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Bob Clark, Un Brigadista a Garcia

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Bob Clark, Un Brigadista a Garcia BOB CLARK, UN BRIGADISTA A GARCIA Octavi Marches Grup Cultural la Foig [Data de lliurament i acceptació: juny de 2018] RESUM PARAULES CLAU: Aquest article intenta seguir els passos d’un brigadista Guerra Civil, Brigades britànic, Robert (Bob) Clark, membre de les Brigades Inter- Internacionals, batalla nacionals i que va deixar un relat escrit de les seves experièn- de l’Ebre, Garcia, memòria cies a la Guerra Civil espanyola en el llibre autobiogràfic No històrica boots to my feet (“Sense botes per als meus peus”), en què deixa PALABRAS CLAVE: palesa la seva breu, però significativa, estada a Garcia en els mesos previs a l’ofensiva republicana de l’Ebre que donarà Guerra Civil, Brigadas lloc a la famosa batalla del mateix nom el 25 de juliol de Internacionales, batalla 1938. La manca de dades precises fa que, sovint, sigui difícil del Ebro, Garcia, memoria seguir el recorregut del brigadista, que hem d’intuir a partir histórica de les descripcions que en fa a les seves memòries, així com de KEY WORDS: l’anàlisi dels moviments sobre el terreny de la unitat militar Civil War, International a la qual pertanyia, el 57è Batalló Britànic de la XV Brigada Brigades, Battle of the Internacional. El testimoni d’en Bob Clark és el d’un simple Ebro, Garcia, historical soldat ras i el d’un treballador amb formació elemental però memory amb un alt nivell de compromís en una causa, la defensa de l’ideari socialista i del moviment obrer, que el va portar a presentar-se com a voluntari de les Brigades Internacionals en el seu suport al govern de la Segona República durant la Guerra Civil espanyola. ISSN: 2385-4294 Miscel·lània del CERE 28 (2018): 43-55 43 O. Marches RESUMEN Este artículo intenta seguir los pasos de un brigadista británico, Robert (Bob) Clark, miembro de las Brigadas Internacionales, que dejó por escrito sus experiencias en la Guerra Civil española en el libro autobiográfico No boots to my feet (“Sin botas para mis pies”), en el que plasma su breve pero significativa estancia en Garcia en los meses previos a la ofensiva republicana del Ebro que daría lugar a la famosa batalla del mismo nombre el 25 de julio de 1938. La falta de datos precisos hace que, a menudo, sea difícil seguir el recorrido del brigadista, que hay que intuir a partir de las descripciones que hace en sus memorias y del análisis de los movimientos sobre el terreno de la unidad militar a la que pertenecía, el 57º Batallón Británico de la XV Brigada Internacional. El testimonio de Bob Clark es el de un simple soldado raso y el de un trabajador con formación elemental pero con un alto nivel de compromiso con una causa: la defensa del ideario socialista y del movimiento obrero, que lo llevó a presentarse como voluntario a las Brigadas Internacionales en su apoyo al gobierno de la Segunda República durante la Guerra Civil española. ABSTRACT This article is an attempt to follow in the footsteps of a British member of the in- ternational brigades, Robert (Bob) Clark, who left a written account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War in the autobiographical book No Boots to My Feet . In it, he detailed his brief but significant stay in Garcia in the months before the Republican offensive on the Ebro which led to the famous battle of the same name, on 25 July 1938. The lack of precise details means it is often difficult to follow Clark’s trail, which we have to piece together based on the descriptions he makes of it in his memoirs as well as the analysis of movements on the ground of the military unit he belonged to: the 57 th British Battalion of the 15 th International Brigade. Bob Clark’s testimony is that of a simple soldier and worker with basic education but a high level of commitment to a cause – the defence of the ideas of socialism and the workers’ movement. This led him to volunteer for the International Brigades in support of the government of the Second Republic during the Spanish Civil War. INTRODUCCIÓ La greu crisi econòmica del 1929, coneguda com la Gran Depresió, va deixar un pano- rama presidit per uns alts índex d’atur i marcat per una alta conflictivitat politicosocial. A la Gran Bretanya, el National Unemployed Worker’s Movement (Moviment Nacional de Treballadors a l’Atur) fou l’organització més destacada en la lluita pels drets dels aturats durant aquell període i, també, junt amb el petit però molt actiu Partit Comunista Britànic, la principal oposició a la British Union of Fascist (Unió de Feixistes Britànics), fundada per en Sir Oswald Mosley el 1932 i que arribarà a comptar amb uns cinquanta mil membres. Tal