THE ANARCHIST PIMPERNEL FRANCISCO PONZAN VIDAL (1936-1944) The Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War and the Escape Networks in World War II The Meltzer Press BY ANTONIO TELLEZ SOLA THE ANARCHIST PIMPERNEL—FRANCISCO PONZAN VIDAL (1936-1944) CONTENTS the Council's Information and Propaganda Department -The CNT membership censures the Chapter 1: The Dying Days of the Second Council 18 World War Allied troops land in Normandy and Provence - Chapter 9: Pilar Ponzan's Imprisonment and The Germans murder Francisco Ponzan Vidal, Release along with around 50 hostages, near Toulouse Pilar arrested in Huesca and taken to Jaca - (France) -The outrages by German troops during Prison life and the shootings - Joaquin Maurin, their retreat 1 leader of the POUM - Court martial - Release and crossing into the Republican zone - Chapter 2: The Build-up to Civil War in Spain Prisoner exchanges 21 Ponzan in Galicia -Terrorism in 1936 -The Berlin Olympics and the People's Olympics in Barcelona Chapter 10: The Communist Party's Counter- - Ponzan arrives in Huesca 2 Revolutionary Activity Farming collectives in liberated Aragbn - The Chapter 3: The Army Revolt in Huesca Communist provocation of May 1937 in Barcelona The military conspiracy and revolt in Huesca -The -CNT troops on the front sty out of it - The people hesitate and the rebels triumph - The anarcho-syndicalist committees backpedal - escape of Ponzan and the antifascists - The Formation of the provisional Generalitat repression in the wake of victory - The killing of government and the cease fire - The Ram6n Acfn 4 consequences of May - The drive against the POUM - The drive against the Council of Aragbn Chapter 4: Epila Village, Zaragoza Province and its dissolution - Repression targets anarcho- Repression in the villages of Aragon - Resistance syndicalist militants - Ponzan seeks refuge with in Epila - The childhood and youth of Agustin the 127th Mixed Brigade - The Aragonese Remiro Manero - Military service in Africa - CNT- guerrillas and the 'Libertador' group - Santander FAI militant - Events of 1932 in Epila - General falls 28 Sanjurjo's revolt -The events of October 1934 in Zaragoza province - Falange Espafiola attempts Chapter 11: The War on the Aragbn Fronts to bribe Remiro - Escape from Epila - Arrival in The build-up to the Republican offensive against the Republican Zone and enlistment in the Durruti Zaragoza - The role of Maximo Franco Cavero's column- Remiro's wife arrested - A difficult 127th Brigade - The suicidal operation against sabotage mission in enemy territory 7 Crucetas - Belchite captured - Ponzan and the 'Libertador'group join the SIEP (Intelligence Service) Chapter 5: The Army Revolt in Jaca - The group's make-up - Republican offensive in Pilar Ponzan in Jaca during the army revolt - Upper Aragbn and the counter-attack- SIEP reports Fighting in the city - Victory goes to the rebels, -The positions along the Pyrenean front - Offensive followed by bloody repression - Pilar's journey to south of the Ebro - SIEP reports 37 Huesca- Ponzan executed? 13 Chapter 12: Agustfn Remiro on theTeruel Front Chapter 6: The Military Defeated in More than Build-up to the Republican thrust against Teruel - Half of Spain Remiro's mission behind enemy lines - The Ponzan in Chibluco, San Julian de Banzo and offensive and the counter attack 43 Angiies (Huesca) - The two Spains - Peasant revolution in AngiiSs - Ponzan in positions of Chapter 13: The SIEP and the Francoist responsibility 16 Offensive in Aragbn The SIEP - The Francoist offensive and the loss Chapter 7: The War in Huesca of Belchite -The Republican front collapses -The War in the capital of Huesca Province - SIEP and the Francoist offensive in Upper Aragbn Ponz£n's house bombed - Expectancy and - SIEP reports - Reorganisation of the Army of disappointment 17 Catalonia 46 Chapter 8: Revolution in Liberated Aragbn Chapter 14: Pilar in the Retreat from Aragbn Ponzan at the Extraordinary Plenum of the Unions Pilar in Barcelona -Teaching in a children's home of Arag6n on 6 October 1936 - Motion on the at Tamarite de Litera (Huesca) - Evacuation - Air establishment of the Aragbn Defence Council - raid on L6rida -The children's home in Puigcerda The CNT's first Regional Defence Council - -Teacher in a school in Amer (Gerona) 49 Popular Front participation in the Council - The Communist Party's first intrigues against the Chapter 15: The evacuation of the Valle de Aran Council - Ponzdn in the Under-Secretaryship of Ponzan organises the SIEP in the Ar£n valley - ANTONIOTELLEZ SOLA SIEP agents jailed at Viella (L6rida) - Ponzan freed Chapter 22: In the French Concentration Camps and the local garrison commander arrested - Ponzan in Bourg-Madame - In the camp at Vernet Evacuation of the Aran valley - The trip