IBMT Newsletter www.international-brigades.org.uk Issue 42 / 2-2016 INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE MEMORIALTRUST

Defying thehostile political climate RemembranceinWarsaw

NEWS IBMTNewsletter Issueno.42 DatesannouncedforIBMT-backed 2-2016 playaboutBeckettandCaudwell

The IBMT-commissioned play about the Interna - mation of the International Brigades in October Coverstory tional Brigades, “Dare Devil Rides to Jarama”, 1936 and the Battle of Jarama in February 1937. ZuzaZi ó kowskacarriesawreathtolayatthe will be premiered on 24 September in Bedford at LouiseTownsend ofTownsend Productions the start of a tour around theatres in Britain that says the play will shed light on the political and TombofłtheUnknownSoldierinWarsaw: page7 will run until 3 December. social world of the 1930s and all that inspired Venues and dates for a busy autumn pro - 3-9 News gramme of 45 performances have now been “Theplaywillcommemorate IncludingareportfromtheIBMT’sannual announced (see notice on left). A second leg of andcelebratethecontribution lecturedayinManchesteron12March tour dates will commence early in 2017. 10 Secretarialnotes “Dare Devil Rides to Jarama” is centred on the andsacrificeofthevolunteer JimJumpwrites contrasting lives of International Brigaders Clem InternationalBrigades…” Beckett and Christopher Caudwell. Beckett was 11-17 Features a Lancashire blacksmith and famous star of the and confronted the Brigaders on their journeys GInsearchofaHullBrigader speedway track, while Caudwell was a renowned to Spain. GEllenWilkinsonandtheSpanishCivilWar writer, poet and Marxist philosopher. She adds: “The play will commemorate and GAfamilymysterysolved,thankstothe They were killed together at Jarama, having celebrate the contribution and sacrifice of the IBMTandOwenJones become friends and comrades as members of volunteer International Brigades from all over GTheroleplayedbytheILPinSpain the British Battalion’s machine-gun company. the world, including 2,500 from Britain and GSpanishRepublicanexilesandrefugeesin Written by Neil Gore and produced by Ireland, who recognised that the defence of Britaininthe1940s Townsend Productions, the play will be per - Spanish democracy against fascism was their 17 Canyouhelp? formed during the 80th anniversaries of the for - fight too.” 18 Obituaries DelmerBerg,LuisQuesada 18 Letters GlasgowtohostFrankCasey’ssculpturetribute FromChristinaElliott,TomSibleyandRoss Bradshaw 19-21 Books Merchantseafarerstobe Includingacollectionof“lost”photostaken byAlecWainmanandanewstudyofthe internationalcommunistmovementandthe SpanishCivilWar honouredontheClyde 22 What’son By Ronnie Moran Glasgow City Council has identified a site for the memorial for seafarers who ran the block - TheIBMTNewsletter ispublishedthreetimes ade of Spanish Republican ports. It is on the ayearandissentfreetoallmembers.Back Clyde walkway on the west side of the Jamaica numberscanbedownloadedfromtheIBMT Street Bridge.This is not far from the La Pasion - websiteon [www.international- brigades.org. aria memorial to the International Brigades and uk /newsletter.htm].Allcontentisthe coincidentally across the road from the site of copyright©oftheIBMTandcredited the old Glasgow “Pool” (hiring hall) building contributorsandcannotbereproduced that the Merchant Navy operated from. withoutwrittenpermission. The campaign to get a site for this memorial Editor has been a long one. Sculptor Frank Casey first JimJump approached the RMT Glasgow Shipping Branch 37aClerkenwellGreen,LondonEC1R0DU when I was Branch Secretary some 14 or 15 02072538748 years ago. [email protected] The campaign gathered pace three years ago when I attended a ceremony in Glasgow city InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust chambers to commemorate the war dead of www.international-brigades.org.uk Britain’s Merchant Navy.The commemoration Registeredcharityno.1094928 was the first of its kind in Glasgow and had been organised by Baillie Nina Baker. She has a nautical background, having been a deck officer in the Merchant Navy and had taught at PartofthemaquetteforFrank Glasgow Nautical College. Casey’ssculpture.Themodel Nina, a Green Party councillor, was on the city forthebackgroundsketchis planning committee and when I talked about Frank’sgrandsonSeanQuinn. Continued overleaf

3 NEWS Seafarers’memorial From previous page the blockade runners’ memorial she was enthusiastic.The Spanish CivilWar was some - thing she had always had a special interest in. Since that meeting RMT Glasgow Shipping Branch, Frank and myself have been working with Nina and after three years we have a great result.We now have the formality of an applica - tion for planning permission. The main parts of the memorial, a plaque with the Merchant Navy badge superimposed over a map of Spain, a description of the ships’ mission

A HEAVY TOLL: British ships and seafarers trading with Republican Spain during the Spanish CivilWar suffered serious CHEERING:AroundtheIBMT’s casualties. A report published by the NorthWestbanneronSuicideHill. Republic’s embassy in London in 1938 calculated that, between July 1936 and June 1938, 13 British merchant ships were sunk by Jaramaevent‘evenbigger’nextyear enemy action, 51 others were bombed from the air, two were mined, five were attacked ByMarkHoskisson to defend democracy. Poems, that great rally took place, by submarines and 23 seized or detained by songs, speeches and a bag - over 100 people listened to Franco’s forces.Thirty-five British seamen On Friday and Saturday 19-20 pipe lament featured in the speeches from Kevan Nelson, had been killed in these attacks and nearly February the courage of the ceremony that commemo - the NorthWest Regional 50 badly injured.The Royal Navy also lost International Brigades to rated both the International Secretary of Unison, and eight killed when in May 1937 the destroyer defend Madrid at the Battle of Brigades and the Spanish vic - Charles Jepson of the IBMT HMS Hunter struck a mine laid by Franco’s Jarama was commemorated tims of Franco’s brutal reign. Executive Committee. navy south of Almería. by IBMT supporters in Spain. On Saturday one delegation The delegations from Unite, TogetherwithourSpanish visited the positions of the ASLEF, Unison, the NUT and in taking much needed supplies to the Spanish brothersandsistersoftheAABI Polish Dombrowski Battalion other unions told IBMT mem - Republican government and bringing back InternationalBrigadesfriend - of volunteers who held the line bers to prepare for an even refugees, many of them orphans, along with a shipgroup,threeeventssaw at Jarama against the fascist bigger delegation from the list of names of ships lost during this mission. thebannersofBritishtrade advance. trade union movement next The other part is a figure left to the viewer’s unionsunitedwiththoseofthe year – the 80th anniversary of interpretation but called “the warning shout” SpanishRepublicinamagnifi - Paid respects the battle. by the sculptor (see photo on page 3). Both centdisplayofsolidarityand Another delegation paid its The gathering ended with a sections are complete and in Glasgow, stored internationalism. respects to the British and tumultuous rendition of “The in the basement of the ScottishTUC. AtTarancón, on the Friday, Irish Brigaders who fought Internationale” and was fol - All that is required now is the building of a the memorial to the Scottish and died on Suicide Hill and lowed by a social gathering plinth to house the memorial. Once all this volunteers – authorised by the who rallied, under the leader - with comrades from all over is done we can look forward to the unveiling socialist mayor of the town – ship of Frank Ryan, to form an the world in nearby Morata. ceremony. was the site of a moving trib - unbreakable line of defence. ute led by the family ofWilliam At the monument to the MarkHoskissonisanIBMTandUnite RonnieMoranisamemberoftheIBMTandRMTGlasgow Crawford, who fell in the battle International Brigades where memberfromLiverpool. ShippingBranch.

IBMT members and supporters in Dumfries representatives, local residents and a Reme mberingJackBrent marked the 10th anniversary of the Dumfries and Galloway local councillor. unveiling of the plaque to Jack Brent in The commemoration consisted of several his home town ofWhithorn on 24 February, short speeches, the reciting by Ronnie reports Stuart Hyslop. Moran of RMT of the poem “Salud, Brigade – The event was arranged to coincide with Salud!” and closed with an emotive reading the Battle of Jarama, in which Jack Brent was by SandraTrotter of the Dumfries Branch of severely wounded by fascist machine-gun the Communist Party of La Pasionaria’s fire while rescuing a fallen comrade. memorable address to the departing Brent – whose real name was Geordie International Brigaders. Dickie – became the Secretary of the Copies of “Geordie’s Story”, the recent International Brigade Association after biography of Jack Brent written by his the war in Spain. He died aged 39. nephew John Dickie, were on display and the SPEAKING:StuartHyslopinfrontoftheplaqueonthe TheWhithorn gathering, at which a event was given favourable coverage in a formerbutcher’sshopwhereBrentworkedasayoungman. wreath was laid, was attended by union number of the region’s newspapers.

4 International Brigade Memorial Trust Executedvolunteer’ssignatureondisplayalongsidePicasso’s‘Guernica’ What ’sinanameonapamphlet? How did a pamphlet that was signed by a LEFT:Copyofthe Scottish International Brigader come to be pamphletonshowin displayed in a Madrid art gallery alongside MadridattheReina Picasso’s “Guernica”? SofíaMuseum. This was the question that IBMT Scotland Secretary Mike Arnott asked the Reina Sofía RIGHT:Edinburgh Museum in Madrid after he noticed that a copy CityCouncil’sPeople’s of the “Save Spain from Fascism” pamphlet in StoryMuseumholds initscollectionthis the exhibition carries the pencilled signature of bannerportraitof James (Jimmy) Rutherford on its cover. JimmyRutherford, Rutherford was summarily executed after being whichisdated1938, captured in Aragon in the spring of 1938. He had theyearofhisdeathin also been taken prisoner at Jarama in February of Spain. the previous year, and a condition of his release in May 1937 was that he would not return to Spain. On a visit to the museum in February, Arnott saw the signed pamphlet on display next to Picasso’s masterpiece and along with other leaflets from around the world that were published during the Spanish CivilWar. Rutherford came from the fishing port of his name to James Small, he was recognised by Newhaven, near Leith. After capture during the delVal, and his fingerprints confirmed that he was Wrote Battle of Jarama he was interrogated by Francoist indeed James Rutherford. He was executed by He promptly wrote to the Reina Sofía and official Alfonso Merry delVal and later released as firing squad on 24 May 1938 at San Pedro de received a reply from the museum saying that the part of a prisoner exchange. He returned to the Cardeña, aged 20. pamphlet had been acquired at an auction in UK, but travelled back to Spain in August 1937 to Arnott’s letter to the museum asked: “It is Barcelona in October 2013.There was no indica - continue the fight. difficult to see how your pamphlet could have tion as to the identity of the seller. He was captured again, at Calaceite on 31 belonged to anyone other than this James “Save Spain from Fascism” was published by March 1938, and sent to the prison camp at San Rutherford and it would be important if we could the Communist Party in 1936 and written by its Pedro de Cardeña near Burgos. Despite establish if it was among his possessions when General Secretary, Harry Pollitt. recognising the danger he was in, and changing he was captured.”

Brigadista Spanish CivilWarAle Proceeds from sales Brewed by Blackhill Brewery of County Durham for the International Brigade Memorial Trust and Hope Not Hate help pay for the work of Tasting notes: Spanish oranges and lemons with a Spanish blossom honey flavour to balance and sweeten the IBMT the citrus; brewed with Cascade Hops at 4.3 % Order from http://brigadistaale.co.uk

C W NEWS Inbrief Progress in Newcastle NewcastleCityCouncil’sHistoricalEnvironment AdvisoryPanelhasgiventhego-aheadforan InternationalBrigadememorialboardwithinthe groundsoftheciviccentre,reportsDonWatson. ItwillcomplementasmallplaquefortheNorth Eastvolunteersthatwasunveiledin1989but whichisthoughtbyIBMTsupporterstobetoo vaguelywordedandnotprominentenough. Thenewinformationboardwouldlistthe namesofalltheTyneandWearBrigaderskilledin INMANCHESTER:MikeWild,folk-singerandsonofBritishBattalionCommanderSamWild,performsata Spain,some30intotal,togetherwithan well-attendedcommemorationattheInternationalBrigadememorial(pictured)inManchesterTownHallon explanatorytextabouttheInternational 14February.Alongwithwreath-layingtherewasmoremusicfromtheBoltonWoodStreetClarionChoir. BrigadesandtheSpanishCivilWar. TheIBMThaspledged£500towardsthecost oftheboardanditsinstallation,andsofara similaramounthasbeenraisedfromregional tradeunionsandtheCo-op.Moreunionsand constituencyLabourpartiesarealsobeing approached.

TosupportthisinitiativecontactDonWatson: [[email protected]].

