Treasons to be fearful

Ahead o' the anniversary, JAMES MOORE looks at his story and other lesser-known tales of those executed for treason in the UK...

- JAMES MOORE

LORD HAW-HAW

Born in New York to an Irish father and English mother, the scar-faced Joyce thought British fascist Oswald Mosley wasn't extreme enough.

When World War Two broke out he narrowly avoided arrest by escaping with his wife to Nazi Germany. There he started doing his notorious radio broadcasts, furthering the regime's cause.

The Third Reich's head of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, described him as “the best horse in my stable” but listeners tended to simply laugh at Joyce's snooty rants.

When Adolf Hitler's rule ended in April 1945, Joyce went into hiding.

But his voice gave him away to a wily British soldier, who challenged him - then shot him in the buttocks, thinking Joyce was pulling out a gun.

The 38-year-old was tried for treason, thanks to having formerly having held a British passport, and found guilty. He was hanged in prison on January 3, 1946.

JOHN AMERY

This Nazi traitor was actually the son of a British wartime minister, Leo Amery. He became a fascist supporter in the 1930s and moved to Germany during the conflict.