RNA IONALE TE S IN D E S L O A I L R I A B T E N R U T L 1936 1939 A D O V ¡NO PASARÁN! International Brigade Memorial Trust l 1-2020 l £5 Hull art students find inspiration in the volunteers Jimmy Rutherford banner, made by Edinburgh East Communist Party and now held by the People’s Story Museum, City of Edinburgh Museums & Galleries. From Edinburgh’s Newhaven district, Rutherford was only 20 when he was executed by the fascists. Captured at Jarama in February 1937, he was released in a prisoner exchange on condition he did not return to Spain. He was captured again, however, this time in Aragón and on 24 May 1938 he faced the firing squad. Before returning to Spain he had told his father: ‘If all the young men had seen what I saw out there, they would be doing what I am doing.’ 21 March 2020 IBMT’s annual Len Crome Memorial Conference SCOTLAND AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR INSIGHTS INTO THE CONTRIBUTION OF A NATION AND ITS PEOPLE George Square Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, RNA IONALE TE S Edinburgh EH8 9LD, 10.30am to 3.30pm IN D E S L O A I L R Fraser Raeburn Historian and author of Tour Guided walk through James Connolly’s I A B T E N the upcoming ‘Scots and the Spanish Civil Edinburgh. R U T L 1936 1939 A D War’. O V Tickets Details to be announced early in Daniel Gray Writer, researcher, TV presenter 2020. and author of ‘Homage to Caledonia: Scotland and the Spanish Civil War’. For travel and accommodation information International Brigade email Mike Arnott, IBMT Scotland Secretary: Memorial Trust Live music Gallo Rojo & friends. [email protected] www.international-brigades.org.uk ¡NO PASARÁN! Magazine of the International Brigade Memorial Trust No.53 l 1-2020 p Image of former Hull University student Frida Members of Charlie Hutchison’s extended family attended the event, including daughter Susan (seated left) Knight (née Stewart), who drove an ambulance and son John (seated right). during the Spanish Civil War. It was created by Sarah Murdoch of Hull College of Art and Design for an exhibition inspired by the volunteers who went to Spain. See page 8. Celebrating black British 4 News l Report and photos of the IBMT AGM, plus Joe Solo’s new recording Brigader Charlie Hutchison 12 Volunteers from Scotland ntil recently very little has been known about The students strongly engaged with the poetry l Mike Arnott on Scots in the Spanish Civil War Charlie Hutchison, who is the only black and prose that came from the International Uvolunteer from Britain in the International Brigades’ experience of the Spanish Civil War. To 14 The People’s Army Brigades. In an effort to redress this, on 19 October quote the last lines of one poem by sixth former l Alex Clifford looks at the Ejército Popular the Marx Memorial Library brought together Kacey Leigh Jasper: ‘Nevertheless I stand here / In a students from Newham Sixth Form College and the proclamation of sincerity to the men 16 The ‘Big Three’ discuss fascist Spain extended Hutchison family for an exploration and on the right side of history.’ l Transcript from Potsdam celebration of Charlie’s life. Coinciding with Black Seventeen members of History Month, the event was the culmination of a Charlie’s extended family 18 Letter project undertaken by the students after a visit to the attended the event, l From Havana library in March last year to hear a talk on the including his son, International Brigades. The students were intrigued daughter, niece, 19 Books & the arts to find out about one Brigader in particular – Charlie nephew and l Reviews of ‘The Red Gene’ and ‘Violencia’ Hutchison – and agreed to work with the library to grandchildren. develop a history project around him. Daughter Susan Small 22 Final word presented some of l Jim Jump on mass graves on British soil Research the detailed Both students and their teachers presented information she had ¡No Pasarán! (formerly the IBMT Magazine and the original research, poetry, prose and even artwork found on her father. In IBMT Newsletter) is published three times a year. inspired by Charlie’s life. Teacher Alan Kunna spoke fact, most of the new Back numbers can be downloaded from the IBMT about Hutchison’s father, who was a member of a material that the students website. All content is the © of the IBMT and prominent African family from the Gold Coast had been working from had been credited contributors and cannot be reproduced (present day Ghana), while Carina Ancell described provided by her. without written permission. Views expressed are the circumstances of Charlie’s birth and early Charlie’s son John gave more details about his not necessarily those of the IBMT. family life. parents, including the fact that his father