INMÁLAGA:AstatueofCanadiandoctorNormanBethunewas New talks on Oxford plan unveiledon6FebruaryontheMálaga-Almeríaroadalongwhichheand PlansforamemorialinOxfordcitycentrehave hisambulanceunitsavedcountlesslivesinFebruary1937.Refugees beentemporarilyhaltedfollowingcomplaintsby fleeingthefascistcaptureofMálagafloodedalongtheroadtoAlmería, severallocalresidentsduringthecouncil’s whileFranco’swarshipsandairplanesbombedthemmercilessly. planningapplicationprocess. HistorianLindaPalfreemansaidthememorialtoBethunewas“along Theapplicationhasbeensuspendedpending timecoming,butawonderfultribute,nevertheless”.Sheadded: anewmeetingbetweenIBMTrepresentatives “Sadly,nothingof65-year-oldBritishmanSirGeorgeYoung,whose andcouncilofficersandtherulingLabourgroup, ambulanceunitalsobroughtsuccourtomanyhundreds,ifnot reportsColinCarritt,secretaryoftheIBMTgroup thousands,ofthosesamedesperaterefugees.” organisingtheraisingofthememorial. Headds:“Webelievethereiscontinued supportfromthecouncil,althoughitremainsto INWORTHING: The beseenwhetherthechosenlocationinStGiles WorthingSocialistSingers willbesustained.” welcomeattendeesata commemorationattheLabour Meanwhile,fund-raisingforthememorial Hall,wherethereisaplaqueto continues,and£450wasraisedon15Marchata thefivemenfromWorthing tapassupperattheAl-Andalusrestaurantin whojoinedtheInternational Oxford.DinerswereaddressedbyIBMTPatron Brigades.Speakersincluded RodneyBickerstaffe,accompaniedbyhistorian IBMTSecretaryJimJump– andIBMTChairRichardBaxell. whosefatherwasoneofthe five–andIBMTTreasurer See[www.sustainablewoodstock.co.uk/ibmt.html]forthe ManuelMoreno,whospoke latestnewsabouttheOxfordmemorial.“NoOtherWay: abouttheBasquerefugee children’shomesinthetown. OxfordshireandtheSpanishCivilWar1936-39”byChrisFar - man,ValeryRoseandLizWoolleyhasbeenreprintedandcan beorderedfor£7plus£3p&pfromJohnHaywood:[a.j. INALICANTE:AgroupofIBMT [email protected]]tel:07785235715. membersvisitedSpanishCivilWar sitesintheAlicanteareainFebruary, Pledge for Gibraltar plaque including(pictured)thememorialto GibraltarChiefMinisterFabianPicardohas theBritish-registeredStanbrook, announcedthataplaquetocommemoratethe whichrescuedmorethan2,600 Gibraltarianswhofoughtanddiedfightingforthe SpanishRepublicanrefugeesatthe SpanishRepublicwillbeputupintheparliament endoftheSpanishCivilWarinMarch lobbyalongsidememorialshonouringthosewho 1939beforetheportfelltothe advancingfascistforces.Thegroup diedintheworldwars. washostedbythelocalAssociation Hemadethispledgeatasymposium fortheRecoveryofHistorical organisedbyUnitetheUnionon17Februaryin MemoryandtheLabour Gibraltar. LeadersofSpain’sbiggestunion InternationalBranchwhichisactive federationsalsotookpartintheevent.Cándido intheBritishcommunity. Continued on page 9

6 International Brigade Memorial Trust COVERSTORY

ActorAgataRó ycareadstheWładysław Broniewskipoem“GloryandDynamite”about ZuzaZiółkowskaHercberg(secondfromright)andfriendsgatherinfront thedefenceofMadridwhileZuzaZiółkowska ofWarsaw’sTomboftheUnknownSoldier. Hercberg(infrontofwreath)lookson. Poleshonourtheir‘unknownsoldiers’

ByJimJump should be a memorial of the collective history of Spanish CivilWar he bore that name.Then – as the Polish people, fighting for freedom and many other Jews did at that time – he changed A tribute to Poland’s officially “forgotten” independence on different fronts of war, and his name to Gieniek Zió kowski. International Brigaders was organised on not be dependent on changes in the current “After the war in Spainł he was in several con - 1 March atWarsaw’s Tomb of the Unknown political mood”. centration camps in France and north Africa. He Soldier by the grand-daughter of one of the The Dombrowskis, insists Zuza, fought for the returned to Poland in 1944 and lived the rest of country’s volunteers who fought in Spain. freedom of Europe during its first confrontation his life with his new name. I was born with the Zuza Zió kowska Hercberg led the commemo - with fascism, and then for the independence of new surname, until I discovered family stories ration andłlaid a wreath at the memorial. Other Poland on many fronts. and started to use both surnames.” participants carried Spanish Republican flags She adds: “I want to recall those people who Organising the ceremony on 1 March had not and standards of the Polish Dombrowski and fought under the banner ‘For your freedom and been easy, Zuza admits. “But I’m happy because Palafox Battalions, including the latter’s Jewish ours’.We connect to the past through what we my action proved that you can pay tribute to Naftali Botwin Company. talk about – I want to talk about an idea linking In doing so they defied not just the pouring the Polish Legions led byTadeusz Ko ciuszko in “TheonlythingIgot rain on the day – but also an officially- the 18th century and the Internationaśl Brigades sanctioned climate of opinion that is hostile in the 1930s.” exposedtowascriticism to the International Brigades and those on the The artist created a tricolor wreath, the left who opposed fascism in the 1930s. flowers of which were made into the Spanish fromcertainquartersand Memorials to the International Brigades in Republican flag and the symbol of the Poland have been removed in recent years or International Brigades. insultingmessagesonthe are under threat because of this prevailing The banner of the Naftali Botwin Company internet.Butsomething anti-communist political culture. of the Palafox Battalion was copied from the In the 1990s the inscriptions remembering original stored in the archives of the Jewish haschanged–nowpeople the “Dombrowskis” were erased from theTomb Historical Institute inWarsaw, she explains. of the Unknown Soldier and other monuments The Adam Mickiewicz Battalion banner was havestartedtotalkmore inWarsaw. According to the Institute of National recreated from contemporary material dealing abouttheDombrowskis.” Remembrance, these volunteers had “served with the civil war in Spain. the interests of Stalin in Spain”. MarchingfromtheMarshalJózefPilsudski volunteers of the Internationale Brigades – and “Thereisnowasignificantgapinthenamesof memorialtotheTomb no-one will kill you as a result!The only thing I battlesonthememorial,”saysZió kowska oftheUnknown got exposed to was criticism from certain quar - Hercberg,whoisapostgraduatestłudentatthe Solider,participants ters and insulting messages on the internet. But AcademyofFineArtsinWarsaw.“Thisshowshow handedoutleaflets something has changed – now people have publicmemorycanbedisrupted.Myactionaimed describinghowfamily started to talk more about the Dombrowskis.” atrestoringthepluralisticnatureofhistory.” memoryhadinspired Last summer the IBMT was one of several Dedicating her “art action” to “the volunteers Zió kowskaHercberg groups to protest to theWarsaw city authorities for liberty, members of the XIII International toołrganisetheevent. over plans to change the name of a street named Brigade, the Dombrowskis”, Zuza said Zuza told the IBMT after the Dombrowski Battalion.The move was afterwards that she had set out to demonstrate Newsletter : “My quietly shelved following international protests how memorials are an ideological construct ERASED:TheTombofthe grandfather was and a campaign led by local anti-fascists. and thus susceptible to political influence. UnknownSoldierformerly born in 1917 in She wanted to “seize the public space and listedbattlesintheSpanish Poland as Gershom ForZuzaZiółkowskaHercberg’svideoofthisyear’sWarsaw insist that theTomb of the Unknown Solider CivilWar. Hercberg. During the event,see[https://vimeo.com/159078445].

International Brigade Memorial Trust 7 NEWS r g e n e o t L a n M o l l e a d i h s G r a M

MainspeakersattheIBMT conference,fromleft:PaulPreston, Partoftheaudience HelenGraham,RichardBaxell,Linda attheManchester PalfreemanandSylviaMartin. ConferenceCentre.

left for southern France to help the refugees, IBM T’sannualconferencedayshinesspotlighton… then to London, where she worked throughout the Blitz as an ambulance driver in the East End. Called back to Australia after the war to tend Fourwomenwhoselives her sick mother, she found it difficult to fit into the comfortable life there. “Spain stands out in my life like a beacon light,” she wrote. Mental weredefinedbywarinSpain health problems were to dog her for the rest of her life. ByPaulineFraser Ironically, Margaret Michaelis was at the same honoured to meet La Pasionaria, such was the time to find refuge in Australia, but not from the his year’s Len Crome Memorial Conference effect she had on him, he confessed. “In her demons of war that also led to her mental illness. Thighlighted a diverse and truly international eighties, she was the most beautiful woman quartet of women united by the common cause I had ever met,” he said. Fernanda Jacobsen of Spain: Margaret Michaelis, originally from Linda Palfreeman subtitled her talk on Fernanda Poland, the Australian Aileen Palmer, Fernanda Margaret Michaelis Jacobsen, colourful commander of the Scottish Jacobsen from Scotland and, towering over Professor Helen Graham’s subject, Margaret Ambulance Unit, “Samaritan or Spy?”. them all, from Spain itself, La Pasionaria, Michaelis, was a complete unknown to most of Controversy has dogged the history of the SAU Dolores Ibárruri. the audience. She does not figure with the greats over the decision that it should be entirely non- Held in the Manchester Conference Centre on of Spanish CivilWar photography such as Robert political and should give medical aid to whoever 12 March, the IBMT’s annual conference, titled Capa and GerdaTaro. was in need. “Women and the Spanish CivilWar”, was chaired Michaelis worked for the Catalan Generalitat Under Fernanda’s direction, the definition of by Richard Baxell, historian of the International (government), taking scenes of life behind the aid was extended from medical assistance to the Brigades and the IBMT Chair. lines, such as evacuated children in Barcelona, provision of soup and porridge kitchens to the Speaking to a packed audience, IBMT Patron cutting-edge co-educational schools and home starving people of Madrid. Professor Peter Crome introduced the day with a front mobilisation. She helped with what Helen She worked with a somewhat shady character selection of photos illustrating the life of his Graham called “the psychological conscription called Christopher Lance, who allegedly used father, Dr Len Crome.The latter’s enormous of people into the war effort” and also the unit to smuggle Franco sympathisers out of contribution to the medical services in Spain photographed the US anarchist Emma Goldman Madrid.When Madrid was taken by Franco, was later highlighted by two of the speakers. during her tour of the front. Fernanda risked further controversy by staying on to continue her work. Dolores Ibárruri Aileen Palmer Professor Paul Preston’s “Pasionaria of Steel” Aileen Palmer’s poetry is relatively well known, hose present found this year’s Len Crome talk depicted an outstanding leader, Dolores but Dr Sylvia Martin, also Australian, revealed Tconference day interesting and stimulating – Ibárruri. As warrior and mother-figure of the the exemplary contribution she made to the a unique contribution to Manchester’s Spanish people, she had empathy with the poor administration of the medical services provided celebrations of InternationalWomen’s Day. and oppressed, while as a political leader she by the British volunteers. Dr Sinclair-Loutit, who At the end of the lunch interval Lynn Collins, showed the steely determination, courage and headed up the first hospital at Grañén, said she TUC NorthWest Regional Secretary, spoke about strength that gave the people hope. was “terrific, a quiet, indefatigable worker”. the campaign to get a statue erected to Sylvia One of the greatest of orators, La Pasionaria’s Palmer’s skills as a linguist were in high Pankhurst. famous phrases, “Better to die on your feet, demand. She worked in the battlefield A tireless anti-fascist campaigner, Sylvia than live on your knees”, “If the Spanish people hospitals at Brunete andTeruel. She became championed the cause of Abyssinia during the are defeated, you will be next” and, most secretary to Len Crome, whom she described savage war waged against that country by famous of all, “¡No pasarán!” will live on as a “tall, genial, comforting figure”, “highly Mussolini’s fascist troops some two years before wherever there is a battle to be won against efficient” and with a “devastating irreverence the fascists and far right in Spain staged their fascism and inhumanity. for bureaucracy”. coup against their elected government. It is difficult to imagine Paul Preston lost for She wanted to be where the need was words, but on the few occasions when he was greatest. Offered a desk job in Barcelona, Palmer PaulineFraserisanIBMTTrustee.

8 International Brigade Memorial Trust Inbrief CASPE:Threeunidentified InternationalBrigaderswere buriedinthemunicipal From page 6 cemeteryofCaspeon26March. MéndezoftheUGTpraisedGibraltar’srolein Theirremainshadbeenfound givingsheltertoupto10,000refugees.Ignacio onnearbyHill238,thesiteof FernándezToxofromComisionesObreraswon fightinginMarch1938involving loudapplausewhenhesaidtheRockhadshown Franco-Belgeunitsduringthe compassionthatwasanexampletotheworld, Republicanretreatthrough especiallytodaywhenmillionsofSyrianrefugees Aragon.Theceremonywas werewashinguponEurope’sshores. organisedbythelocalhistorical memorygroup,Asociación Launch of IB Cymru BajoaragonesadeAgitacióny IBMTmembersareprominentamongagroupof Propaganda. InternationalBrigadeenthusiastsinWaleswho havesetupanorganisationcalledIBCymru.Their stated aim is “to forge links with social, communityandtradeuniongroupstoeducate thepublicabouttheimportantroleofWelsh InternationalBrigadersandthecontributionof WelshcommunitiestotheSpanishCivilWar”.IB Cymruintendsraisingfundsforactivitiescentred ontheIBMT’s2017AnnualGeneralMeeting which,Welshactivistshope,willtakeplacein Cardiff.Contact:[[email protected]].

