Lord Haw-Haw: The Life and Legacy of the Notorious Nazi Propaganda Broadcaster during World War II

In Germany, the most threatening and caustic radio personality was Mildred Gillars, known to the troops as the foreboding “Axis Sally,” but in Britain, one Nazi broadcaster became famous above all others. The man who became known as “Lord Haw-Haw” broadcast daily programs from Germany, introduced with a deliberate parody of the BBC by using the words “Germany calling…” These propaganda broadcasts were widely derided in Britain, but thousands listened to them every day and the distinctive voice of Lord Haw-Haw became as instantly recognizable to listeners in the UK as that of Prime Minster Winston Churchill. Although his accent was odd, he appeared to be British, leading so many of the Britons who listened to him to wonder who he was, and why he was broadcasting on behalf of the Nazis. As it turned out, Lord Haw-Haw was an American who had moved among fascist circles in Britain before moving to Germany shortly before the war. He specialized in acidic diatribes against the men and women working for the Western Allies, broadcasting from Berlin and easily heard in London. Reports over the airwaves suggested that specific family members had died back home or that male siblings had been killed in action. Wives and girlfriends were reported to be unfaithful in a soldier’s absence by agencies who claimed to be aware of such matters. Enemy assaults upon the Allies’ willingness to fight were frequently followed with fictitious reports of American, British, or other collaborators’ defeats. Dire threats were levied against those serving in specific locations, with precise military information invoked for enhanced credibility. Somewhat fittingly, Lord Haw-Haw’s impact on the war is still debated, and what happened to him at the end of the war is also the subject of arguments.