The time when William from 'Just William' decided to become a 'nastie' so he could call himself Him Hitler and chase away the Jewish shop owners. Unsurprisingly, it was withdrawn from print .. eventually ..
http://justwilliamsyear.co.uk/william-the-detective/william-and-the-nasties
https://gabrielquotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/william-and-the-nasties-scan-split.pdf
Have only just noticed this post. As a child and young person many decades ago, I was a "Just William" devotee: recall reading the "nasties" tale back then, obviously in an edition from before it was "pulled". Re-reading it as linked above, caused a few rather uncomfortable moments; but I perceive in this matter, a certain "hindsight is 20 / 20" element -- and there is in the story, a good quantity of the characteristic "Just William" humour, which delights me -- often revolving around the kids' hilarious, to me, misunderstanding and botching of information which comes their way.
I recall this as just one of several "William" stories set in the late 1930s, in which the Outlaws get the impression that assorted right-wing dictators in foreign lands at the time (and their admirers nearer home), are decidedly "cool", and set about trying to imitate them. There was one which drew upon the much-remarked-on Fascist passion for uniforms involving various-coloured shirts: William initiates, and recruits the Outlaws to, the "Blue Shirts" movement: prompting imitation in the shape of the "Green Shirts", by the rival gang headed by the obnoxious spoilt brat Hubert Lane. The Outlaws have somehow got wind vaguely, of Nazi Germany's demands for the return of the pre-World War I German overseas colonies: "col'nies" as William & co, render the word -- they unofficially appropriate a local farmer's grass field for colonisation, and post a notice on the field's gate reading "Blue Shirts Col'ny" (the word written in that spelling).
I would be loath to see this small element in Richmal Crompton's output, as evidence of her having been a sympathiser with Fascism (though pre-World War II, a fair number of perfectly decent people in Britain did see a good deal to admire in that current in politics: the truly hideous side to it was not realised at the time / came about later on); I envisage it rather, as her having fun with her juvenile (anti)-heroes' persistent getting the wrong end of the stick about most things which come their way -- far-right-wing goings-on, just one of many useful vehicles for this theme; plus the possibility of the author's poking fun at the absurdities of such goings-on, via the kids' confused take on them.
I seem to recall another "William" story from this period, in which the Outlaws discover Communism, through William's much-older brother Robert, and friends of his, getting into a period of earnest conversion to that ideology. (Uncharacteristic of Robert, if my memory of the books is correct; I seem to recall him as, mostly, an engagingly un-intellectual and vacuous young man rather a la Bertie Wooster: interested chiefly in tennis, and girls -- about achieving any success with whom, he is endearingly clueless.) William does a copy-cat act, roping the Outlaws into his micro-Soviet-republic; likely enough, I suspect -- memory fails me here -- with him as Stalin-counterpart. The thought occurs, that the author might have conceived this tale as a bit of evening-up of the record, vis-a-vis the "would-be Fascists" ones.
Again if memory serves me rightly: quite a number (though not monopolisingly so) of the many hundreds of "William" stories, revolve around the Outlaws' learning of some interesting venture on the part of grown-ups, present or past, and seeking in their garbled way, to emulate it. One story which had me helpless with laughter, was that in which there is made known to them at school, the story of St. Francis of Assisi; which inspires them to form their own religious order, dedicated to benignity and love for all living creatures, and for other things: the Williamcans, on the model of the name "Franciscans".
Maybe a far-fetched notion: but I wonder a little whether this "emulation" strand in Crompton's "William" stories, might have contributed to the idea of the (a good deal later in the 20th century) space-fantasy "Hoka" stories by Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson. Premise of these tales being the discovery by spaefarers from Earth, of the Hoka people, inhabiting a planet vast numbers of light-years away. The Hoka, teddy-bear-like in appearance, are quite amazingly imitative: having been contacted by the human race, they become fascinated by human culture, and obsessively emulate and role-play accordingly, re all manner of human things -- latched onto, chiefly through the medium of works of fiction. I admit to not being all that keen on the Hoka stuff, good though the initial idea may have been: the Hoka are just
too talented and adept as emulators -- the humour of misunderstanding and getting-wrong just isn't there; for me, the whole thing pans out as a rather drearily repetitive one-trick pony. For my money, Crompton is a lot funnier.