Protest over name-change in Croatia TheAABIInternational INIRELAND:AnimageofBrigaderBobDoylelookson(left)inDublinon13FebruaryasIBMTIrelandSecretaryManus Brigadesfriendship O’Riordan(onright)andHarryOwensoftheFriendsoftheInternationalBrigadesinIrelandspeakonthecentenaryof groupinSpainisurginga Doyle’sbirth.AttheHolocaustMemorialDaycommemorationinDublinon24January(centre),ManusO’Riordanjoins Europe-widecampaign PatriciaKing,GeneralSecretaryoftheIrishCongressofTradeUnions,inlightingcandlesinmemoryofthepolitical torestorethenameofa victims.Pictured(right)inGlasnevinCemetery,Dublin,attherededicationoftherefurbishedtombstoneofBrigader villagesquareinCroatiapreviouslynamedafter FrankRyanon13Februaryarehisgrand-niece,CharlotteRyanWetton,andDeputyLordMayorofDublinCieranPerry. localInternationalBrigaderDragutinBili (pictured).TheAABIwantsproteststobećmadeto theTisnoregionalauthoritiesovertheremovalof GUADALAJARA:Setting Bili ’snamefromthesquareinhisnativevillage offon12Marchtohike ofBćetinaontheDalmatiancoast. acrossthebattlefieldnear DragutinBili (1907-1937)wasoneof1,500 Guadalajara,where CroatvolunteećrsintheInternationalBrigades.He Franco’sattempttoencircle diednearTeruelinJune1937.Betina’smain MadridinMarch1937was squarewasnamedSquareoftheFighterinSpain thwartedbyRepublican DragutinBili (seesignabove)duringthepostwar forces.Thebattlesawthe GaribaldiBattalionofthe communistgovernmentofYugoslavia. ć InternationalBrigades TheAABIcomments:“ThehardrightinCroatia pitchedagainstItalian isontheriseandthelocaltowncouncilhasnow armoureddivisionssentby removedBili ’sname.Webelievethatitis MussolinitohelpFranco. possibletorećstorethenameofthesquareifthis initiativewinsinternationalsupport.” CÓRDOBAFRONT:IBMT EmailTisnomayorIvanKlarin:[[email protected]]and PresidentMarleneSidaway [[email protected]]orFacebookMessenger:[www. addressesagatheringinthevillage facebook.com/ivan.klarin.9?fref=ts]. ofValsequilloon8Aprilduringa tourofbattlefieldsnearCórdoba, ALBA award for 2016 wheretheInternationalBrigades TheAbrahamLincolnBrigadeArchivesintheUS sawactioninDecember1936. haspresenteditsannual$100,000ALBA/Puffin OrganisedbytheSpanishAABI AwardforHumanRightsActivismtojournalists InternationalBrigadesmemorial LydiaCachoandJeremyScahill.Thecitation group,thetourvisited,amongother states:“Workingonbothsidesofthevolatile places,Lopera,sceneofabattlein whichpoetJohnCornfordandwriter Mexico-USborder,LydiaCachoandJeremyScahill RalphFoxwerekilled.Thereisa havededicatedtheircareerstoexposingthe memorialtotheminthevillage, corruption,violenceandabuseofpowerwhich nexttowhichacommemoration goroutinelyunchallengedinthemainstream washeldaspartofthetour.Aswell media.”Theprizeisgrantedinhonourofthe asatValsequillo,memorialplaques InternationalBrigadesinorderto“connecttheir werealsounveiledatBelalcázar inspiringlegacywithcontemporarycauses”. andLaGranjuela.

International Brigade Memorial Trust 9 SECRETARIAL NOTES

monolith has already withstood threats of demolition from the formerly right-wing Madrid city authorities. Graffiti and defacing with paint will certainly not deter them from preserving this important memorial to those who fought against TheInternationalBrigade fascism and to defend democracy. MemorialTrustkeepsalive 1,000isthetarget thememoryandspiritof It’s satisfying to report that IBMT membership themenandwomenwho has reached record levels.The total, including individual members and 52 affiliated volunteeredtodefend organisations (mainly unions and union democracyandfightfascism branches), stood at 952 at the end of last year. inSpainfrom1936to1939 The figures were reported to the February meeting of the IBMT’s Executive Committee, with InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust everyone present hoping that we can cross the 37aClerkenwellGreen 1,000 threshold by 31 December this year. LondonEC1R0DU So, thank you to everyone for your continued 02072538748 support – and if you haven’t paid your 2016 www.international-brigades.org.uk subscription yet, please do so straight away. See Email details on page 15. [email protected]

President Clean-uptimeyetagainat MickWhelanjoinsourteamofPatrons MarleneSidaway The IBMT is delighted to [email protected] theInternationalBrigade memorialinMadrid. announce that MickWhelan Chair (right) has agreed to become RichardBaxell MakingsenseofMadridmemorialattacks one of our Patrons. [email protected] The imposing International Brigade memorial in Mick is the General Secretary Secretary Madrid’s University City is sadly a regular target for of the train drivers’ union ASLEF, JimJump vandals who deface it with neo-fascist slogans and which has long been one of the [email protected] insults to the volunteers and to the left in general. IBMT’s staunchest supporters in Treasurer The attacks have become so frequent that the the trade union movement. ManuelMoreno outrage that first greeted them is mixed now with a He said he was “deeply honoured” to accept our [email protected] knowing shrug and renewed determination by our Executive Committee’s invitation to be an IBMT friends in the Spanish capital to restore the Patron, having been a member of the Executive ScotlandSecretary MikeArnott memorial –which was unveiled in 2011 –to its Committee itself since 2012 until earlier this year. [email protected] proper condition. We greatly value the help and influence that our Indeed, we can probably draw some comfort team of Patrons bring to the IBMT’s work. Mick’s MembershipSecretary from this state of affairs. First, the fact that the inclusion can only strengthen that support. MaryGreening [email protected] memorial is a target for Spain’s far-right underlines We’re also pleased to note that Mick has this how resonant and relevant the legacy of the volun - year been re-elected to serve a further five-year MerchandiseOfficer teers remains today. Secondly, it is heartening to term as the ASLEF General Secretary. ChrisHall see that there is never any shortage of helpers who [email protected] immediately clean up the monument. JimJump FilmCoordinator Our friends in Spain remind us that the metal [email protected] MarshallMateer [email protected] IrelandSecretary ManusO’Riordan [email protected] EducationOfficer RichardThorpe [email protected] Other Executive Committee members Pauline Fraser, Charles Jepson, Hilary Jones, Dolores Long, Duncan Longstaff, Danny Payne FoundingChair: ProfessorPaulPreston Patrons: RodneyBickerstaffe,Professor PeterCrome,HywelFrancis,Professor HelenGraham,KenLivingstone,Len McCluskey,ChristyMoore,JackO’Connor, MaxinePeake,BaronessRoyallof Blaisdon,MickWhelan INSESSION:MeettheIBMTExecutiveCommittee,seenhereon6FebruaryattheMarxMemorialLibraryinLondon.Pictured Registeredcharityno. 1094928 clockwisefromleftarePaulineFraser,DoloresLong,MikeArnott,MarleneSidaway(President),ChrisHall,DannyPayne, facebook.com/groups/7123291063 CharlesJepson,HilaryJones,ManusO’Riordan,DuncanLongstaff,JimJump(Secretary)andRichardBaxell(Chair).Hidden twitter.com/IBMT_SCW fromviewareMaryGreening,ManuelMoreno(Treasurer)andco-optedmembersMarshallMateerandRichardThorpe. youtube.com/user/IBMTnews f1l0 ickr.com/photos/ibmt International Brigade Memorial Trust FEATURES

idnight one Friday in January 1937 found me and four more Yorkshire “M comrades boarding a train at Sheffield bound for London on the first leg of our journey to Spain…” So begins “Pounded Earth”,Tommy James’s account of his time as a volunteer in the International Brigades fighting the fascists in the Spanish CivilWar. One of the men on that train withTommy was Jack Atkinson, a lorry driver from Hull. An only child, his father having died in the trenches, Jack had told his mother he was going to Spain to JoeSolobytheInternational BrigadeplaqueinHull’sGuildhall. drive ambulances, but I doubt she believed him. Jack despised fascists and had been present at Corporation Fields, when Hull’s dockworkers ran Singer-songwriterJOESOLO FREECD s:JoeSolohasgenerouslydonated50 Mosley and his Blackshirts out of town in short copiesofhisCD“¡NoPasarán!”togiveawayfreeto order. It was Jack I wanted to find. describeshowfindingoutabout IBMTmembers.Anyonewantingacopyshouldsend When I started writing songs for what became JackAtkinsonandtheother theirnameandaddressto:[secretary@international- my “¡No Pasarán!” album, I began by reading brigades.org.uk]orto:IBMT,37aClerkenwellGreen, books, as many as I could find, hoping to put InternationalBrigadevolunteers LondonEC1R0DUby6June,when50nameswillbe flesh on the bones of what I knew of the war and fromHullinspiredhimtomake pulledoutofahat.FormoreaboutJoeSolosee try to bring it to life.What I didn’t know then was [www.joesolomusic.com]. that history was closer than I knew. My friend his“¡NoPasarán!”album. Giles Stevens contacted me and told me his great uncle had fought and would I like to know more. I said yes immediately. Musicaljourneyi nsearc hof Giles sent me his copy ofTommy James’s book and a letter in which he painted a picture of Jack, a giant of a man, quiet by nature but not a man to cross if his colour was up. He drove lorries before HullvolunteerJack Atkinson power-steering, see, and could hurl an iron barstool further than most could lob a cricket as “Arnold, a comrade from Leeds” and the other great uncle who cast such a long shadow. ball. He’d lost a finger and, to compensate, had a two are unnamed. Using a touch of artistic licence Playing them live I have been heartened by the unique way of firing a rifle. No less effective, but I called them Harry Jones and Bill Palmer, created numbers of people telling me they had no idea hardly the stuff of strict military discipline. a back-story for them, and began to write. about the International Brigades and the cause He loved fruit-cake, and his mother had The songs came thick and fast. Once I knew they had given their lives for, and who are now baked him one and set it in the pantry for his who these men were and where they had been, it reading and learning about what I consider to be triumphant return. It was still there when she was a case of closing my eyes, pulling on their the bravest single act of the 20th century – to boots, and taking a few steps into the unknown. give up your family, your home, your job to risk “Jackwasanordinarybloke What had they seen?Well, the books can tell your life, not because your government told you you what had unfolded before them. How would whosepoliticswerehislife, they process that, rationalise it?That is different “OnceIknewwhothesemen for everyone, though from survivors’ accounts hisconvictionunwavering. you see common threads.Would it be fear, or were…itwasacaseof Ilovedhiminstantly.” determination which gripped them, or both? The voice had to be an authentic one, other - closingmyeyes,pullingon died half a century later. She had never allowed wise who is going to believe what they are being herself to accept her only son had gone. told?The narrator has to earn the trust of the theirboots,andtakingafew Jack was an ordinary bloke whose politics were listener; if he can’t do that then the cause is lost. stepsoutintotheunknown.” his life, his conviction unwavering. I loved him These are all concerns when writing in the first instantly. person about people from the past. Fortunately, to, but because your conscience did.That is an BesidesTommy and Jack, the other men in that Jack was such a powerful presence throughout incredible thing. railway carriage were a mystery. One is referred to the process it was as if he were writing it himself So I dropped in to the Guildhall in Hull to pay and all I had to do was make it rhyme. my respects to the eight men from the city who I tried to cover as much ground as I could so as made the trip to Spain, and to the four who never to do the story justice, but, in reality, Jack was came home. I stood before the memorial and killed at Jarama in February 1937 andTommy thought for a minute about how the letters which returned to the UK after Brunete in July later that form a man’s name tell nothing of the story of his year, so I don’t cover the entire war. Hopefully life, and how I hope I have done something to though, the songs paint a picture of friendship, redress that. conviction and how our deeds live on long after Jack Atkinson – a simple name, easily forgot - we are dust. ten, easily ignored, yet every time I sing his song IBMTsupportersinHullheldacommemorationon Sadly, before I had finished the record, my I feel his ghost creep up through the soles of my 19FebruaryattheInternationalBrigadeplaqueinthe friend Giles passed away. I didn’t get the shoes and take me over screaming: the dead Guildhall.Afterwardstheyagreedtocampaignforamore chance to play him these songs and show walk among us; their deeds pave the paths on substantialmemorialtothelocalvolunteers. him what had grown from his letter and the which we walk. It is our job to live up to them.

