Behind the Bastards

Episode Summary: Part One – Lord Haw-Haw: Hitler's Favorite Anglo Propagandist

Date: December 16, 2025

Host: Robert Evans with guest host Padraig O’Rourke

Main Theme / Purpose

In this episode, guest host Padraig O’Rourke takes the reins from Robert Evans to deliver an in-depth, darkly humorous look at the early life of William Joyce—better known as “Lord Haw-Haw,” the notorious Anglo-Irish fascist who became a key Nazi propagandist during WWII. The show delves far beyond Joyce’s radio infamy, unearthing his bizarre, tumultuous upbringing, early betrayals, obsessions with Britishness, and the formative traumas and ideologies that laid the groundwork for his later treacherous career.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Who Was William Joyce? (03:02–04:06)

• Padraig explains the original plan to cover Prince Andrew and why that's not happening ("…we thought it would be safer if we covered a dead bastard instead…").
• Introduction to William Joyce, aka Lord Haw-Haw—the Nazi radio mouthpiece infamous across the Allied world.
• Joyce’s radio role compared to “Tokyo Rose” and other Axis propagandists.

2. Joyce’s Dubious Origins and Upbringing (06:10–11:32)

• Birthplace and birthdate uncertain (c. 1903–1906, America or Ireland).
• Father Michael Joyce: wealthy Irish Catholic emigrant; mother, Queenie, English Protestant. Parents' marriage mired by bigotry and possible scandal.
• Notable quote: “So Michael and Gertrude's engagement was so controversial that her parents refused to attend their 1905 New York wedding. Instead… sent her brother Gilbert, a lawyer, to the ceremony to, quote, see that the thing was done right.” – Padraig (08:18)
• The family’s business in Mayo failed after Michael caused a regular's death by negligence.
• They move to Galway, a hub of Irish culture—ironically, young William despises everything about Irishness and craves British identity.

3. Early Personality and Mother’s Influence (11:32–13:18)

• Spoiled by his mother, who imbued him with grandiose ideas (“You are the sugar in my tea. Without you, there is no British Empire, and you will be a great man someday.”).
• Robert reviews a childhood photo: “He looks like a little shit… You're just a kid. What the fuck are you looking at me for?” (12:44–13:11)
• Precocious, clever, talented, but a lonely and isolated child.

4. Cultural Indoctrination, Catholic Complicity, and Trauma (13:44–18:09)

• Catholic Church in Ireland aided British imperialism—Robert and Padraig discuss the state's coercive assimilation efforts and systemic abuse at schools.
• Children taught to recite a loyalty poem to Britain; speaking Gaelic violently punished.
• Notable quote: “Young William Joyce just fucking loves all the British imperialism that he is getting in school…” – Padraig (16:51)
• Catalyst: a priest tells Joyce his Protestant mother is hellbound, turning him against Catholic authority and toward political radicalism.

5. Joyce’s Descent into Paranoia and Conspiracy (18:09–21:06)

• Amid the Easter Rising and the Russian Revolution, teen Joyce embraces wild anti-Semitic, anti-communist conspiracy theories.
• “He would give impromptu speeches in the playground, warning us about the growing dangers of Bolshevism.” – Padraig quoting Owen Keenan (20:35)
• Illustration of Joyce’s profound outsider status, his alienation fueling reactionary zealotry.

6. The Irish War of Independence: Joyce Sides with the Oppressors (24:39–31:55)

• Joyce witnesses a British killing and volunteers to assist the occupiers at 15—running errands, acting as informant, identifying “enemy” homes.
• Despised as an overzealous, embarrassing mascot by some British police.
• Notable quote: “He was one of our greatest embarrassments. His trouble was fanatical patriotism to England and a burning wish to fight the rebels.” – RIC constable recollection (29:21)
• Even the notorious Black and Tans and the more brutal “Auxies” found Joyce a nuisance.

7. Association with War Crimes and Ultra-Violence (31:55–36:00)

• The “Auxies” described as “bastards to a man” – Tom Barry (31:55).
• Padraig recounts atrocities committed by D Company in Galway: torture, mutilation, murder—including of women, priests, and disabled people, with Joyce eager to help.
• While rumors suggest Joyce lured victims, no direct evidence is found.

8. Spotlight on Joyce as Teenage Enemy Agent (36:00–40:16)

• Joyce is finally revealed as a regular British-paid army courier and becomes a target for IRA assassination.
• His arrogance peaks, taunting IRA leaders in public (“…spat at me…” – Michael Staines, 37:53).
• Only ceasefire negotiations save his life—his handler, Captain Keating, arranges for Joyce to flee to England in the British Army.

