Historical Historical The WIL was formed in 1937 by members of the Militant Group, who had split due to false allegations from the leadership of that group that Ralph Lee (born Raphael Levy),[1] then a newly arrived South African member, had misled a strike and used the strike funds to move to England.
The majority of British workers supported the war because they had a genuine fear of an invasion by Nazi Germany and a desire to defeat Nazism.
In a similar incident, the Cairo Forces Parliament was shut down because of the growing support for the revolutionary ideas promoted by WIL members.
But if this was applied to the whole membership it meant they could be dispersed and provide no real leadership and therefore the organisation took measures to preserve the leading cadres outside the forces.
[13] With the outbreak of World War II, the WIL expected to be banned and so temporarily moved a few members (Tommy Reilly, Jock Haston, Gerry Healy, John Williams and George Noseda) to Dublin.
[17] Of the other two defendants, Ward received 6 months and Beet was acquitted,[16] but as both had given statements to the police that could have implicated the WIL they were expelled.
After the appointment of Roy Tearse as industrial organiser (replacing Gerry Healy),[18] the WIL found itself involved through him in setting up a solidarity committee in support of victimised workers called the Clyde Workers Committee after the original organisation bearing that name which had led the revolt on the Clyde during World War I.
[19] By 1944, the Fourth International had realised that the WIL were far more effective and closer to the FI's policies than the RSL which had disintegrated into a set of warring factions, and so coordinated a unity conference.