International Brigade Memorial Trust 11 FEATURES ‘RedEllen’andtheSpanishCivilWar

nNovember1934“Red”EllenWilkinsonvisited SpainwithLordListowelasarepresentativeof Ellen Wilkinson (1891-1947) was a trade union organiser, ItheReliefCommitteefortheVictimsofFascism, campaignerfor women’svotes andfounder member of the acommunist-frontorganisation. Thevisit,Ellen’sfirsttoSpain,hadbeenorches - Communist Party before becoming a Labour MP and Minister tratedbyOttoKatz,aCzechcommunistsecret agentwholaterbecamethecontrollerofSoviet of Education inClementAttlee’s 1945 Labour government. In propagandaandspymasterinWesternEurope.A monthbeforehand,asocialistrepublichadbeen the 1930sshe took up the cause of theSpanish Republic, as foundedatOviedo,Asturias,buttroopsunder her biographer, PAULA BARTLEY, describes here. GeneralFrancowerebroughtinfromnorthAfrica tooverthrowit. Ellenreportedthatarmyrepressionhadbeen brutalandtherehadbeenvictimisationona terriblescale:prisonersweretortured,workers wereimprisonedandthesocialistpresscensored. Moorishtroops,“maddenedwithdrinkhadbeen letlooseinthefirstterribledays”,doingthings thatnoSpanishsoldierwoulddaredo. SoonafterWilkinsonandListowelarrivedthey werebundledintoacar“forprotection”bythe BirminghamGazette cartoon FrancoistsanddriventotheSpanishborder.Ellen lampooningthevisitmadeby insistedthattheyhadbeenkidnapped. EllenWilkinsonandClementAttlee In1936hersupportforSpanishsocialistswas toSpain. furthertestedduringtheSpanishCivilWar.Ellen, nowtheLabourMPforJarrow,believed,aswith thehotelwhereshewaslunchingwiththeother bombingoftheGermanairforce.OnThursday othersontheleft,thatthecivilwarwaspartofan membersofthedelegation.Theircarwasstanding 8May,identifyingwiththefateoftheRepublicans internationalstruggleagainstfascismandargued nearby.Beforetheycoulddriveaway,thebodyof andfrustratedbyParliament’sreluctancetodo thatmilitaryhelpshouldbegiventodefendthe oneofthevictimshadtobewipedoffit. anythingtohelp,Ellenbrokedownandsobbed Spanishgovernment.BritishToryprimeministers, Thefourwomenreturnedwithanewcommit - duringadebateonSpainintheHouseof firstStanleyBaldwinand,fromMay1937,Neville mentnotonlytoorganisereliefschemesbutto Commons.ThebombingofGuernicachangedthe Chamberlain,fearingthatthecivilwarmight convincetheBritishgovernmentthatFrancoand LabourParty’sattitudetowardstheSpanish precipitateaEuropeanwar,hidbehindthe hisarmywerebeingassistedbyGermanand government.Itdenouncedthebombingasan principleofnon-intervention.Totheirdiscredit,the Italianforces.Oneoftheirnotablesuccesseswas “outrageuponhumanity,asaviolationofthe TUCandinitiallytheLabourleadershipagreed. persuadingthegovernmenttoallownearly4,000 principlesofcivilisation,andamanifestationof childrenfromtheBasqueCountrytocometo themercilessandinhumanspirit”ofthefascists. nApril1937,inanothervisitorganisedbyOtto Britainasrefugees.Ellenwasalsosuccessfulin At the next Labour Party conference Ellen’s Katz,EllentravelledtoSpainwithacross-party gettinghertradeunion,theNUDAWshopworkers’ analysis of the situation in Spain was, at last, Isectionofwomen,EleanorRathbone,the union,toraiseavoluntarylevyforaperiodofthree accepted.The Labour Party reversed its policy, DuchessofAthollandDameRachelCrowdy.In monthstohelpfinancetheinitiative.Soonpeople advocated supplying arms to the Republic and Madridshereportedthat“shellsfromrebelsixinch werecallingEllenthe“pocketPasionaria”. organised a series of mass demonstrations in guns,smashinginthestreetoutside,tearing ShortlyafterEllen’sreturnfromSpain,the support of the Spanish government. In that throughtheroofofatheatre,blewmangledbodies culturalcapitaloftheBasquepopulation– same month, October 1937, Labour also set up a ofwomenandchildren”throughthedoorwayof Guernica–wasdestroyedinoneafternoonbythe Spain Campaign Committee to further its aims.

Left:Ellenathomein the1940s–with picturesofaSpanish bullfightonherwall.

Right:Pamphlet writtenbyWilkinson andothersontheir returnfromSpain.

12 International Brigade Memorial Trust d Ellen, along withWilliam Gillies, was elected Joint r a i

Secretary. W w e

Thecommitteeimmediatelyorganisedan r d n

intensivepublicitycampaign:publicmeetingsand A demonstrationswereheld;lettersandtelegrams weresenttoMPsandtothegovernment;thepress wasbombardedwithpropaganda;andposters wereplasteredaroundtownsandcities.Franco,the committeemaintained,“isarebel.Histroopsare invaders.Hisshipsarepirates…ThewarinSpainis aninternationalwar…Wearenotneutralsinthis conflict.Wehaveneverbeenneutrals;wewillnever beneutrals;wecannotbeneutrals.”Thecommittee calledfortheimmediatewithdrawalofforeign troopsinSpainandinsistedthatthelegitimate governmentbeallowedtopurchaseweapons. InDecember1937,OttoKatzorganisedanother OwenJonesattheIBMT’s2015commemorationinLondon’s visittoSpainforEllen,thistimewithClementAttlee. JubileeGardensand(right)VivienneBeach,whoseuncleAlfred InMadrid,theyvisitedthefrontlinetrenchesunder LichfieldwasmentionedbyOweninhisspeech,atthe artilleryfireandcarriedoutaninspectionofthe InternationalBrigadememorialinthepark. BritishBattalion.

tarvation threatened to undermine the HowanOwenJonesspeech,aninternet Spanish government’s war efforts, so the Smain focus of Ellen’s work back in Britain searchandalittlehelpfromtheIBMT was arranging humanitarian relief. She helped set up the Milk for Spain fund and persuaded the Co-operative Union to get involved. Customers at solvedan86-year-oldfamilymystery the 20,000 Co-operative shops were encouraged to buy a sixpenny token to help towards the pur - ByJimJump actionon26July1938intheBattleoftheEbro. chase of cost-price condensed milk and milk Vivienne’sdelightwithknowingthefateofher powder to be sent to Spain. In Barcelona, for long-heldfamilymysteryhasbeensolved uncleistingedwithsadness,however.Herfather example, the fund served 33,000 glasses of milk thanksto theIBMT andthememorable died10yearsagoinignoranceofAlfred’sfate. and a biscuit to children each morning. Aspeechmadebypoliticalcommentator “Heneverknewthathisbrotherwasahero,”she Ellen,however,wasfullyawarethattheSpanish andauthorOwenJonesatourcommemoration says.“Mydadwouldhavebeenthrilled.” governmentneededmorethanmilkandfoodto onLondon’sSouthBankinJulylastyear. InFebruarythisyearVivienneandsisterHilary win.Everywhereshecould,intheHouseof Oweninterspersedhiseulogytothe travelledfromBirminghamtovisittheInterna - Commons,atconferences,publicmeetings, InternationalBrigadeswithrandomlychosen tionalBrigadearchiveattheMarxMemorial namesofsomeofthosewhohadbeenkilledin LibraryinLondon.Theretheyweremovedto “Soonpeoplewere thewarinSpain.Andamongthemwas“Alfred tearswhentheysawAlfie’snameonthe LichfieldofGateshead,whodiedatGandesa”. memorialplaquetothe90deadoftheBritish ThreemonthslateranieceofAlfred“Alfie” BattalionattheEbro.Originallyunveiledin2005 callingEllenthe Lichfieldwas,notforthefirsttime,doingan intheSierradePandolsontheEbrobattlefield, internetsearchofhisname,hopingonceagain theplaquewasbrokenintothreepiecesina ‘pocketPasionaria’.” tofindoutwhathappenedtoherfather’sbrother neo-fascistactofvandalism–butwillsoonbe demonstrationsandinnewspaperarticles,she fromGatesheadwhohaddisappearedwithout goingondisplayattheMarxMemorialLibrary. spokeoftheneedforarms.EllenandEleanor trace86yearsago. Areplacementplaque,includingAlfred’s RathboneconstantlyaskedquestionsintheHouse ThistimeVivienneBeachwastakenaback name,isintheSierradePandols,closetowhere ofCommonsabouttheso-callednon-intervention whenalinkappearedtoheruncle’sname.He hedied.VivienneandHilaryplantovisitthe pact,theplightofrefugeesandtheroleofGermany wasmentionedinthespeechgivenbyOwen memorialinCataloniathisautumn. andItalyinprovidingarmstotherebelforces. Jones,whichhadbeenreproducedinfullinthe “Wearesoproudtoseehisnameona IftheSpanishgovernmentweregiventhe IBMTNewsletter andontheIBMTwebsite. memorialandthathewashonouredforhis freedomtobuyairplanes,anti-aircraftguns,artillery Themysterywassolved:AlfredLichfieldhad sacrifice,”saysVivienne. andtanks,Ellenurged,Franco’sinsurgentscould diedintheSpanishCivilWar. Helpingfamiliesfindoutmoreaboutrelatives notwin.Iffascismtriumphedoverdemocracy,she “WegrewupwiththestorythatAlfiewassent whowenttoSpainisoneoftheimportantroles prophesied,itwouldmeantheconsequentdestruc - tobuysomegroceriesin1929byhiselder oftheIBMT.Thistimeweweregreatlyassisted tionofEurope. sister,” Vivienneexplains.“Alfiewasnever byOwenJones–andthewondersoftheinternet. On1April1939Francodeclaredvictoryoverthe heardofagain,andthenthefamilymovedto AsViviennesays:“WehaveOwenJonesto democraticallyelectedgovernmentofSpain;afew Essex.”TheyhadnoideathatAlfiehad thankformakingthatspeechwhichwehaveall weeksearlierChamberlainhadrecognised subsequentlygonetoSpaintojointheInterna - viewedonYouTubeandfindveryemotional.” Franco’sregime.Thefightagainstfascismended tionalBrigades. ignominiously:untilSeptember. ViviennecontactedtheIBMTandwewereable togiveherafewmoredetails:Alfiehadjoined PaulaBartleyistheauthorof“EllenWilkinson:FromRedSuffra - theBritishBattalioninNovember1937.Hewas gisttoGovernmentMinister”(London:PlutoPress,2014).Her intheYoungCommunistLeague,workedasa “A Lichfield” listed on the plaque naming the British otherbooksare“VotesforWomen”(2007)and“Emmeline ship’sstewardandwasamemberofthe Battalion dead in theSierra Pandols inSpain. Pankhurst”(2002). NationalUnionofSeamen.Hewaskilledin

International Brigade Memorial Trust 13 Not an IBMT member? FEATURES Join now and help keep ByChristopherHall

alive the memory and ven after 80 years the role of the spirit of the volunteers Independent Labour Party in the Spanish ECivilWar is a controversial topic. George Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia” is still the most famous and most read book about the war; Complete the form below and send subscriptions and any donations to : equally, Ken Loach’s “Land and Freedom” is its IBMT, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU best known cinematic portrayal. Both works For a Direct Debit form or for any other membership or subscription queries cover a very small and distinct part of the civil tel: 029 2019 5412; email: [email protected] war –which virtually ignores the war as a whole and the role of the International Brigades. TheILP,liketheCommunistParty,threwits energyandresourcesintofightingfascismin Membershipapplicationform Spain,andtheILPanditsmemberswere involvedinfarmorethantheeventsdepictedby Full name OrwellandLoach. Up to three additional names (for family membership)* Inthe1930stheILPwasarevolutionary socialistpartyinsharpdecline.Ithadleftthe LabourPartyin1932inanargumentover “standingorders”andhadseenitsmembership fallfromaround16,000in1932toabout4,000in Address 1936.ItsfourMPs,ledbythecharismaticJames Maxton,gavetheILPagreaterprofilethanits influenceonthegroundmerited. Postcode LiketheCommunistPartyandleft-wing Email** Telephone* membersoftheLabourPartyandtradeunions, theILPwasinvolvedintheHungerMarchesand Membership category and annual subscription rate (please tick as appropriate): wasalsopartoftheresistancetoOswald K Free – International Brigade veterans and partners and widow/ers Mosley’sBlackshirtsatCableStreetin1936. K £25 – Family (single household) WhentheSpanishCivilWarbeganinJuly1936 theILPbelongedtoanInternationalknownasthe K £20 – Individual LondonBureau,whichconsistedofsmall K £12.50 – Unwaged left-wingsocialistanddissidentcommunist K Institutions – contact Membership Secretary (see above) for rates parties.HersisterpartyinSpainwasthePOUM Donation of £______enclosed* (PartidoObrerodeUnificaciónMarxista),an anti-Stalinistcommunistpartywhichsupported Signature Date therevolutionthathadbrokenoutinCataloniain * Optional / If ap plicable responsetothemilitaryuprising. ** Members who provide an email address will receive our news service emails. heILPwasinvolvedintheSpanishCivilWar Make cheques payable to International Brigade Memorial Trust. inthreemainareas:humanitarianaid, NB: Please note that different annual subscription rates apply to overseas (non-UK) Tmilitaryvolunteersandpoliticallobbying. members.These reflect the higher postage costs of mailing the IBMT Newsletter .They are: FromthebeginningofthewartheILPbeganto GFamily (single household): £30 / $48 / 37 raisemoneytohelphersisterpartyinSpain. GIndividual: £25 / $40 / 30 € Therewasevena“self-denial”weekinwhich individualshadtogiveupaluxuryandthemoney GUnwaged: £17 / $27 / €22 € savedwasdonatedtoaidSpain. FundswereforwardedtoJohnMcNair,whohad beensenttoBarcelonatosetupanILPofficeand Gift Aid declaration makecontactwiththePOUMexecutive.McNair Please complete if you are a UK taxpayer: passedonthemoneytothePOUMtobuy medicalsupplies.Onceover£1,000hadbeen I wish this and all subsequent payments to the International Brigade Memorial Trust to raisedtheILPboughtavan,whichwasturned be treated as Gift Aid donations. Name “ILP volunteersfoughtina Signature Date varietyofmilitaryforcesin Spain.Theseincludedthe Keepingalivethememoryandspiritofthemenandwomen ILP’sownunit,the‘ILP whovolunteeredtodefenddemocracyandfightfascismin Contingent’,militias,the Spainfrom1936to1939 Republicanarmyandthe InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust InternationalBrigades.” www.international-brigades.org.uk Registeredcharityno.1094928 International Brigade Memorial Trust the ILP unit because it replied to them first. Two members of the ILP Contingent were TheILPandSpain:minor killed in Spain. Bob Smillie died from untreated appendicitis in a Spanish prison, where neglect and incompetence seemed to be the cause of death rather than any deliberate action. Arthur role–butmassiveeffort Chambers was killed fighting in an anarchist unit in July 1937. In all 13 members of the ILP unit were wounded and two hospitalised. At least 15 and possibly as many as 100-plus ILP members joined the International Brigades. Two leading Merthyr ILPers served in the British Battalion: Evan Peters and Lance Rogers, who joined the Communist Party while in Spain, but re-joined the ILP on returning home, after which he was a conscientious objector in the Second WorldWar. Three Merseyside ILPers fought in the International Brigades, with one, James Stewart, being killed at Jarama in February 1937. Swinton (in Salford) Branch ILP memberWalter Sproston was killed at Calaceite in March 1938.

