Ex-British soldier who flew Nazi flag outside his home lowers it after backlash

A former British soldier has taken down a Nazi flag which was flying outside his home following a backlash from outraged residents. 

Billy Brown, 81, put the World War 2-era flag up in the back garden of his home in Walker, Newcastle on Monday, leaving his neighbours horrified.

One resident also reported hearing the German marching song Erika – composed in the 1930s and adopted by the Wehrmacht – from his home in the late morning and early afternoon.   

Brown, who claims he was was in the British Army for six years and served in Germany, said he put the swastika flag up for a family member who was interested in history and World War II. 

He said it had been posted through his door by an unknown person.

‘I was a bit concerned I would upset people,’ Brown said. ‘I was worrying with it being a dodgy flag – and it doesn’t get much more dodgy than that.’

But Brown, who has lived at the address for 49 years, said he checked the internet to see if Nazi flags were banned before flying it in his garden. 

‘If it had been banned I wouldn’t have done it. I’m going off what somebody said on the computer,’ he said. 

Billy Brown, 81, put the World War 2-era flag up in the back garden of his home in Walker, Newcastle on Monday, leaving his neighbours horrified

Brown, who was also a shipyard worker, has numerous flags from different countries which he puts up in his garden. 

He said: ‘I put different flags up. It’s something to do. I had a Sierra Leona one, I’ve just took it down. I have got storage boxes, about three or four of them, and I just pick one out.’

Though he flies a diverse range of flags at his home, Brown said he would not put a Union Jack one up. When asked why, he replied: ‘With the state of this country? You’re kidding.’ 

One outraged neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘He’s always got different flags but that is the first time I’ve seen a Nazi flag. I’m in complete and utter shock. I’m disgusted.’

Though he flies a diverse range of flags at his home, Brown said he would not put a Union Jack one up. When asked why, he replied: ‘With the state of this country? You’re kidding’

Another local resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Other neighbours are as disgusted as I am, it gives the street a bad name as we’ll all be tarred with the same brush. 

‘Walker is a lovely mix of people so there will be a lot upset at seeing this bigoted flag. They have been singing loudly songs in German but, as I do not speak German, I do not know if they were Nazi songs or something else.’

A third person, who lives nearby, added: ‘That’s wrong. He can’t be doing things like that no matter how old he is. It’s offensive – it’s naughty, it’s very naughty.’

Brown took the Nazi flag down at around lunch time on Tuesday after becoming aware of the backlash by neighbours. He added: ‘I’ll still fly my flags but this one is definitely gone. I’ll put it in a black bag.’