Aldermaston Marches

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The first Aldermaston March took place at Easter (4-7 April), 1958, shortly after the launch of CND, when people marched for four days from Trafalgar Square, London, to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment close to Aldermaston in Berkshire, England, to demonstrate their opposition to nuclear weapons.^[1]^[2] After 1958 the marches were held annually,1959-1963, but their direction was reversed, i.e. from Aldermaston to London (1960,^[3]); there were revivals of the march in later years including in 1972 and in 2004.^[4]^[5] The 1963 March was notable for the unofficial diversion of many marchers on Easter Eve to visit RSG (Regional Seat of Government) 6, exposed by the Spies for Peace in their pamphlet circulated as the March assembled the previous day.

[edit] Participants

The Aldermaston March Committee for the first march comprised Hugh Brock, Pat Arrowsmith and Michael Randle from the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War plus Frank Allaun MP and Walter Wolfgang from the Labour H-Bomb Campaign.

Peggy Duff organised subsequent Aldermaston Marches 1959-1963.
Sidney Hinkes was involved in the first Aldermaston March,
Walter Wolfgang participated in the first Aldermaston March and led a revival of the march in 1972.
Reg Freeson was one of five Labour MPs on the first Aldermaston March.
Lindsay Anderson made the documentary March to Aldermaston (1958).
Eric Idle was a keen supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and participated in the Aldermaston March.^[6]

[edit] Songs

Ewan MacColl's English text of Song of Hiroshima was sung on the Aldermaston Marches by the London Youth Choir.^[7]
An unofficial peace version of the National Anthem of the United Kingdom was written in 1958 by Henry Young for the first Aldermaston March and is taken from Young's collection of poems From Talk to Action: The fight for peace.