ptoJune1937theILPsupportedthe POUMpolitically.ILPMPJohnMcGovern UvisitedSpainonapropagandatourinthe autumnof1936.AfterthePOUMwasbannedthe ILP pamphlets and (right)volunteer Bob Edwards, a leading ILP activist. ILPcontinuedtosupporttheSpanishRepublic, intoanambulance,filledwithmedicalsupplies, partinnomajorbattlesandonlyasingletrench butalsoattemptedtogetPOUMprisoners driventoSpainalongwithtwonursesandgiven raid.AsOrwellfamouslyexclaimed:“…nothing releasedandwereinvolvedinthreedelegations tothePOUM.Oneofthedrivers,withFirstWorld happened,nothingeverhappened.TheEnglish toSpainin1937-38. Warartilleryexperience,stayedbehindtocom - hadgotintothehabitofsayingthatthiswasn’t Inaddition,DavidMurray,whowasinSpain mandamilitiaartilleryunit. war,itwasabloodypantomime.” investigatingthedeathofBobSmilliefortheILP, In1937theILPraisedfundstofillafood-shipto helpedScottishInternationalBrigaderswhohad helpwithfeedingthepeopleofBilbaointhe n late March 1937 the ILP unit was on leave in beenimprisonedforindisciplineandinsubordi - BasqueCountry.WhentheSpanishRepublican Barcelona, where they metWalterTapsell, nation.Hegavethemclothes,foodandcigarettes governmentrefusedtheoffer,themoneywas ICommissar of the British Battalion of the andpassedmessagestotheirrelatives. usedtosendfurthermedicalsuppliestoSpain International Brigades, to discuss joining them. TheroleoftheILPintheSpanishCivilWarwasa andtofinancethecareofBasquerefugeechil - The “May Days” made this impossible: the veryminoroneanddidlittletoaffectthecourseof dren–4,000ofwhomhadbeenevacuatedtothe POUM and the Anarchists of the CNT-FAI took up thewar.Inaddition,itssupportforthePOUM UK.TheILPhoused40ofthemattheTheGrange arms when government forces attempted to meantitwasostracisedbyotherleft-wingparties. inStreet,Somerset.Thehousewassuppliedby re-take buildings and services controlled by the ButconsideringthesizeoftheILPanditsvery theQuakerClarkfamily(asinClarksShoes). revolutionaries.The ILP volunteers were limitedfinancialresources,partymembersputa InNewportILPmembersworkedcloselywith involved in a passive way in the May Days, tremendouseffortandhugeamountsofenergy thelocalCommunistParty.InAberdeentheILP guarding POUM-held buildings. One ILPer took intofightingfascismandhelpingthePOUMin andCommunistPartyalsoworkedtogether,up to his hotel room with a large quantity of beer, Spain.Theircontributionandsacrificeneedto untilJune1937,whenthePOUMwasdeclaredan hoping to sit out the troubles, but was arrested. beremembered. illegalpoliticalpartyinSpainandrelations After the May Days some volunteers went betweenthelocalmembersbrokedown. home, some joined other units and around half ChristopherHallisanIBMTTrusteeandtheauthorof“NotJust ILPvolunteersfoughtinavarietyofmilitary returned to the front with the ILP Contingent. In Orwell:TheIndependentLabourPartyVolunteersandthe forcesinSpain.TheseincludedtheILP’sownunit, June 1937 the POUM was outlawed and most of SpanishCivilWar”(Barcelona:Warren&Pell,2009). the“ILPContingent”,militias,theRepublican the ILP volunteers returned home to avoid armyandtheInternationalBrigades. arrest. Several, though, joined other Republican Inautumn1936BobEdwards,amemberofthe units.The last ILP volunteer to leave Spain was EVENTINSALFORD: OnSaturday24September ILPexecutive(NationalAdministrativeCouncil), Reg Hiddlestone in February 1939. (11.30am-2.30pm)therewillbeare-dedicationof wonagreementtoraiseamilitaryforcetohelpthe Like the British Battalion, the bulk of the ILP theplaquetotheILPvolunteersintheWorking POUM.Inall,around25menlefttheUKforSpain Contingent were party members; most were of ClassMovementLibraryinSalford.Severalofthe inJanuary1937andwerejoinedinSpainbymore working-class origin and active trade unionists. volunteers’familymembersareexpectedtobe Britishvolunteers,includingOrwell,bringingits A few had had previous military experience present,includingGeorgeOrwell’sson,Richard, strengthuptoahighofaround40. either in peace-time or in the FirstWorldWar. andQuentinKopp,thesonofOrwell’scommander Militarytrainingwasvirtuallynon-existentand, One man even deserted from theTank Corps to inSpain.ItisalsohopedthatanewsculptureofBob aftertwoweeksofmainlymarchingupanddown, join the ILP Contingent in Spain. Smillie,byFrankCasey,willbeondisplay.Theevent thevolunteersweretakenbybustothefront, Thevastmajorityofthevolunteerswere isbeingsupportedbytheOrwellSocietyandthe wheretheyreceivedantiquatedriflesandvery dedicatedanti-fascists,withonlyahandfulthere modernILP.AllmembersoftheIBMTarewelcome. limitedammunition. purelytosupporttherevolution.Twomeneven FormoredetailsoftheeventemailChristopherHall: TheystayedthereuntillateMarch1937.The appliedatthesametimetojoinboththeILPCon - [[email protected]]. frontwasaquietoneandtheILPContingenttook tingentandtheInternationalBrigades,butjoined

15 FEATURES ReluctantlyfindingahomeinBritain:Spanish Republicanrefugeesandexilesinthe1940s

939 and 1940 were crucial years for us. The Spanish CivilWar ended in April 1939 HERMINIO MARTÍNEZ was one the refugee childrenfrom the 1and the SecondWorldWar started in BasqueCountry who arrived inSouthamptonfrom Bilbao in September. By early 1940, most of the nearly 4,000 niños vascos (Basque children) had May 1937fleeing Franco’s terror-bombingcampaign in been repatriated.The British government never wanted us and did its utmost to get rid of northernSpain. He made his home in Britain, but thefirst us. But some 470 of us remained in the UK to fewyears werefarfrom easy, as he describes here. live through the duration of the war. At the end of the civil war other exiles asylum in London. Negrín was very supportive arrived. Some managed to come as diplomatic of the Republican exiles. He would visit the exiles because of their positions in the children at The Culvers and Barnet colonias Spanish Republic’s government. Others were and helped with funding. He made sure there brought out of the concentration camps on the was money for the Juan LuisVives scholarships beaches of southern France by Quakers such that allowed many exiles and refugees to as AlecWainman, who had to guarantee their study. keep because these exiles were not allowed to In October 1941 Negrín took on the lease of a work. Others arrived via Gibraltar, joining large house at 22 InvernessTerrace in Bayswa - those citizens evacuated to Britain. Some ter, west London, which became the “Hogar made their way here via the French Foreign MusiclessonatTheCulvers. Español” (Spanish Home) or simply El Hogar. Legion. El Hogar became a social, cultural and The British government did not want any of political centre for all the Republicanos . Other us.We were classified as “aliens” and we had anti-fascists also met and socialised there. to observe many restrictions. Life could be Jack Brent, the International Brigader, was difficult. Some of these older exiles helped out often at the entrance giving out literature. Nan in the colonias (“colonies” or residential Green, another volunteer in Spain, was to be homes) for Basque children and did excellent seen there with friends.The Brigaders also work among us. used the Hogar for some of their meetings. There was little cohesion amongst these Suddenly, all the pent-up energies of the diverse Republicanos having to survive in a diverse groups of Republicanos were released. foreign country.The Basque refugees had the Amistad now had a centre from which to common unifying experience of having lived “12yearsofstruggle”saysthisdancebackdrop. operate. Dances were held at weekends. together in the colonias scattered throughout Gradually, many of the exiles and refugees the UK.Those living in the Midlands tended to tended to move to London.They now had a meet up at the home of Molly Garrett in Birm - “home”. Deep friendships and comradeship ingham.They organised a football team.Those were forged. living in the London area started to publish a regular bulletin, Amistad , with contributions part from the socialising and political from around the UK. Much of the work was campaigning, there were some done at the offices of the Basque Children’s Awonderful cultural activities. A mixed Committee at 39Victoria Street, London. choir was formed under the direction of The colonias gradually closed till there was Manolo Lazareno, who had been a onlyThe Culvers in Carshalton, which housed professional musicologist in Spain. It was ThechoiratElHogar,withconductorManoloLazareno. the younger children.Theatre director Pepe wonderful to see such a diverse set of young Estruch, who had been a friend of Federíco exiles taking so well to this work. A theatre García Lorca and was one of those taken out of group was set up under the direction of Pepe the French concentration camps by Alec Estruch and a folk-dancing group was run by Wainman, ran the colonia and several other several other individuals. Also, an excellent adults helped out.The Culvers became a meet - football team was established. ing place not only for the Basque refugees but I have always likened the cultural activities also for some of the older Republicanos . at El Hogar to the work done in Spain with the Fiestas were organised there and some cul - Misiones Culturales (Cultural Missions) of the tural activities, such as a theatre group. Spanish Republic – artistic exhibitions and performances that toured remote parts of r Juan Negrín, the Republican Prime Spain. For many of us who missed out on living Minister, who had sought exile in Paris, our early life in Spain, it was a priceless Dcame to London when Nazi Germany opportunity to encounter the richness of invaded France. Other politicians, such as Spanish culture. Álvarez delVayo, the Foreign Minister, Pablo Pepe Estruch directed the grupo de teatro at Azcárate, the Republican ambassador, sought ElHogarwasin22InvernessTerrace ,Bayswater. the Hogar. It tended to stage works by the clas -