9. Political Drift, Anti-Semitism, and the First Fascist Steps (43:21–55:48)

• Booted from the Army, Joyce studies at Birkbeck College, but finds mainstream conservatives insufficiently extreme.
• Fails at a Foreign Office job: “some thieving Jew had stolen his research” (44:33).
• Joins early British Fascisti (1923), an organization obsessed with anti-Communism, anti-Semitism, and monarchy worship, led intriguingly by ex-suffragette Rotha Linton Ormond.
• Rises to “Commander of I Squad.”

10. The Scar—Birth of the Villain’s Public Persona (48:50–51:43)

• Joyce infamously slashed across the face at a political event—he blames a “Jewish Communist,” but it’s likely an Irish female republican.
• Robert: “That’s the scar they all want to have… the dueling scar.” (49:11)
• This wound becomes his “bond villain” brand.

11. Misogyny, Abuse, and More Betrayals (51:48–55:48)

• Marries Hazel Barr, impregnates her, but cheats with a 16-year-old student.
• The British Fascisti collapses amid scandal and lost funding, leaving Joyce adrift until his next ideological messiah emerges.

12. Transition to Future Infamy (55:48–56:42)

• Both hosts note how Joyce wasn’t an accidental monster, but enthusiastic, “hard-working” villainy incarnate—setting up for his leap into Nazi propaganda and his Lord Haw-Haw persona.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the British-Irish marriage controversy:
  “Instead, Queenie’s parents sent her brother Gilbert, a lawyer, to the ceremony to, quote, see that the thing was done right.” – Padraig O'Rourke (08:18)

• Robert’s photo reaction:
  “He looks like a little shit…you’re not better than me, you little piece of shit.” (12:44–13:11)

• On anti-Irish racism:
  “James Froude, professor of history at Oxford, declared that the Irish Were, quote, more like squalid apes than human beings.” – Padraig O’Rourke (07:39)

• Padraig on the Catholic Church’s complicity:
  “…Catholic Church in Ireland in the early 1900s was 100% supportive of British rule…allowed priests political power and social status required to ensure a nationwide conveyor belt of children who they could rape and abuse without legal consequence.” (14:24)

• Juvenile Joyce’s playground politics:
  “He would give impromptu speeches in the playground, warning us about the growing dangers of Bolshevism.” (20:35)

• RIC constable on Joyce:
  “He was one of our greatest embarrassments. His trouble was fanatical patriotism to England and a burning wish to fight the rebels.” (29:21)

• On auxiliary brutality:
  “[The Auxies] were bastards to a man.” – Tom Barry, as quoted by Padraig (31:55)

• Joyce’s arrogance:
  “William Joyce was quite a young fellow… I saw him with some members of the RIC Auxiliary Division. And as I went by, he passed some jeering remarks and actually spat at me.” – Michael Staines (37:53)

• Robert on hard work:
  “He put in the hours to be a piece of shit. You know, this is—he didn’t just start late in his career. I’m a believer in honoring hard work.” (56:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro / Format Explanation: 00:05–01:56
• Joyce’s Birth, Parents & Early Galway Years: 06:10–13:18
• Cultural Indoctrination and Imperial Schooling: 13:44–18:09
• First Political Radicalization: 18:09–21:06
• Teen Informant during Irish War of Independence: 24:39–31:55
• Association with Black and Tans/Auxies Atrocities: 31:55–36:00
• On the Run / Saved by British Intelligence: 36:00–40:16
• Start of British Fascists & Political Evolution: 43:21–48:50
• Scar Incident & Mythologizing: 48:50–51:43
• Marriage, Infidelity, Fascist Collapse: 51:48–55:48
• Closing, Next Episode Tease: 55:48–56:42

Tone & Style

• The episode is humor-laced, irreverent, and unflinching—even when recounting brutality. Both hosts wield gallows humor and deliver expletive-laden asides, while maintaining a historically rigorous approach.
• Padraig’s vivid storytelling is paired with Robert’s wisecracks and incredulity.

Final Thoughts

This first installment lays a thorough foundation for understanding Lord Haw-Haw’s origins, establishing that William Joyce’s commitment to betrayal, cruelty, and fanaticism was neither accidental nor passive. Through stories of failed pub ownership, abusive education, petty schoolyard radicalism, war crimes, and fascist cosplay, the episode makes clear that British fascism had deep, bizarre, and ugly roots. The stage is set for part two—where Joyce’s story merges with the rise of European fascism and Nazi Germany.

Further Reading

• Padraig O’Rourke’s book: Burn Them Out: A History of Fascism and the Far Right in Ireland (Bloomsbury, Head of Zeus). (57:11)
• For listeners interested in more about the 1916 Rising, the podcast Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff with Margaret Killjoy is recommended. (19:18)

Listen to Part Two to hear about Joyce’s full metamorphosis into Hitler’s voice on the airwaves.