Barry Domvile was born
in 1878. He joined the Royal Navy and eventually
became Director of Naval Intelligence (1927-30) and President of the
Royal Naval College (1932-34).
Domvile developed extreme
right-wing political views. He visited Nazi
Germany several times and in 1936 he attended the Nuremberg Rally
as a guest of of Joachim von Ribbentrop.
He also met Heinrich Himmler while in
Germany.
In July 1937 Domvile founded
The Link.
In his autobiography Domvile explained that he established the organisation
"to foster the mutual knowledge and understanding between the
British and German peoples, and to counteract the flood of lies with
which our people were being regaled in their daily papers."
The organization attracted
anti-Semitic people and pro-Nazi extremists. The membership of The
Link grew from 1,800 in March 1938 to 4,300 in June 1939. Members
included Lord Redesdale, Archibald
Ramsay, Major-General
John Fuller, Lambert
Ward, Richard Findlay, H. T. Mills, Lord Sempill, C. E. Carroll,
A. P. Laurie, Raymond Beazley and Hubert Maddocks. The Link also published
the journal The Anglo-German Review.
The Link closed down soon
after the outbreak of the Second World War in
September 1939. Several members of the organization, including Barry
Domvile and Archibald
Ramsay, were
arrested after the passing of Defence Regulation 18B in May 1940.
This legislation gave the Home Secretary the right to imprison without
trial anybody he believed likely to "endanger the safety of the
realm".
Domvile was released from
Brixton Prison on 29th July 1943. He published his autobiography,
From Admiral to Cabin Boy four
years later. Barry Domvile died in 1971.
Barry Domvile, C. E. Carroll,
Raymond Beazley and A. P. Laurie
Home
Front
Home
Front Simulation
(1)
Admiral
Barry Domvile, From Admiral to
Cabin Boy (1947)
I
and several friends who held similar views felt that an urgent need
existed for the establishment
of an Association to foster the mutual knowledge and understanding
between the British and German peoples, and to counteract the flood
of lies with which our people were being regaled in their daily papers.
There was in existence already an Anglo-German Fellowship, of which
I was a member of the Council. I was never very happy about this Association,
which catered mainly for the well-to-do, and was largely supported
by big business firms, interested in clearing the ground for an extension
of commercial relations. Membership of the 'Link' was open to all.
(2)
A
reporter from the Daily Express
asked Ernest Carroll if The Link was still
functioning (6th September, 1939)
"You put me in a
very awkward position", he said, "I don't want to say anything
about it. We had decided to close down. But it seems that we might
be of national use, by a slight alteration."
"Wouldn't it have
to be rather a considerable alteration?", I said.
"I don't want to
disclose what it is now", he said. "It might spoil the effect.
But if we could build a bridge to the German people..."
If... But as The Link's
German contacts were highly official and Nazi,
it seems unlikely.
(3)
A
reporter from the Daily Express
asked Ernest Carroll if The Link was still
functioning (6th September, 1939)
"You put me in a
very awkward position", he said, "I don't want to say anything
about it. We had decided to close down. But it seems that we might
be of national use, by a slight alteration."
"Wouldn't it have
to be rather a considerable alteration?", I said.
"I don't want to
disclose what it is now", he said. "It might spoil the effect.
But if we could build a bridge to the German people..."
If... But as The Link's
German contacts were highly official and Nazi,
it seems unlikely.
(4)
Admiral
Barry
Domvile
, quoted in the Daily
Telegraph (7th September, 1939)
The Link is closed down
and the organisation dissolved. Naturally, we closed down on the declaration
of war. That was essential. The King's enemies became our enemies.
We had done our best for better Anglo-German relations, and with the
outbreak of hostilities there was no more to be done. All the branches
are closed.
"You put me in a very
awkward position", he said, "I don't want to say anything
about it. We had decided to close down. But it seems that we might
be of national use, by a slight alteration."
"Wouldn't it have
to be rather a considerable alteration?", I said.
"I don't want to
disclose what it is now", he said. "It might spoil the effect.
But if we could build a bridge to the German people..."
If... But as The Link's
German contacts were highly official and Nazi,
it seems unlikely.
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