16 International Brigade Memorial Trust CANYOU HELP? sical dramatists of Spain’s Golden Age: PhotoofBeckettandCaudwell DonostiabeingdeclaredEurope’s2016Capital Calderón, Lope deVega and Cervantes. But the ofCulture.Heiscurrentlyinterviewingfamilies group also produced works by modern drama - inSpainwholostrelativesintheSpanishCivil tists such as Lorca. Not being an actor in any War,butalsowantstotalktoanyfamily way, I was the prompter.We were fortunate membersofInternationalBrigaderswhowere enough to get to know Spanish theatre at its killedinthewar. best. Pepe eventually returned to Madrid and transformed the moribund Spanish theatre Contact:[[email protected]]. scene. He was awarded the Premio Nacional (National Prize) in 1990 for his work. Who’swhointheRosaBransonmural? The refugees and exiles came from all the JudithCravitzistryingtoidentifythepeoplewho corners of Spain. Hence, the performances of appear(seeimagesbelow)inRosaBranson’s the folk-dancing group represented many of NeilGorewantstoidentifythepeoplepictured muralpaintingintributetotheInternational the regions. I loved especially the Toledana inthisphoto(above)alongwithChristopher Brigades.JudithisthedaughterofInternational (fromToledo). I still have in my mind these Caudwell(right)andClemBeckett(secondfrom BrigaderFrankLesserandatourguideatthe beautiful dances and regional costumes. right).Neilisworkingonthescriptoftheplay MarxMemorialLibrary,whereBranson’s As for the political activities at the Hogar, “DareDevilRidestoJarama”aboutthefateof painting–donatedin2011–isondisplay,along I am afraid that the same dissentions and BeckettandCaudwellinSpain. withoriginalbannersoftheBritishBattalion. divisions that had plagued the Spanish left Hewrites:“Thephotoappearedonthefront Sheexplains:“RosaBranson[daughterof during the short period of the Second Republic pageofthe14December1936editionofthe InternationalBrigaderCliveBranson]used affected the politics of the Hogar.There was a DailyWorker undertheheading‘Theydrivethe presscuttingsandphotographs.Allthepeople dreadful lack of unity. ambulances’.ThecaptionmentionsClem inthepaintingarereal,andIwouldliketo Beckett,butno-oneelse.I’mquitesurethat identifyasmanyofthemaspossibletohelpme t the end of the war in 1945 we were all BeckettwasalreadyinSpainbythispoint,soit’s withthetour-guiding.” expecting the Allies to end Europe’s last notclearwhenthephotowastaken.Hopefully Aremaining fascist dictatorship. AtThe someonecanshedsomelightonthis,becauseit Contact:[[email protected] ]. FortoursoftheMarx Culvers we lit a great bonfire to celebrate the maymeanthatBeckettandCaudwellmetbefore MemorialLibrary(onTuesdaysandThursdays),contact end of the war and our forthcoming return to theywere(re)unitedinSpain–especiallyasthe [[email protected]]. Spain. It was not to be.The ColdWar set in and photolookslikeitwastakeninaLondonstreet.” the Americans wanted the bases that Franco was prepared to provide. Ernest Bevin, the Contact:[[email protected]]. British Foreign Minister, made welcoming overtures to Franco.The disillusionment was Who’sthe‘BritishGirlVolunteer’? horrific. Some of the refugees found their fami - John Kitchingman is lies in France, Chile or Mexico and joined them. trying to trace the identity The Hogar closed in 1947. Negrín and other of the young woman in politicians had gone to Mexico. Franco’s fascist this photo. It was taken in regime was well established.We maintained December 1936 in some of the activities started at the Hogar in Barcelona. From her insignia she is likely to be “TheColdWarsetinand a medic, John believes. The full photograph theAmericanswantedthe shows more of her basesthatFrancowas military uniform and a string-tied rolled blanket over her left shoulder. preparedtoprovide.Ernest Johnboughttheoriginalprintinabric-à-brac Bevin,theBritishForeign shopinSouthport.Theshopkeepersaidithad comefromaLiverpoolnewspaper.Theprinthas Minister,madewelcoming atypedlabelonthereversewithacaption overturestoFranco.The dated9/10December1936saying:“BritishGirl VolunteerFightsforSpain”andaddingthatshe disillusionment washorrific.” is“leavingBarcelonatojointheloyalistsahead ofGeneralFranco’srebelforceswhosemain various places. Every Saturday evening there assaultagainstMadridisexpectedwithinthe was a dance at the Fox School in Notting Hill. nextfewhours”.Thereisalsoacopyrightstamp The folk-dancing and choir also continued, as ofPlanetNewsLtd.Johnhascontactedthe did the theatre group, staging plays at the successortoPlanetNewsbuttheycannot 20th CenturyTheatre in Notting Hill and locatetheoriginalphoto. other venues. We always kept hope alive, but it would be Contact[[email protected]]. many years before changes in Spain permitted us to return. SeekingfamiliesofvolunteersfalleninSpain OlatzGorrotxategiwritesfromSpain’sBasque Herminio Martínez [[email protected]]is look - Countrytosaythatheisputtingtogethera ingfor copies of recordings made by the BBC of the choir at dramabasedonthemovementforhistorical El Hogar, which, hesays, appeared on two records. “It memoryinSpain.Hisprojecthasbeenselected Sections of the Rosa Branson mural painting which would be a pity to losesuch wonderful work,” hesays. aspartoftheprogrammeforSanSebastián/ hangs in the Marx Memorial Library in London.

International Brigade Memorial Trust 17 OBITUARIES

of 1937/8, Del was on a ship to France and California. He revealed his secret to longevity DelmerBerg would make the trek across the Pyrenees, in 2014: “I think staying politically active keeps following in the footsteps of so many me alive… It fills my life. I never slowed down – ByRobertCoale volunteers before him. I’m right in the middle of things yet.” While in Spain, he served in a field artillery Delmer Berg, who and anti-aircraft artillery battery, ultimately lay - This is an editedversion of an article thatfirst appeared on died on 28 February ing communication lines from the Republican theALBA blog.See [www.alba-valb.org]. 2016 at the age of headquarters to the front during the momen - 100, was the last tous Battle of the Ebro. His next and final post known surviving vet - in the city ofValencia was quiet until his unit’s LuisQuesada eran of the Abraham lodgings in a monastery were bombed by a fas - Lincoln Brigade [the cist airplane aiming for a railway station. Luis Alberto Quesada, the collective name Despite the shrapnel in his liver, Del’s life last of the 900 Argentinean given to the volun - after Spain was an active one. He was drafted volunteers who fought for teers from the US]. into the army. He feared discrimination the Spanish Republic, died Del was born on because of his political affiliations but instead on 12 December 2015, aged 20 December 1915 in southern California to a was surprisingly given his choice of outfit by 96. He was born in Buenos family of poor farm workers. Seeking better his recruiter. He was called to appear before Aires on 22 August 1919 economic opportunities, the Bergs moved to the House Un-American Activities Committee into an immigrant Andalusian family that Oregon. But, as the country foundered in the during the postwar era but “they could never returned to Spain while he was still a child. Great Depression, teenage Del dropped out of find me to serve a summons,” he gleefully In the Republican army he fought at the Ebro high school to assist his father. Del’s political recounted in 2012. in 1938 and in the retreat through Catalonia consciousness was forged in these early years. Del’s political commitments were various: early in 1939. During the SecondWorldWar he Del saw the threat of the rise of fascism in the Young Communist League, United Farm fought in the French Resistance and later Europe and wanted to travel to Spain. A Workers, the anti-VietnamWar movement and crossed into Spain as a guerrilla. He was soon billboard advertising the “Friends of the peace and justice committees. In his final captured and spent the next 13 years in prison Abraham Lincoln Brigade” brought Del into the years, Del lived comfortably in his self-built before being expelled from Spain and returning fold. After “licking 10,000 stamps” in the winter home in the Sierra Nevada foothills in to Argentina.

LETTERS thatlastyeartheFrenchgovernmentawardedthe sophical about turns” as realistic responses to I’vewrittentothePM Légiond’HonneurtoaBritishsergeantforhis changes in the balance of political and class braveryatArnheim,71yearsaftertheevent! forces. Most were totally unaware of the horren - aboutCaptDickson WehopetheIBMTcanadditsconsiderable dous crimes committed against human rights, influencetothiscampaign.WhynotaGeorge socialist and democratic values.They were heDailyTelegraph “ex-pats”editionhas Cross? aware that fascism was on the march, threaten - Treportedthepresentationofaplaqueatthe ChristinaElliott ing the very existence of the Soviet Union as well MansionHouse,Cardiff,organisedbytheIBMT, Zuheros,Córdoba as human rights throughout the world. tothememoryofCaptArchibaldDickson(see The Cambridge spies were not CP members also IBMTNewsletter 2-2015). CorrecttobackSovietanti-fascism and had no contact with the Communist Party. MyhusbandandIhavebeencampaigningover ichard Baxell’s valuable review of “Radiant Dave Springhall, who served in Spain, was thepasttwoyearsfortheBritishgovernmentto RIllusion?” ( IBMT Newsletter 1-2016) draws expelled in 1943 from the party after being found recogniseandposthumouslyawardCaptDickson out many of the positive aspects of 1930s guilty in a secret court of providing information to forhisheroicactofsaving2,638Spanish communism. In this period the Communist Party Britain’s war-time ally, the Soviet Union. refugeesduringtheSpanishCivilWar,andalsofor of Great Britain was involved in every progressive Tom Sibley thefactthathisshipwastorpedoedseveral struggle and social movement, while some of its By email monthslateratthecommencementofthe members made major contributions to the SecondWorldWarwiththelossofalllives. artistic and cultural life of Britain. MoreaboutJosepTrueta CaptDicksoncametoournoticeaftera Spain was a high point.Without the CPGB he reference to orthopaedic surgeon Josep two-pagearticleinElPaís waswrittenonthe there would have been no Aid to Spain TTrueta (1897-1977) in your book reviews 75thanniversaryofthisselflessact.Thereport movement and no effective organisation of (“Pioneers of blood transfusion techniques”, laudedhimandafewoftheoriginalsurvivors volunteers to join the International Brigades, IBMT Newsletter 1-2016) reminded me of a book attendedanemotionalceremonyofremem - which were initiated by the international we published five years ago. I don’t think we sent branceinAlicante,alongsidemanythousands communist movement. it to the IBMT at the time. offamilydescendentswhowouldclearlynotbe Some on the left outside of the Communist Avery late mention would be appreciated! heretodaybutforhisfortitudeandresolve. Party, including highly respected academics and “Trueta” by Ángels Aymar is the playscript of a Itwasthefirsttimethateithermyhusbandor lawyers, also gave wholehearted support to drama depicting JosepTrueta’s personal, Ihadheardofthissupremeactofdefianceand many aspects of Soviet policies in the 1930s. professional and political dilemmas faced during bravery,andtodatewehavewrittensixlettersto They refused to accept what they saw as the lies and after the Spanish CivilWar and in London thePrimeMinister’sofficerequestingthatthe of the Daily Mail and right-wing politicians, while and Oxford during the SecondWorldWar. deedberecognised.Thelastcommunication they applauded the anti-fascist role played by RossBradshaw informedusthatthematterwas“outoftime”for the world’s first socialist state. FiveLeavesPublishing anawardtobeconsidered.Ourreplypointedout The supporters of the Soviet Union saw “philo - www.fiveleaves.co.uk

18 International Brigade Memorial Trust BOOKS ETC n n a a TwophotostakenbyAlec m m n n i i WainmanatInternational a a W W Brigadehospitalsin1937: c c e e l l Convalescentvolunteers A A andlocalchildren(left)at Benicàssimon18May andBritishmedics(right) atthehospitalinHuete on23Maywithan ambulancenewlyarrived fromBritain.

An‘EnglishSuitcase’ofphotographicgems SONIABOUÉreviewsabookpresenting210photosfromtheSpanishCivilWar,manyof period.Wealsoseetheextentofhisalmostinstant thempreviouslyunpublished,thatweretakenbyAlecWainman(1913-1989).Borninnorth flexibilityofrole,obtainingapassforentrytothe YorkshireandraisedinCanadaandOxford,WainmanwasaQuakerandjoinedBritish Hispano-SuizaFábricadeAutomóvilescarfactory asaninterpreterasearlyasNovember1936. medicalvolunteerswhotravelledtoSpaininAugust1936.Hisinvolvementintheanti- Inadditiontotheambulanceworkattheoutset Francoistcausecontinueduntiltheendofthewar,inwhich,asthisuniquecollectionof ofwarin1936,atitscloseAlecsavedseveral imagesdocuments,heservedinmanydifferentcapacitiesthroughoutRepublicanSpain. SpanishRepublicanexilesfromtheFrenchintern - Wainmanplannedin1975topublishaselectionofhisphotosalongwithamemoirofthewar mentscampsin1939,andthebookdealsbriefly withthisepisodeinSerge’swords.Tragically,Alec inSpain.Afewofhispicturesappearedindividuallyinbooks–butAlecwasrarelyifever developedalzheimer’sdiseasein1981,butweare properlycreditedandthemoreambitiousprojectcametonothing.Thephotoswereeventually treatedtohisimpressions(lookingbackin1975) deemedlost,untilthecompletecacheofnegativestakenonhisLeitzLeicacamerawas asavolunteerambulancedriverwiththeSpanish discoveredin2013inthepossessionofapublisherwithwhomAlechadcorresponded. MedicalAidCommitteeinSpainandasaneyewit - nesstokeyeventssuchasthesiegeofMadrid,the ive Souls”* is a book of previously lost BarcelonauprisingandairraidsinValencia. photographic reportage taken during “Lthe Spanish CivilWar. It also contains Stigma an unfinished memoir and an inventory of Ithasbeeninterestingtoreadaboutthestigma official documents from the period. It has a Alec’svolunteerismandadherencetotheRepubli - great deal of interest to offer both for the com - cancauseseemedtoevokeonhisreturntoEng - mitted reader and those new to the subject. land.Thisaddedanewdimensiontomyunder - Importantlyitisalsoason’stributetoan standingoftheBritishcontext.YetlaterAlecwas extraordinaryfather,AlecWainman,whose abletoutilisewellhisnotable“…discretionand singularcontributiontotheSpanishconflicthas abilitytoblendinandpassbetweenthelines”. hithertoremaineduntreatedanduntouched,but IthasalsoemergedthatAlecbecameaSpecial formyownfilmcollaborationof2014,called OperationsExecutiveagentfortheBritish “WithoutYouIWouldNotExist”. governmentduringtheSecondWorldWarin1943. Homage,inmyview,isthisbook’struefunction Thismostparticularprofileandskillset,honed andisthereforebestreadassuch;especiallywith perhapsinSpain,nowappeartomakesenseof regardtothebriefchapterofconcludinghistorical thislaterdevelopment. summary.Welack,forexample,balanceinthe Anexemplaryforceinthefightagainstfascism, glancingaccountoftheFrenchresponsetothe graphicnegativeswerenaturallynotcaptioned, andawonderfulphotographer,thisfascinating questionoftheSpanishexiles,whichincluded leadingtosomeerrorsinthecurrentedition. tributetoAlecWainmanishighlyrecommended. complicityinthedispatchofRepublicanstothe AlecWainman’sroleinSpainisafascinating Nazicamps(includingMauthausen)andofficial case.Hewasanextremelygiftedyoungman, *“LiveSouls:CitizensandVolunteersofCivilWarSpain’by indifferencetothecruelconditionsinthecamps. whosetalentsappeartohavebeenswiftlyutilised SergeAlternêsandAlecWainman(Vancouver:Ronsdale SergeAlternês(whoisWainman’sson)was inmultiplecapacities:volunteerambulancedriver, Press,2015)£20.99. facedwithadifficulttaskonfinallylocatinghis translator,escort(forthenewlyrecruitednurses), veryownEnglishSuitcase(asinthecaseofRobert pressphotographerand“mechanic”.The FormoreaboutAlecWainmanseealso“NoOtherWay:Oxford - Capa’sMexicanequivalent)morethan70years collectionof18preservedidentificationand shireandtheSpanishCivilWar1936-39”byChrisFarman, aftertheevent.The57rollsoffilmtoemergewere securitypassestowardstheendofthisbook ValeryRoseandLizWoolley(orderingdetailsonpage6). dated,withlocationandabriefdescriptionalso providesaninsightintothetrustwithwhichAlec givenoneachbox,butthe1,650individualphoto - washeldandhisrangeofmovementsduringthis SoniaBouéisanOxford-basedartistandIBMTmember.

