. He was later moved to and escaped from Oflag XXI-B
Oflag XXI-B
Oflag XXI-B and Stalag XXI-B were World War II German prisoner-of-war camps for officers and enlisted men, located at Szubin a few miles south of Bydgoszcz, in Pomorze, Poland, which at that time was occupied by Nazi Germany.-Timeline:...
through the latrine tunnel with Harry Day and Peter Stevens. Escaping became his prime preoccupation for the rest of the war and he was subsequently awarded the MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for his escaping activities.
Demobilised back in England at war's end, he discovered that the act of "taking the King's shilling" in 1939 had robbed him of his U.S. citizenship and that he was now a stateless person. He became a naturalised Briton and went to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
to read for another degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, before getting himself a job in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's overseas service and posted as the Corporation's official representative to the Indian sub-continent.
Returning to England some four year later, and still on the staff of the BBC's External Services, he began to take an active part in left-wing "Gutter Politics", frequently to the embarrassment of his employers. He soon found himself out of a job and at about the same time the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
refused him membership.
Later, he was able to get work in the BBC's radio drama department as a script editor, but he never did enter the ranks of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Instead, he and others formed the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Britain is a British communist political party. The small party was formed in 1968 by Reg Birch as a split from the Communist Party of Great Britain, siding with the Communist Party of China...
and his association with it took him to China; to Paris as a secret agent; and into close relationships with leading men and women of the Left all over the world.