My father, Morris Beckman, who has died aged 94, was best known for his unyielding anti-fascism, which manifested itself initially in the late 1940s, when he and numerous other Jewish ex-servicemen founded the 43 Group in response to a revival in fascist activity in Britain.
The group, which included a young Vidal Sassoon, targeted all far-right bodies, in particular Oswald Mosley’s postwar party, the Union Movement, breaking up its meetings and events. Morris wrote and lectured on anti-fascist themes for many years and in his old age took great delight in being invited to give talks abroad, especially Germany, where he was feted by St Pauli, the Hamburg-based football club that has long had a strong anti-fascist tradition.
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