Wal Hannington papers

Catalogue record

Notes

Series CP/IND/HANN: Wal Hannington (1896-1966) was a London-born toolmaker and foundation member of the CPGB who became synonymous with the inter-war movement of unemployed workers. For unexplained reasons, Hannington's personal collection relating to the NUWM became divided between the CPGB archives and the Marx Memorial Library. With the NUWM's suspension of activities during the Second World War, Hannington made his way back into the engineering industry and in 1941 was elected one of the three national organisers of the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). He lost the position at the height of the Cold War, in December 1950, but three years later was elected the AEU's assistant divisional organiser for north London and retained the position until his retirement in 1961. His papers contain an extensive documentation of his activities within the AEU, including his proposals for the reorganisation of the union and the controversy over his book The Rights of Engineers (1944). They also document his resentment against those within the party apparatus and its engineering networks who several times in the 1950s vetoed his candidacies for more senior union positions, and whom he accused of 'walking over the face of honoured foundation members of the Party'. One of the outstanding militants of his generation, Hannington left two books of memoirs but still awaits the biographical treatment he deserves.