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which they along with a small group of associates produced. While conducting political work in run-down housing blocks, she became more aware of the poverty which existed under
British capitalism, and came face-to-face with issues such as unemployment. These experiences convinced her that capitalism
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and his supporters, but also rallying opposition to Hitler, Mussolini and Franco. Noreen then joined the North
Battersea Co-operative Women's Guild and represented the organisation on the Aid Spain Committee, established in 1936 by the Battersea Trades Council. In early 1938 Noreen's husband Clive
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in London. Noreen's home city of
Battersea soon became a key target for German V1 and V2 rockets due to the presence of its close network of railway tracks and power station. While Clive was away on military duty, his and Noreen's home was bombed by the Germans, after which Noreen moved to
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where she specialised in welfare and social services. She published her first article in the Labour
Research Department magazine in September 1938 and continued to routinely contribute to the magazine for another 65 years. She also edited the magazine for 25 years.
370:, however he was captured on the 3rd of April and was kept prisoner for 8 months. Noreen sent Clive and fellow republican prisoners funding to buy cigarettes, as a way of letting the prisoners know that they had not been forgotten. While Clive was being held as a
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messenger to underground parties in Europe without being caught. Her aristocratic upbringing allowed her to move throughout Europe without arousing suspicion. Noreen
Branson and Clive Branson dedicated much of their time to opposing fascism, opposing
243:. The experience of losing her parents sparked her life-long interest in anti-imperialist and anti-war politics. After losing both her parents, she was raised by her wealthy maternal grandparents in Berkley Square. Her grandparents raised her with
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to smuggle funding to Indian communists resisting the
British colonial occupation of India. Noreen Branson was most known for her work as a historian, working as a researcher for the
275:, and agreed to marry him within days of first meeting him. Noreen Branson married Clive Branson in June 1931, and two years later the couple had their only child, the future artist
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391:, Noreen Branson signed up to become an air raid warden. Inspired by her work as an air raid warden, her husband Clive included Noreen's likeness in his painting
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in court in 1928. Despite being indoctrinated with upper class values, she would seek out socialist groups due to her anti-war beliefs.
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where they became icons of the working class community and Noreen became the secretary of the local CPGB branch in 1936.
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Both of Noreen
Branson's parents died when she was eight years old. In August 1918, Noreen's mother died from
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Branson was born on 16 May 1910 in London, her father was colonel Alfred Browne and her paternal grandfather
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838:"Writings on the State - Communist Party of Great Britain archive from Microform Academic Publishers"
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in 1929, and in 1931 at the age of 20 took part in a
Charity Concert at the Scarlet Theatre in east
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287:. The couple began having more frequent discussions on politics and often lent each other books.
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into a communist party newspaper. Soon after joining the CPGB, Noreen and her husband moved to
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797:(1999). "Review of The History of the Communist Party of Great Britain, 1941-1951": 136–138.
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to smuggle funding to Indian communists resisting the
British colonial occupation of India.
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After Clive's death, Noreen published his letters, sketches and poems as a book titled
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by the
Japanese when he was hit by an anti-tank shell near Point 315 at the end of the
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History of the Communist Party of Great Britain, Volume 3 (1985) & Volume 4 (1997)
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in Chelsea in Autumn 1931. The couple began campaigning in the poorest parts of the
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Noreen Branson's talent as a communist party activist was noticed by
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Branson died on 25 October 2003. She was survived by her daughter
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Wishing to become more politically active and feeling betrayed by
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Poplarism, 1919–1925: George Lansbury and the Councillors' Revolt
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239:, and eleven days later Noreen's father was killed in combat in
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Writing volumes 3 & 4 of the official history of the CPGB.
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was a failed system, and both she and her husband joined the
680:. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. pp. 19–20.
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Room At The Bottom: National Insurance in the Welfare State
459:(1958) as Katherine Hood, with Roger Simon as James Harvey
431:, Noreen Branson took over the authorship of the official
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History of the Communist Party of Great Britain 1927–1941
404:. In 1944, Noreen's husband Clive Branson was killed in
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Smuggling funds to anti-colonial Indians and communists.
720:. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 20.
586:. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 19.
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to fight against Nazi backed nationalist forces in the
770:"'Bombed Women and Searchlights', Clive Branson, 1940"
304:"defection", both Noreen and Clive Branson joined the
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Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism
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Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism
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Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism
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History of the Communist Party in Britain 1941–1951
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80:Historian, trade unionist, communist revolutionary
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271:. During this event she met the painter and poet
716:Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020).
676:Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020).
582:Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020).
433:History of the Communist Party of Great Britain
184:(16 May 1910 – 25 October 2003) was a British
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204:, and in 1934 she carried out a mission for
196:. In 1931 she married fellow communist and
312:and began distributing a newspaper titled
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194:Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB)
151: 1931; died 1944)
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613:"Branson, Noreen (Oral history)"
485:Britain in the Nineteen Twenties
469:Britain In The Nineteen Thirties
212:, collaborating with historians
188:activist, historian, founder of
124:Communist Party of Great Britain
884:20th-century British historians
251:values, and presented her as a
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341:who in 1934 dispatched her to
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393:Bombed Women and Searchlights
296:Joining the Communist Party
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899:Co-operative Women's Guild
652:"Obituary: Noreen Branson"
417:A British Soldier in India
387:Come the beginning of the
376:Labour Research Department
210:Labour Research Department
348:In 1935 she attended the
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894:British women historians
465:(1960) as Katherine Hood
321:in July 1932 and turned
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119:Independent Labour Party
410:Battle of the Admin Box
232:, a UK and Irish peer.
198:International Brigadeer
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364:International Brigades
263:Noreen Branson joined
175:(paternal grandfather)
617:Imperial War Museums
291:Adult political life
259:Husband and daughter
37:Noreen Branson, 1926
427:After the death of
889:British debutantes
302:Ramsay MacDonald's
795:Schneer, Jonathan
727:978-1-907464-45-4
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811:cite journal
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163:Rosa Branson
106:Notable work
85:Organization
70:(2003-10-25)
18:
879:2003 deaths
874:1910 births
362:joined the
218:Roger Simon
126:(1932–1991)
53:16 May 1910
863:Categories
538:References
532:0853158622
519:0853156115
506:0853154341
493:0297770098
480:0586037578
423:Later life
224:Early life
49:1910-05-16
748:The Times
402:Hampstead
354:comintern
327:Battersea
253:debutante
245:bourgeois
186:communist
169:Relatives
59:, England
847:22 April
803:27672609
779:27 April
753:20 April
661:20 April
622:21 April
159:Children
526:(1997)
513:(1985)
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487:(1977)
310:borough
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768:Tate.
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343:Mumbai
323:Revolt
314:Revolt
269:London
241:France
190:Revolt
131:Spouse
121:(1931)
57:London
799:JSTOR
451:Works
406:Burma
147:(
143:
849:2020
824:help
781:2021
774:Tate
755:2020
722:ISBN
682:ISBN
663:2020
624:2020
588:ISBN
528:ISBN
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489:ISBN
476:ISBN
283:and
247:and
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65:Died
43:Born
372:POW
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