IBMT Newsletter www.international-brigades.org.uk Issue 41 / 1-2016 INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE MEMORIAL TRUST Saturda y 12 March 2016 from 11am-5pm at the Manchester Conference Centre, 78 Sackville St, Manchester M1 3BB Professor Paul Preston Fees and booking WOMEN Pasionaria of steel: the life of G £15 including buffet lunch (payment Dolores Ibárruri by 28 February) & G £10 entrance only (payment on Professor Helen Graham the day) THE G Send cheques payable to IBMT SPANI SH Wars of development: to: Charles Jepson, Aysgaard, Margaret Michaelis’s images Beardwood Brow, Blackburn BB2 7AT of 1930s Barcelona (no receipts will be sent); or pay online via PayPal: [www.international- CIVIL WAR Dr Sylv ia Mart in brigades.org.uk/catalog/ Aileen Palmer and the British conferencestalks]; queries: [clarioncc International Brigade Medical Unit: ‘our secretary, @yahoo. co.uk] 01254 51302 Memorial Trust our interpreter, our dogsbody’ Further information 2016 Len Crome Dr Linda Palfreeman G Dolores Long: [doloreslong@ fastmail. fm] 0161 226 2013 Memorial Conference Fernanda Jacobsen: G Hilary Jones: [hilary.m.jones@ www.international-brigades.org.uk Samaritan or spy? btinternet.com] 01625 527 540 NEWS r e e t a M l l a h s r a M : o t o h p r e v o C Issue 41 / 1-2016 Cover story Stained glass window unveiled in Belfast City Hall: pages 11-12 3-6 & 8 News Including report from the IBMT’s Annual General Meeting in Aberdeen 7 Letter from Spain Justin Byrne writes from Madrid GLASGOW GATHERING: Anti-fascist campaigners from Hope not Hate held a commemoration for the International 9-10 Secretarial notes Brigades on 19 September at the Pasionaria memorial overlooking the Clyde in Glasgow. Speakers included IBMT Scotland 10 Obituaries Secretary Mike Arnott, and the event was followed by a get-together with music from Arthur Johnstone, Calum Baird and others. Such was the success of the day that the organisers are hoping to make it an annual event. 12-17 Features GDad’s Army and the Spanish Civil War Planning application stirs strong opinions for and against GFebruary is commemoration month GRemembering Bert Maskey IBMT makes GCatalan cemetery where two volunteers are buried GJimmy Shand and his father case for Oxford GAlbania’s volunteers for liberty GNew name on an Ebro plaque memorial 17-18 Letters Plans for a memorial in Oxford to the 31 volunteers 19-22 Books from Oxfordshire who fought fascism in the Including study of blood transfusion Spanish Civil War are making progress – techniques in Spain despite politically-charged objections by some 22 What’s on local residents. Premiere for Hemingway play Strong feelings for and against the memorial have emerged during the public consultation on The IBMT Newsletter is published three times the planning application submitted by the IBMT a year and is sent free to all members. Back to Labour-controlled Oxford City Council. numbers can be downloaded from the IBMT The application is expected to go before the website on [www.international- brigades.org. council’s planning committee in February. uk /newsletter.htm]. All content is the The memorial has already won support from copyright © of the IBMT and credited city councillors and officials and from local trade DESIGN: The proposed memorial (above) names the contributors and cannot be reproduced unions, political parties and community groups. without permission. Oxfordshire volunteers killed in Spain. The wording on An editorial in the Oxford Times has also the reverse of the stone will say: “International Editor backed the idea, saying it hoped that “the city Brigades: In memory of the 31 men and women of Jim Jump council will ensure that Oxfordshire’s rich and Oxfordshire who defended democracy and fought 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU noble links with the Spanish Civil War will finally fascism in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. Six were 020 7253 8748 be properly celebrated in good time for its killed in action.” The inscription ends with the words [email protected] 80th anniversary”. of poet C Day Lewis: “We came because our open eyes The aim is to raise a granite memorial of could see no other way.” International Brigade Memorial Trust 1.8 metres in height in St Giles, a green space International Brigade cap badge with the same www.international-brigades.org.uk that includes the city’s memorial to the dead of anti-fascist motif of a clenched fist and scorpion Registered charity no. 1094928 the two world wars and abuts the St Giles that was displayed at the 2014 exhibition on churchyard. British art and the Spanish Civil War at the The names of the six Oxfordshire volunteers Pallant House Gallery in Chichester. who died in Spain would be inscribed on the However, the planning consultation process stone, along with the outline of a clenched fist has thrown up some local misgivings about the grasping a