Stewards (paramilitary organisation)

The Stewards, also informally referred to as Blackshirts, were the paramilitary wing of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). They served a similar role as the Blackshirts of the National Fascist Party of Italy and also wore black uniforms. The Stewards were officially an organization of guards to protect Oswald Mosley and eject groups of hecklers from the audience of speeches by BUF officials. In practice, the Stewards physically assaulted hecklers and political opponents with truncheons of rubber or lead.