from -The first deaths -The SERE (Spanish Refugee France to Barcelona - General report from the Evacuation Service) - Aid from the Mexican SIEP 51 government - Juan Catala Balafia refuses to sail 79 Chapter 16: Creation of the 'C Machine- Gunner Battalion Chapter 23: First Contacts Beyond the Camp Francoist troops reach the Mediterranean and Assistance from the antifascists of Varilhes bisect the Republic's territory - Remiro summoned (Ariege) - Jean BSnazet - Varilhes, Ponzan's by the commander of the Army of the East - The headquarters 81 'C Machine-Gunner Battalion 56 Chapter 24: Anti-Franco Activity Inside Spain Chapter 17: Ponzan's Childhood and Youth The resistance to Franco in 1939 - The Albatera Ponzan's holiday in Puigcerda - Pilar recalls her camp (Alicante) - The CNT, the premier brother's childhood - The death of their father - clandestine organisation - Arranging escapes - Religious education and Ponzan's rebelliousness - The General Council of the Libertarian Movement His expulsion from the school of the Salesian Fathers in Paris - Juan Manuel Molina {Juanel) - Mariano - Ponzan resumes his studies - Ponzan the teacher Rodrfguez Vazquez {Marianet) commissions - Teaching in Ipas (Jaca) - The Jaca uprising of Ponzan to rescue comrades from Spain - Eliseo 1930 - Ponzan arrested - CNT militant - Journey Melis Diaz -The case of the Bishop of Barcelona, through jails - Teaching in Castejbn de Monegros Manuel Irurita Almandoz - Melfs's initial contacts (Huesca) - A dangerous individual at University - with the MLE - The first activists quit the Vernet Teaching in Baos-Corzbn (La Corufia) - Ponzan in camp for action inside Spain -The spectre of war the SIEP of the Xth Army Corps 57 in Europe -The performance of the action groups in Spain - The Libertarian Movement's National Chapter 18: The SIEP and the 'C Machine- Council in Valencia - Delegates from Spain and Gunner Battalion France - Action groups rounded up in Barcelona Francoist troops attack in Levante - Ponzan - Summary courts martial and firing squad - overhauls the SIEP in Seu d'Urgell - Republican France and Great Britain declare war on Germany offensive in Catalonia - The 'C Machine-Gunner - Ponzan's confederates in Varilhes - Esteban Battalion split between the 34th and 24th Divisions Pallarols' National Council is arrested - Manuel - Remiro's men's role in the offensive - The Lbpez's anarchist liaison commission and its Noguera Pallaresa river 63 conversion into National Council - Ponzan puts a plan for operations inside Spain to the Council - Chapter 19: Action Behind Enemy Lines The Council washes its hands of the action groups Missions of the 'C Machine-Gunner Battalion - in Spain -Juanel and Ponzan respectively tender End of the Republican offensive - The Francoist their resignations to the Council -The German drive offensive continues in Levante -The Popular Army to the West - Paris occupied - Armistice 82 crosses the Ebro 67 Chapter 25: The Ponzans reunited Chapter 20: The Loss of Catalonia Pilar in Saint-Jean du Bruel (Aveyron) - Arrival in New tasks for the 'C Machine-Gunner Battalion - Varilhes - Life in Ariege 97 Sabotage operations in the area around Sort (L6rida) -The suicidal attack on the V6rtice Espla - Remiro Chapter 26: The Secret Services in France, wounded - Conversion of the 'C Machine-Gunner Intelligence and Counter-Espionage agencies before Battalion into the Army of the East's Headquarters and after the Armistice - The agents - The new Troop Battalion - Ploys designed to break up the secret services 99 Battalion - Remiro undergoes another operation - The 247th Battalion of the 62nd Brigade, 31st Chapter 27: Ponzan and the Intelligence Service Division -The final Francoist push against Catalonia Ponzan's first dealings with the British Secret Services - An attempt to disarm Remiro's men - Barcelona - Remiro's trips into Spain - Remiro's wife arrives in taken - SIEP agents cross into France via Bourg- Varilhes - Manifesto distributed inside Spain calling Madame 70 for neutrality in the war and for the establishment of a Democratic Alliance - Arrests and firing squads - Juan Chapter 21: Exodus Catala arrested - Ponzan's trip to Huesca - Remiro Pilar in Figueras - The exodus and arrival in Le moves his wife and daughter to Andorra 102 Perthus -Travelling towards a'haven'- First weeks in exile - Pilar re-established contact with Ponzan, Chapter 28: Ponzan and the Secret Services an internee in the Vernet d'Ariege camp 76 The French exodus to the south - The British THE ANARCHIST PIMPERNEL— FRANCISCO PONZAN VIDAL (1936-1944) abandon France -The British secret services "cede" Chapter 38: Stumbling Blocks Along the Way the Spaniards to the French - Ponzan's first contacts Disagreements between Ponzan and the French secret with the French