scorpion. location, design and even principle of a memorial The memorial has been designed by sculptor to the volunteers who went to Spain. Charlie Carter, who says he was inspired by an Continued overleaf 3 NEWS Oxford memorial From previous page Proposed International For example, Lib Dem councillor Elizabeth Brigade memorial Wade complains that the design of the memorial is “aggressive and triumphalist”. Quentin Campbell says the memorial is “an insult to the vast numbers of young Oxonians who died in the two world wars”. Others have objected on religious grounds, arguing that Catholic clergy were murdered in ST GILES: The world war memorial (right) some parts of Spain where the July 1936 coup and St Giles churchyard (left). against the Spanish Republic failed. Not everyone agrees. Dr Mavis Bayton has written to say: “I support this proposal. The Good site and fitting tribute brave men and women who went to fight in Spain against fascism are largely forgotten. We need a memorial to remind people of their for the Oxfordshire volunteers sacrifice for the democracy we now live in.” Sculptor Charlie Carter welcomed the debate By Colin Carritt our project with unanimous support. But they about what he called a “significant but largely wanted us to be more ambitious in our memo - overlooked” conflict. Oxford has been notably absent from the rial design and they had some reservations “The clenched-fist salute is an entirely appro - IBMT’s list of more than 100 memorials across regarding our chosen location in the city centre. priate image to use in honouring the sacrifice the British Isles to the International Brigaders On the suggestion of the council we sought made by the men and women of Oxfordshire who who defended democracy in Spain against the advice from the Design Council on drawing up a had the courage to stand up against the scourge fascist insurgency of General Franco. This is design brief and specification. We then commis - despite a significant number of volunteers sioned a competition and the successful sculp - “The brave men and women either living, working or studying in the city. tor was Charlie Carter (www.charliecarter.co.uk). So in 2013 a group of Oxford IBMT members His design features a clenched fist gripping a who went to fight in Spain got together to put forward a proposal to the scorpion, symbolising the struggle for freedom against fascism are largely IBMT Executive Committee to redress this omis - and democracy against the tyranny of fascism. sion. We also commissioned three local histori - forgotten. We need a ans to research the biographies of all those Locations memorial to remind people known to have connections with Oxfordshire at In parallel we researched other locations in the time they went to Spain. Thirty-one volun - the city centre and eventually agreed upon a of their sacrifice for the teers were identified, their lives researched and site that was satisfactory to all parties at the democracy we now live in.” the results published in “No Other Way: Oxford - northern end of St Giles between the world shire and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39”. [See war memorial and the attractive St Giles of fascism that is rearing its head once again in ordering details at foot of this page.] churchyard. This small park is owned and our own times,” he said. Several of the volunteers were from the city’s managed by Oxford City Council. Local IBMT members have already raised more world famous university. Others were from the As well as sourcing and procuring the stone, than £14,000, about two-thirds of the estimated burgeoning Morris motor works at Cowley on we have obtained professional advice for the cost of the sculpture and its installation, and the edge of the city. Others were agricultural foundation design and have obtained last year commissioned the publication of an workers from the rural hinterland. Some quotations from civil engineering contractors acclaimed history of Oxfordshire’s links with the were politically active as anti-fascists, others with the required skills for the installation work. Spanish Civil War, titled “No Other Way”. had pacifist leanings or were from religious At the same time we have consulted the backgrounds, and many of these volunteered Oxford Civic Society, the Oxford Preservation Fundraising continues in non-combat roles as medics. Trust, and the Oxfordshire Archaeological and A benefit concert organised by IBMT supporters Historical Society. in Oxford raised £1,581 towards the memorial to Common cause Throughout the planning stages we have the Oxfordshire volunteers. Held on 3 October at All came together in common cause. And been busy raising funds for the project through the West Oxford Community Centre, the concert many others, too numerous to mention here, social events and concerts, book sales and featured performances from salsa band Ran Kan gave time and effort and money.