The administrative files of the Dorset West District of the British Union of Fascists and of the Dorchester Constituency of Union Movement, and other correspondence of Robert Saunders, mainly 1935 to 1952; together with some books and pamphlets.

In the extent of its coverage this collection appears to be a unique survival: it includes the almost complete administrative files (at least for the period 1935 to 1952) of a District of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists (BUF) and of its post-World War II successor Union Movement. Files relate both to pre-war and post-war administration in the Dorset West District of the BUF, later the Dorchester Constituency of Union Movement, and include correspondence both with the local membership and with the National Headquarters administration. There is also a file of personal correspondence between Mosley and Saunders. The person responsible for ensuring the survival of the documents was Robert Saunders, District Treasurer for Dorset West before he became District Officer in 1936, and who, as a farmer, was particularly concerned about the depressed state of agriculture in the Depression. There is also documentation relating to the Defence Regulation 18B internment period after May 1940: in common with many other leading members of British Union Saunders was interned for a period during World War II. The file for "correspondence received" during the months from June 1938 to March 1939, which is missing, may have been removed by Special Branch at the time of his arrest and not returned, though this is not certain.

The collection includes Saunders' autobiographical memoir 'A Tiller of several soils', as well as his collection of political books and pamphlets.

For further details of this collection please see the finding aid in the external documents section below.