I was not born then either, but what I have seen is that from 1918 to 1950, especially in England (but in the USA as well) it wasn’t considered by many to be much more than a youthful dalliance, to discover a man was a “bolshevik” and had been a member of the Communist party.
There were conversations like “What? He isn’t a bolshevik, is he? God, how I dislike them...” which indicates it was perceived as being not that much more of a black mark as someone who was an atheist or womanizer.
Of course, that was before the West became fully privy to the murderous depredations and evils of communism because the media and government dupes in the West went out of their way NOT to see and report on the bloodletting and tyranny that was going on.
Of all the things that I admire about Joseph McCarthy (see my Freep Page) it is that he made being a communist something that people became ashamed of and had to actively hide. In doing so, he paid with his life, but I think, bought this country decades more of freedom, though that began to crumble when the radicals from the sixties began entering government.
We are probably more riddled with people in government who have communist tendencies now than we ever were back then (which is saying a lot, because there was a LOT of that) but now, they mask it by saying they aren’t communists and they love America, but when they say it, they don’t mean it the way you or I would!
Back in the sixties I read a McCarthy biography that was very unflattering but even they recognized his strength. He knew personally and could recognize thousands of his constituents. Down to details about their kid’s names and illnesses. The source of his power. He recognized this and it made him almost impervious to attack. Which is why the left gloats to this day over his destruction.
When he went back to Wisconsin he walked around shaking hands and making small talk with everyone. Impressive feat.