International Brigade Memorial Trust 19 BOOKS ETC

JohnCornford’swritings photos,“Face:ShapeandAngle”hasbeen ThecollectedwritingsofJohn publishedbyManchesterUniversityPress.Both Cornford,“Understandthe MusprattandTudor-Hart(whowasmarriedto Passionand Weapon,Understandthe InternationalBrigadedoctorAlexTudor-Hart)doc - Wound”,havebeenpub - umentedthereceptionofthenearly4,000refugee lishedbyCarcanetPress childrenfromtheBasqueCountrywhoarrivedin persecution (www.carcanet.co.uk). SouthamptoninMay1937. Cornfordwaskilledwhile “International fightingwiththeInternational StudyofInternationalBrigadeprison Communismandthe BrigadesatLopera,near AnewstudyoftheInternational SpanishCivilWar: Córdoba,inDecember1936.Aged21,hispoems, BrigadeprisonatCastelldefels SolidarityandSuspicion” proseandpoliticalessayshadalreadyrevealed estimatesthatbetween byLisaAKirschenbaum greatliteraryandintellectualgifts.Editedbypoet 250-300volunteerswereheld (Cambridge:Cambridge JonathanGelassi,theneweditionfeaturesan thereforvariousoffencesand UniversityPress,2015) afterwordbyhistorianandIBMTChairRichard thatabout14ofthemwere £64.99(hardback) Baxell.Itisonsaleasapaperbackfor£9.99orin summarilyexecutedordied eBookorKindleformats. throughmistreatmentorin ReviewedbyRichardBaxell suspiciouscircumstances. BBCurgedtoreleasesongdocumentary Thefiguresappearinthefirstofatwo-volume, incetheendoftheColdWarandthe FolksingerandSpanishCivilWarsongenthusiast onlinestudyoftheprisonbylocalhistorian SconsequentopeningupoftheMoscow GeoffLawesispressingtheBBCtomake AlfonsoLópezBorgoñoz. archives,freshlighthasbeenshoneonthe availableforsalethecelebratedRoyPalmer ThecastleatCastelldefels,locatedtothesouth relationshipbetweentheSovietUnion,the Radio4programme“SongsofHope”.The1988 ofBarcelona,servedasaprisonrunbythe CommunistPartyandSpainduringthe documentaryaboutsongssungbytheBritish InternationalBrigadehighcommandbetween country’scivilwar. andIrishvolunteersinSpainfeaturesseveral March1938andJanuary1939.Inmatesincluded Increasingly,thishasallowedarathermore Brigaderstalkingandsinging,includingBob deserters,suspectedspiesandindividuals nuanced,“wartsandall”analysis.Nicholas DoyleandJimmyJump. accusedofseriousdisciplinarybreaches. Deakin’s“RadiantIllusion?”(reviewedinthe GeoffhaspostedamessageontheMudcat lastIBMTNewsletter )isagoodexampleof FolkDiscussionForumsuggestingthatpeople InSpanishonly,thebookcanbedownloadedfreefrom: thisrathermorethoughtful,balanced shouldlettheBBCknowthattheyareinterested [http://brigadasinternacionalescastelldfels.blogspot.com.es approach;sotooisthislateststudybyLisa inbuyingarecordingoftheprogramme. /2015/12/las-brigadas-internacionales-en.html]. Kirschenbaum. Thoughthebook’stitlerefersto Goto[http://mudcat.org]andsearch“SongsinEnglishabout ‘FactversusFiction’podcast internationalcommunism,itfocusesmainly theSpanishCivilWar”. A podcast is now available of the 24 February onpartymembersintheSovietUnion,Spain session of the 2016 London School of andtheUS.Thismaylimititsappealtoa JacksonnovelpublishedbyKindle Economics Literary Festival dealing with “Fact Britishaudience,whichwouldbeashame, AngelaJackson’sSpanishCivil versus Fiction?The Spanish CivilWar in the becausemanyoftheissuesthebook Warnovel“WarmEarth”about Literary Imagination”.The speakers were discussestranscendnationalitysuchas,for threewomenintheSpanishCivil historians Helen Graham and Paul Preston and example,theaccountsofcommunists“who WarisnowavailableonKindle. novelist Eduardo Mendoza. reported,thenandlater,thatinSpainthey The2007paperbackeditionhas livedtheiridealsmoreintensely,passionately, beenoutofprintforseveralyears See:[www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/ andfullythantheyhadanywhereelse”. butthenovelcannowbedown - channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=3396]. Likewise,discussionsofthenowwell- loadedfromAmazonfor£2.10.Theplotcentres knownproblemstheInternationalBrigade on three very different women who go to Spain GermansfortheSpanishRepublic commandfaced–leaveandrepatriation, to help the Republic. Praising Jackson’s novel, Thefirstvolumeofa distrustofothernationalities,resentmentof fellow historian Paul Preston said on its “biographicallexicon”of Spanishofficers,lackofeffectivecommunica - publication that “its prose and emotional some4,000Germanswho tions–couldrelatetoanyofthenationalunits. understanding breathe life into her foughtontheRepublican Whiletheauthordoestouchuponsomeof unputdownable story of the sacrifices made sideintheSpanishCivilWar themoreover-archingthemesoftheroleof and the dangers undergone by the remarkable hasbeenpublished. theCommunistPartyinSpain–includinga women who went to Spain as volunteers”. Co-compilerWernerAbel refreshingscepticismtowardstheoldtrope saystheaimistomakesure thattheSpanishRepublicwascontrolledby Twowomenphotographers the sev olunteers–mostofwhomwereinthe Stalin–itistheindividuallivesofcommunists Worksbytwowomenphotographers,bothof ThälmannBattalionoftheInternationalBrigades whichareofmainconcernhere. whomwerecommunistsinthe1930sandwhose –are“rescuedfromoblivionandreceivedeserved Kirschenbaum’sdetaileddiscussionof outputincludedimagesconnectedtothe remembrance”.Headds:“Thelexiconhasnot notionsof“communistidentity”examines SpanishCivilWar,arecurrentlyonshow. restricteditselftotheperiodinwhichthoselisted volunteers’attitudestowardsawiderangeof AnexhibitionofphotostakenbyHelenMuspratt spentinSpainbut,wheneverpossible,hastriedto issues:theimpactonfamiliesbackhome; isatthePallantHouseGallery,Chichester(until includeabroaderbiographicalsketchoftheir braveryandcowardiceinbattle;drinking;sex 8May)andpicturestakenbyEdithTudor-Hart politicalactivitiesandtheiroccupationsbefore formpartof“StrangeandFamiliar:Britainas andafterthewarinSpain.” “…inSpaintheylivedtheir RevealedbyInternationalPhotographers”atthe BarbicanArtGallery,London(until19June). “‘Siewerdennichtdurchkommen’:DeutscheanderSeiteder idealsmoreintensely, CoincidingwiththePallantHouseGallery SpanischenRepublikunddersozialenRevolution,Band1”by passionately,andfullythan exhibition,abiographyofHelenMusprattby WernerAbelandEnricoHibert(Frankfurt:VerlagEditionAV, daughterJessicaSutcliffeandcollectionofher 2015)45euros(paperback). theyhadanywhereelse.”

20 International Brigade Memorial Trust Findingtrueloveamidcruelty,deceptionandpoliticalbetrayal

“LoveanditsEnemies”byBrian track him down, he is adamant bravery and conviction of most and political betrayal but, even Murphy(KindleEdition,2015)is that his decision to join the of the patients, but there are more importantly, she also finds publishedintwovolumes(“Roads International Brigades was those who voice their dissent true love and happiness. toBrunete”and”Crossing necessary and right. and frustration about how the However, as the defeat of the Frontiers”)andcanbedownloaded Kate returns to her work as a Republican fight is being Republic brings even more misery fromAmazon(£2.94pervolume) nurse and, although her unit is managed. and despair to the Spanish peo - initially far from the front line At the same time Joey’s letters ple, she too faces an uncertain ReviewedbyMarleneSidaway and their main fight is against are beginning to reflect the same future as she joins the thousands boredom and frustration, as the opinions. It is clear that amidst of refugees trying to reach the he two parts of “Love and its fighting gets nearer they are the rumours, misinformation slim promise of safety in France. TEnemies” provide a more overwhelmed by the terrible and chaos of the war, coupled This is a good read, a page-turn - realistic view of a medical unit injuries and deaths they must with all the propaganda ing human story, during which we during the Spanish CivilWar deal with. broadcast by both sides, the learn a great deal about the anti- than the title might suggest. The camaraderie, friendship conflict gives credence to the fascist conflict and the vain strug - The heroine, Kate, initially and admiration she feels for the adage: “The first casualty of war gle to establish a just society in volunteers in order to find her work of her colleagues convince is truth.” Spain and the rest of the world. sweetheart, Joey, and persuade her that her nursing skills too are Inevitably, Kate’s life is changed him to return to Ireland with her. much needed in this very uneven completely as she herself MarleneSidaway is the President of When she finally manages to conflict. She is also struck by the experiences cruelty, deception the IBMT. andnotionsofmasculinity,femininityand there, although less is remembered about this sexuality.Theauthorisnotafraidtotackle Whyandhowdid nowadays. controversialissues,arguingthat“despitethe Mexicans played a very active role in trying to factthatgaymenservedintheInternational Mexicohelp? set up arms deals on behalf of the Republic. Brigades,homosexualityremainedformany Exploring these often shadowy diplomatic communistspresumptivelyfascist”. “MexicoandtheSpanishCivilWar: transactions required rigorous research in Thefinalsectionofthebookturnstotheperiod PoliticalRepercussionsforthe archives and the personal papers of the afterthewarinSpain,recountingthepersecution RepublicanCause”byMarioOjeda individuals involved. ofCommunistPartymembersinboththeUSand Revah(Eastbourne:SussexAcademic There were also shipments of food, clothes theUSSR.Itisadeeplydispiritingstoryandmany Press,2015)£25 and medicine from Mexico that were sent to readerswillbeshockedandappalledbythe ReviewedbyWoutervanDijk Spain, all against payment with an exchange rate favourable to the Republic and paid for in “…readerswillbeshocked s one of the two main countries that lent Republican pesetas instead of the gold the Asupport to the Spanish Republic during the Soviet Union was eager to lay its hands on. andappalledbythelevels Spanish CivilWar, Mexico has received surpris - On the diplomatic front, Mexico gave uncondi - ofparanoia,distrustand ingly little attention in the historiography of that tional and unwavering support to the Republic war up to now. Although two earlier attempts in the League of Nations and internationally in persecutiondirected have been undertaken to shed light on the topic, general. It all proved to be in vain. Mexico and towardsSpanishCivil the author dismisses both as outdated. the Spanish Republic were both seen by many Despite the difficult relationship between countries as “red” pariahs on a par with the War veterans…” Mexico and Spain in the first decades of the communist Soviet Union. levelsofparanoia,distrustandpersecution 20th century, when the Republic was declared in The book ends with the immediate aftermath directedtowardsSpanishCivilWarveteranson Spain in 1931 relations improved considerably. of the civil war, when Cárdenas allowed bothsidesoftheIronCurtain:“Labelledsubver - Both governments now saw the similarity of thousands of Republican refugees to emigrate sivesandspiesbyauthoritiesonbothsides,they the problems confronting them, including to Mexico.This led to protests in his own country wereharassed,tried,convictedand,intheSoviet rising conservative discontent, with many by the pro-Francoist lobby. In the end, even bloc,torturedandsometimesexecuted.” people on the right not unsympathetic towards Cárdenas’s party felt obliged to appoint a more Yet,whileStalin’sbrutalandmurderousregime Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, a history of moderate politician as his successor in order to causedmanypartymembersandcivilwar authoritarian regimes, and the need for land prevent civil strife in Mexico and to protect its veteransaroundtheworldtorejectSoviet reform and the modernisation of the state and revolutionary gains. communism,theauthorarguesthatveryfewof judicial apparatus. Ironically, the fear that made Cárdenas themcametoabandonthecauseofSpanish Heading a left-wing government with a intervene in the Spanish conflict at its outset, democracy,oranti-fascism. revolutionary background, Mexico’s President namely that such an uprising could also happen Thisis,Ithink,animportantpointtomake.After Lázaro Cárdenas didn’t have many friends in Mexico, eventually led him at the end of the all,justbecausethedescriptionofRepublican among foreign governments in the 1930s. war towards political moderation in response to Spain’sstruggleas“thecauseofalladvancedand Republican Spain was an exception. rising tensions at home. progressivehumanity”originatedwithJoseph Cárdenas responded swiftly to the Spanish Mario Ojeda Revah has provided us with a very Stalin,itdoesnotmakeitanylesstrue. government’s call for help once the military worthwhile study of the little known role of rebellion broke out. Immediately the reserves Mexico in the Spanish CivilWar. RichardBaxellistheChairoftheIBMTandtheauthorof of Mexico’s arms industry were shipped to “UnlikelyWarriors:TheExtraordinaryStoryOfTheBritons Spain: the famous 20,000 rifles and 20 million WoutervanDijkistheco-founderandeditoroftheHereditas WhoFoughtInTheSpanishCivilWar”(2014). rounds of ammunition.The help did not stop Nexushistorywebsite(www.hereditasnexus.com).