i com escriu un altre brigadista, Jason Gurney, en el seu llibre Crusade in Spain (Creuada a Espanya): “Vist des dels temps actuals, es fa difícil imaginar que Anglaterra hagués pogut esdevenir un estat feixista. Però llavors semblava possible.”1 Bob Clark militarà en ambdues formacions i per a ell, igual que per a molts brigadistes, la lluita a Espanya serà una continuació de la que duien a terme al seu propi país. 44 Miscel·lània del CERE 28 (2018) Bob Clark, un brigadista a Garcia El 18 de juliol del 1936, l’alçament de l’exèrcit de l’Àfrica, liderat pel general Fran- cisco Franco, contra el govern de la Segona República fa esclatar una guerra civil que va durar fins l’1 d’abril del 1939. Ben aviat, els rebels (que aviat seran coneguts com els nacionals) reben el suport de l’Alemanya nazi i l’Itàlia feixista, que envien avions amb els quals s’organitzen un pont aeri que permet als revoltats transportar, de manera ràpida, tropes a la Península. L’ajuda s’incrementa substancialment amb la progressiva arribada d’importants contingents d’armes i tropes tant en quantitat com en qualitat. A finals d’agost, 27 països (entre els quals hi figuraven, paradoxalment, Alemanya i Itàlia) formen el Comitè de No-Intervenció pel qual es comprometen a no immiscir-se en la guerra d’Espanya. Aquest pacte perjudicava principalment la República, que veia com els princi- pals règims democràtics li giraven l’esquena. Però no tothom estava d’acord amb aquesta política de neutralitat en aquells països. El sotssecretari d’estat dels EUA entre 1933 i 1943, Summer Welles, manifestava: “De totes les nostres cegues polítiques d’aïllament, la més desastrosa va ser la nostra actitud vers la Guerra Civil espanyola.”2 D’una manera similar es posicionava l’ambaixador d’aquell país a Espanya en aquells temps i partidari d’ajudar al govern de la República, Claude Bowers, en les seves memòries: Em vaig trobar el president Roosevelt assegut a l’escriptori de la seva residència a la Casa Blanca, amb un posat seriós i greu com no li havia vist mai… Abans que jo em pogués asseure em va dir: “Hem comés un error. Vostè tenia raó.”3 A partir del mes de setembre el Komintern, la Internacional Comunista (organització que arreplegava partits comunistes d’arreu del món), organitza les anomenades Briga- des Internacionals per tal d’oferir ajuda i assessorament militar al govern republicà i que compta amb el patrocini de la Unió Soviètica (que també havia signat el pacte de no-intervenció), un dels principals proveïdors d’armes de la República. VOLUNTARIS CAP A ESPANYA Bob Clark va néixer a Liverpool el 3 d’abril del 1909 en la si d’una família de tre- balladors. Com a conseqüència de la gran crisi del 1929, va haver d’afrontar un període molt difícil amb alts índex d’atur i constants canvis de feina enmig d’una època de grans tensions polítiques i socials. Es va unir al Partit Comunista Britànic i al National Unemployed Workers Movement (Moviment Nacional de Treballadors Aturats). Amb l’esclat de la Guerra Civil espanyola decideix presentar-se voluntari a les Brigades Internacionals de manera clandestina, ja que les lleis britàniques prohibien als seus ciutadans allistar-se en exèrcits estrangers. Només començar les seves memòries evoca la visió estereotipada i, sovint, exagerada que es tenia de l’Espanya d’aquell temps al Regne Unit: Espanya!, la terra del mañana, de les corridas de toros […]. La llar de la revolta dels rojos on els anarquistes cremaven esglésies i violaven monges, on un govern format per comu- nistes s’havia proposat construir un estat soviètic. Almenys, era això el que havíem estat llegint el darrer any. Hi anava a comprovar pel meu compte si això tenia alguna relació amb la veritat.4 El seu primer destí és París, on s’uneix a altres voluntaris, amb els quals es dirigeix al sud de França per passar la frontera també de clandestinament i evitant els guàrdies fronterers francesos. Després d’una arriscada travessa pels Pirineus són enviats a Figueres Miscel·lània del CERE 28 (2018) 45 O. Marches Figura 1. A l’esquerra: cartilla militar d’en Bob Clark on hi consta la data del seu ingrés a les Brigades Internacionals. A la dreta: fotogra"a del brigadista ja ancià. i concentrats en el seu famós castell. A tall d’anècdota, va ser en aquesta ciutat on desco- breix el porró, un estri tan familiar per a nosaltres i que el va sorprendre força tal i com es desprèn del relat de les seves vivències: Aquests recipients eren de disseny força científic. Aguantant-lo a una certa distància de la teva boca t’hi llençaves un raig fi de vi. Però jo no vaig ser mai capaç de fer-lo servir adequadament i totes les vegades que ho vaig intentar acabava vessant el vi per tot arreu.
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