was a The students’ projects drew from Charlie’s anti- lifelong friend of Jack Jones, the International Editor Ajmal Waqif fascist political commitments, his experience of Brigade veteran and trade union leader. He IBMT, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU fighting in Spain, his family background, his revealed that Charlie had remained a committed 020 7253 8748 experience of being black in mid-20th century communist throughout his life, and painted a [email protected] Britain and his Second World War record. Many of portrait of a man who had not only once been a the students brought their own experiences of Brigader but was also a loving father and husband, International Brigade Memorial Trust being from migrant or mixed-heritage backgrounds an active trade unionist, an anti-apartheid activist www.international-brigades.org.uk into their work. and a peace campaigner. ¡NO PASARÁN! 3 EAST END HISTORY TOUR: On the Sunday of the IBMT AGM weekend, members were taken on a Spanish Civil War-themed walking tour of London’s East End led by historian David Rosenberg. The tour covered key anti-fascist historical sites, one of the most significant being the Cable Street Mural in Shadwell where members (pictured above) stopped for a group photo. tt Freddie Shaw (left) and Richard Baxell (right) gave talks about the volunteers from London. The panel was chaired by Meirian Jump (centre), Archivist and Library Manager of the Marx Memorial Library. t Karl Lewkowicz spoke about the development and reception of the musical ‘Goodbye Barcelona’ . 4 ¡NO PASARÁN! NEWS International Brigade Memorial Trust Members gather in London for eventful Annual General Meeting weekend he IBMT’s Annual General Meeting was held over the IBMT’s No Pasarán Raffle. Prizes ranged from three class Brigader, Harold Bernard Collins. Shaw traced the the weekend of 4-6 October in London; the nights in Madrid (or £500), a case of Spanish wines, growth of anti-fascist activity among Jewish Londoners Tvenue was the main hall of the Marx Memorial paintball vouchers to many books and CDs. The raffle and their presence at the Battle of Cable Street and the Library, which also houses its International Brigade results can be found on the ‘News’ section of the IBMT International Brigades, using his own father Jack Shaw archive and two framed British Battalion banners. As website. as a case-study. well as standard AGM business, members who Members also heard a pair of historical lectures Another key moment of the AGM was the attended enjoyed an interesting and varied from Richard Baxell, author of ‘Unlikely Warriors: The screening of David Leach’s documentary ‘Voices from programme of activities. Extraordinary Story of the Britons who Fought in the a Mountain’ (2001). The film is about the rediscovery in Karl Lewkowicz, composer of ‘Goodbye Barcelona’, Spanish Civil War’, and Freddy Shaw, historian of the Sierra de Pàndols of a memorial to XV International presented footage from productions of the musical, London Jewish volunteers. Baxell spoke about a Brigade volunteers killed at the Battle of the Ebro. including performances at London’s Arcola Theatre in surprisingly under-discussed regional grouping of Using detailed interviews with veterans, Leach hones 2011. His talk also featured interviews with the writers, volunteers – Londoners. He pointed out that hundreds in on five Republican volunteers named on the producers and cast. of British Battalion volunteers enlisted from the capital, memorial, exploring their backgrounds, their actions Lewkowicz went on to draw the winning tickets in and traced the journey of one little-known working- during the civil war, and their untimely deaths in battle. Trustee elections bring new faces to the Executive Committee New Trustees Mike Arnott, Jonathan council and is a GMB shop steward. the first time and he will serve for Three other Trustees have also Havard and David McKnight were Jonathan will serve for one year, three years. The Executive stepped down from the executive: elected to the IBMT Executive replacing Mary Greening, who has Committee has appointed him to be Christopher Hall, Charles Jepson and Committee at the AGM on 5 October. retired from the Executive the IBMT’s Wales Secretary. He is a Manuel Moreno. Mike returns to the committee Committee a year early. He lives in full-time official for Unison. A complete and up-to-date list of after a one-year gap and retains his Essex and is a former national Re-elected to the committee the Executive Committee, including position of IBMT Scotland Secretary. secretary of the maritime trade were Megan Dobney and Jim Jump, past and present members dating Elected for a three-year term, he is union Nautilus International.