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30.6.40 [George Orwell]

June 30, 2010 in Crooms Hill, Cyril Connolly, hand-grenades, Italo Balbo, LDV, local defence squads, mouse, pacifists, parade, Political, Regent's Park, rifles, Senussi, Thetis, War-time, working class by orwelldiaries

This afternoon a parade in Regent’s Park[1] of the L.D.V.  of the whole “zone”, i.e. 12 platoons of theoretically about 60 men each (actually a little under strength at present.) Predominantly old soldiers and, allowing for the dreadful appearance that men drilling in mufti always present, not a bad lot. Perhaps 25 per cent are working class. If that percentage exists in the Regent’s Park area, it must be much higher in some others. What I do not yet know is whether there has been any tendency to avoid raising L.D.V. contingents in very poor districts where the whole direction would have to be in working-class hands. At present the whole organisation is in an anomalous and confused state which has many different possibilities. Already people are spontaneously forming local defence squads and hand-grenades are probably being manufactured by amateurs. The higher-ups are no doubt thoroughly frightened by these tendencies. . . . The general inspecting the parade was the usual senile imbecile, actually decrepit, and made one of the most uninspiring speeches I ever heard. The men, however, very ready to be inspired. Loud cheering at the news that rifles had arrived at last.

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