Home Page > News > Irish Nazi propagandist Lord Haw Haw broadcasts now available on Internet

Blogs

6 Comments

Larger Text

E-mail

Irish Nazi propagandist Lord Haw Haw broadcasts now available on Internet

DONAL THORNTON

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, February 4, 2010, 8:16 AM

Updated Thursday, February 4, 2010, 10:36 AM

William Joyce, also know as Lord Haw Haw

Irishman William Joyce, better known as Lord Haw Haw, was a Nazi propagandist in WWII. The nickname "Lord Haw Haw" was coined by a British radio reviewer in 1939.

Yesterday, the BBC made 15 Lord Haw Haw podcasts available on its Internet archive. The BBC also made available 11 previously unreleased documents.

Born in the United States to British and Irish parents, Joyce was raised in Ireland and is alleged to have informed on the IRA to British soldiers during the Anglo- Irish war.

A report by the BBC in 1940 tell us: "A typical nine o'clock BBC news bulletin is listened throughout by 16 million adults, or over 50 percent of the listening public. If it is followed by a talk, this will be heard by nine million. Of the other seven million, six million switch over to Hamburg (Lord Haw Haw's show) ."

The BBC discovered that Joyce was more popular with wealthy listeners and males. The BBC said that a "less politically minded listener" was more likely to listen to his broadcasts.

Radio Hamburg was established by the Germans at the beginning of WWII, and it was used to demoralize British soldiers and its strained workforce.

The BBC eventually improved its service and used lighthearted comedy to draw listeners away from Lord Haw Haw's scaremongering.

Joyce was captured by British soldiers on the German/Danish border at the end of the war. He held a British passport and was tried for treason. Joyce was hanged in Wandsworth jail in January 1946.

You can view the Lord Haw Haw archives here

Vote now - Buzz this story up!

E-mail

6 Comments

It may take several minutes for your comment to appear.

Report abuse

Posted by kickstar on Feb 07, 2010, 09:58 AM EST

This guy was not Irish he was a yank because that is where he was born. He was anti Irish kinda like the Immigrant Council of Ireland. NAZI'S.

Report abuse

Posted by killowen on Feb 06, 2010, 05:25 PM EST

Driven to madness - some try alternate means at getting back. There are enough on the flip side to counter as in - A Kennedy knighting for their efforts. Honor given for Ted's effort to protect England's interests when boys accidently or otherwise zoomed in on London Fin dist -now this is serious business- Such a target scared the bejasus out of them. Back then a $100 got one a trip to London and a car for a week to drive about and then Clinton stepped in, inviting the much maligned lead fellow to to WH - all done to save mother and to continue with business as usual. It all came to pass. Now we learn that Irish hero Dev Valera was England's greatest spy. Look for publication on sale in US in 2010.

Report abuse

Posted by plasticpaddy on Feb 05, 2010, 07:55 PM EST

Any good man would have informed the IRA of British activities in his day!

Report abuse

Posted by slainte9 on Feb 05, 2010, 11:10 AM EST

Joyce wasn't Irish. He was executed for treason by the British on the grounds that he was British. He was born in Brooklyn, USA. His mother was British and his father was an Irish Unionist. Joyce lived in Ireland for a few years then moved to England where he became a nationalist and a Nazi. Please use Britain's legal determination for Joyce's nationality in the future.

Report abuse

Posted by howareya on Feb 05, 2010, 10:42 AM EST

What was up with him??? Obviously he held no loyalty for anything {"alleged to have informed on the IRA to British soldiers"} and then to aid the Nazi's against Britain. Say hello to the devil.

Report abuse

Posted by kickstar on Feb 04, 2010, 02:26 PM EST

The best thing he ever did was to swing at the end of a rope...Nazi scum.

Click to learn more from DiscoverIreland.com.

MEET SOMEONE SPECIAL!

FREE TO JOIN: IrishCentralPersonals.com now offers the best place to find the lad or lass of your dreams! Meet your Irish love today! RIGHT HERE! >

MOST READ
MOST E-MAILED

Most Recent Blog Posts

See All Blogs

Join us - follow IrishCentral.com

Click here to read more about IrishCentral.com.

About Us

IrishCentral is the website about everything Irish for everyone Irish -- the 70 million people around the world who trace their roots to the Emerald Isle.

You'll find the most-fascinating stories from the United States, Ireland and the global Irish world, including the latest in news, entertainment, celebrity gossip, travel and vacations, sports, food and drink, Irish ancestry and genealogy, immigration, religion, business and opinion. (close)