Under a false identity for 18 months in the early 80s Andrew Drummond infiltrated the League of St. George, regarded as the ‘thinking man’s Nazi party’, and the umbrella for a wide range of different Nazi movements in Britain.
He mixed both with intellectual Nazis and with their skinhead street-fighters and attended the annual bashes at Dixmuide in Belgium, a Flemish national day, which had been hijacked by right wing groups from around the world.
He also attended Nazi rallies in beer halls draped with Swastika flags reminiscent of the 30s attended by neo-nazis in their full regalia.
Through his investigations Drummond was able to show that the far-right was not just involved at street level in racist attacks but on a much higher level in which activists committing acts of terrorism abroad could seek refuge in Britain.
This was an era of right-wing bombings, the most notable of which was in Bologna, Italy. Andrew Drummond was able to identify safe houses in London used by the Italian right wing group M.S.I.
It came to a point that Andrew Drummond was even consulted about new recruits and asked to check their background. As a result he got to know not only the top fascists in the National Front, British Movement, National Socialist Party U.K, and Column 88, but also members of foreign fascist movements, including, F.N.E, the Turkish Grey Wolves; Spanish CEDADE, and the Belgian V.M.O.
At one time, using the credentials of the Ulster Defence Army (UDA) members of whom had turned up at a Nazi rally, he was even delegated to lead a military training camp for fascists on private land in North Wales. And he went on to do just that with some comical results.
AWARD
His series of articles were recognised by the award of the Maurice Ludmer Memorial Prize’ an award administered by the National Book League for investigations into fascism and racism.
The citation read: ‘The articles were investigative and undertaken with great personal courage. He got right into the heart of many of the most violent and active neo- Nazi groups during his research. As a result of this he has been marked down by Nazis as a special target for their hate.’
Andrew Drummond was also used as a consultant by the BBC on right wing groups. He was later Field producer for the Fox TV programme ‘The Reporters’ called ‘A Right Turn’. That was of course before Fox itself made a full right turn.