International Brigade Memorial Trust 21 WHAT’S ON

SALFORD24September :Rededicationofplaque NOW IN MADRID: ASpanish- Underthenewtitle“Goodbye toILPmemberswhofoughtinSpain;11.30am- languageversionoftheacclaimed España”,itopenedon26Aprilin 2.30pmattheWorkingClassMovementLibrary, theSpanishcapital. InternationalBrigadesmusical 51Crescent,M54WX;seepage15. “GoodbyeBarcelona”hasopened In2014theCatalan-language LONDON1October: Nightofmusic,filmandspo - foraseasonattheTeatroInfanta versionwasjudgedBestMusicalin IsabelintheheartofMadrid. theannualSpanishMusical kenwordtomark8othanniversariesoftheforma - WrittenbyJudithJohnsonand TheatreAwards. tionoftheInternationalBrigadesandtheBattleof KarlLewkowicz,theIBMT- Thestorylinecentre sonthefate CableStreetinLondon’sEastEnd,bothinOctober sponsoredmusicalwas ofSam,an18-year-oldfrom 1936;withTheWakes,TheHurriers,LouiseDis - enthusiasticallyreceivedby London’sEastEnd,andagroupof tras,PotentWhisper,MarkThomas,Larne,Will audiencesattheArcolaTheatrein otherInternationalBrigade KaufmanandRichardBaxell;from7pmatRich Londonin2011. volunteersfromBritainwhotravel Mix,35-47BethnalGreenRd,E16LA;eventorgan - Ithassincethenhadanaward- toSpaintofightfascism. isedbyPhilosophyFootball(www.philosophy - winningruninCatalanattheTeatre football.com)inassociationwiththeIBMTand Seelistingfor3May . delRavalinBarcelona. othergroups;bookingdetailstobeannounced. LONDON9October: 80thanniversaryoftheBat - MADRID3May(andweeklythereafter): org] and [http://bruneteenlamemoria.blog tleofCableStreet(on4October1936);march,rally “GoodbyeEspaña”,Spanish-languageversion spot. co.uk]. andcommemorativeactivitiesinandaround ofthemusical“GoodbyeBarcelona”byJudith AMSTERDAM6July: Commemorationofthe CableStreetinLondon’sEastEnd;detailstocome. JohnsonandKarlLewkowicz,opensattheTeatro DutchvolunteerswhowenttoSpaintodefend DUBLIN15October: AnnualGeneralMeetingof InfantaIsabel,24calleBarquillo,28004; theRepublic;from11am-1pmattheInternational theIBMT;partofaweekendofactivities;details performanceseachTuesdaythroughthesum - Brigademonument,Hagedoornplein, tobeannouncedinournextissue. mer;see[www.gruposmedia.com/teatros/ Amsterdam; [www.spanje3639.org]. LONDON17-30October: InternationalBrigade teatro-infanta-isabel]. BELFAST5August: TalkbyNancyWallachfrom 80thanniversarycommemorativeeventsatthe LONDON12May: Publicseminar“NoClouds theAbrahamLincolnBrigadeArchivesonPaul MarxMemorialLibrary(MML);37aClerkenwell acrosstheHolidaySun?ThePoliticsofTourism Robeson’santi-fascismandsupportfortheSpan - Green,EC1R0DU(www.marxlibrary.org.uk);pro - betweenWesternEuropeandtheFrancoDictator - ishRepublic;12pm-2pmatShankillRoadLibrary, visionalprogrammeincludesacademicsympo - ship,1945–1975”;speaker:PatriciaHertel(Uni - 298-300ShankillRd,BT132BN ;partofannual sium,agitproptheatreworkshop,eveningof versityofBasel);chair:ProfPaulPreston;6pmat FéileanPhobail/People’sFestival. poetryandfilm,displayofInternationalBrigade CañadaBlanchCentre,CowdrayHouse,LSE,Por - NELSON20August: Conference“Lancashireand artefactsandIBMT’s“Antifascistas”exhibition, tugalSt,WC2A2AE[www.lse. ac.uk/european theSpanishCivilWar”organisedbyLancashire labourmovementseminar,andspecialperform - Institute/research/canadaBlanch/events.aspx]. AssociationofTradesUnionCouncils;11am-4pm; anceof“DareDevilRidestoJarama”;organised SALFORD13May: LaunchofBrigadistaale(see ACECentre,CrossSt, BB97NH. byMMLinassociationwiththeIBMT,Uniteand advertonpage5)at BEDFORD24September :Openingnightofthe TownsendProductions. theKingsHead, autumntouroftheIBMT-commissionedplay PARIS22October: UnveilingbyFrenchACER BloomSt,M36AN “DareDevilRidestoJarama”;ThePlace,Bradgate InternationalBrigaderemembrancegroupof from7pm-12am; Rd,MK403DE(www.theplacebedford.org.uk); memorialattheGared’Austerlitz,markingthe musicfromJoe seeinsidefrontcoverformoredatesandbooking 80thanniversaryofthecreationoftheInterna - Solo;tickets£5 information. tionalBrigades;detailstobeannounced. from[http:// kingsarmssalford. C W SEAMEN ON STRIKE: com]includespaella Aberdeen Maritime andraffle. Museum is hosting an exhibition about a three- monthstrike bySpanishseamen inAberdeen in LONDON20May: LondonlaunchofBrigadista 1936 that helped raise local awareness about the ale(seeadvertonpage5)atYeOldeRose& civil war inSpain. Crown,55HoeSt,E174SAfrom7pm-12am; The 20-strong crew of thesteamer Eolo stopped [www.yeolderoseandcrowntheatrepub.co.uk]. worksoon after theship arrived inAberdeen at the HAMBURG27-29May: 6thAnti-FascistHarbour end of May 1936.They were angry that pay increases EventorganisedbyKFSRInternationalBrigade and improved conditions brought in by theSpanish group;contactReinhardtSilbermannformore Republic’s Popular Front government had not been information:[[email protected]]. implemented by their captain. ABERDEEN28May-10September: Exhibition Coordinated by theAberdeenTrades Union marking80thanniversaryofathree-monthstrike Council, asupport network wasset up by local bySpanishcrewoftheEolo atstartofSpanish unions and collections were heldfor thestriking CivilWar;atMaritimeMuseum,Shiprow,AB11 seamen.Their plight was given added urgency when news arrived in mid July of thefascist-backed 5BY;admissionfree[www.aagm. co.uk/Visit/ military uprising against the Republic. AberdeenMaritimeMuseum]. Two local labour movement activists, BobCooney LONDON2July: Annualcommemorationfrom and John Londragan, paid a leading role in 1pm-2pmat theI nternationalBrigadememorial, supporting the crew – and both would later join the JubileeGardens,SouthBank,SE1;wreath-laying, International Brigades. musicandspokenword;plusinfor malsocialin A deal was eventually brokered with theship’s Camel&Artichoke,121LowerMarshSt,SE17AE; owners by theSpanish government. [www.international-brigades.org.uk/events]. The exhibition has been co-compiled byGemma MADRID2July: AnnualBattleofBrunetecom - Reid, who has written her undergraduate memorationorganisedbySpanishAABIInterna - dissertation onAberdeen and theSpanishCivil War. tionalBrigadesfriendshipgroupandBruneteen See listingfor 28 May . laMemoria;[www.brigadasinternacionales.

22 International Brigade Memorial Trust N i e f te w or m 20 s MERCHANDISE 16 Proceedshelpfundthecommemorative,educationalandpublicityworkoftheIBMT

Replica flag Reproduction of the British Battalion No.1Company flag named after Labour Party leaderClementAttlee. 150cmsx 87cms red background with dark gold lettering. Ideal for carrying on marches or simply Clenched fist sculpture putting on the wall. Life-sized sculpture in specially treated concrete. £10 plus £4 p&p Based on the clenched fist created by sculptor Betty Rae at the top of the pole for the original British Battalion banner. 23cms high.The clenched fist was the iconic salute of the Popular Front and is still used by anti-fascists around the world. £29.99 plus £7.99 p&p

15th International Brigade t-shirt In the autumn of 1937 each of the International Brigades was presented with a flag at theCalderón Theatre in Madrid in a ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of the formation of the International Brigades.This is a depiction of the flag of the mainly English-speaking 15th International Brigade, which included British, Irish,American,Canadian and Commonwealthvolunteers. Produced by Philosophy Football from ethically sourced black cotton for the IBMT. “International Brigade MemorialTrust” on sleeve.Available in: S (36inch/90cms chest) M (40inch/100cms) Volunteers for Liberty plate L (44inch/110cms) Highly decorative commemorative plate made by XL (48inch/120cms) Heraldic Pottery inStaffordshire exclusively for XXL (52inch/130cms) the IBMT. Fine bone china, 10.5inch (265mm) Fittedwomen’s(34-36inch/70-90cms). diameter plate. Re-issue of the much-sought £15 plus £4.99 p&p 50th anniversary plate produced by International Brigadeveteran Lou Kenton. Includes mount for wall display. Sendorders,includingyourname £25 plus £6.99 p&p andaddress,asizeandcolour whereappropriate,andacheque payabletotheIBMTto:IBMT Merchandise,37aClerkenwell Green,LondonEC1R0DU. FormultipleordersintheUKuptoa valueof£30(excludingp&p) calculatetotalp&pbytakingthe highestp&pamongitemsordered, halvingthep&poftheremaining Brigadista ale t-shirt itemsandaddingthemtogether. Advertises the commemorative ale promoting the Thereisnop&ponordersforgoods IBMT for the 80th anniversary of the formation of the International Brigades. Ethically sourced bottle green worthmorethan£30(UKonly). (pictured) or black cotton shirt produced by Hope Not Hate exclusively for the IBMT. “International Brigade MemorialTrust” and International Brigade logo on ForordersoutsidetheUKortopay sleeve.Please state colour preference when ordering. Available in: bycreditcardorPayPal,gotoour S (36inch/90cms chest) ¡No Pasarán! bag website:[www.international- M (40inch/100cms) Ethically sourced jute bag (30cms square, 18cms L (44inch/110cms) across). One side printed, other blank. Robust bag, brigades.org.uk/mer chandise.php] XL (48inch/120cms) useful for any shopping trip and a great way to show XXL (52inch/130cms) support for anti-fascism and the IBMT. wheretherearealsomanyother £15 plus £4.99 p&p £4.99 plus £2.99 p&p itemslistedforsale . N INTERNAT IONAL O

I BR IGA DES Celebrate T theirlegacy

A inmusicand spokenword

R Saturday 2July O 1pm-2pm International M Brigade

E memorial Jubilee Gardens

M ‘All the peoples of the world are in the SouthBank In ter nation al Brigades on theside of theSpanish people’ London

PLUS M Informalsocial 2.30pm-6pmatthe Camel&Artichoke 121LowerMarshSt SE17AE O InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust www.international-brigades.org.uk C