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Issue 37 / 2-2014www.international-brigades.org.ukIBMTNewsletter

INTERNATIONALBRIGADE MEMORIALTRUST

FloraltributesontheSouthBank

FeliciaBrowneartistandfighter

Remembering

Oxford-basedCubanbigbandRanKanKanwillbeperformingatthebenefitconcertonSaturdayevening.Alsoonthebillarethecastof“¡NoPasarán!”(below,right),whowillsingsongsfromthemusicalabouttheInternationalBrigades.

NoticeoftheInternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust’s2014AnnualGeneralMeetingonSaturday6Septemberfrom3pm-5pmatRuskinCollege,DunstanRoad,OldHeadington,OxfordOX39BZAGMagenda1 Chair’sopeningremarks2 Apologiesforabsence3 MinutesofpreviousAGM4 Mattersarising5 ExecutiveCommitteereports

a) Secretaryb) Treasurerc) Membershipd) Newsletter,websiteand

newmediae) Educationf) Merchandiseg) “Antifascistas”exhibitionh) Irelandi) Scotlandj) Walesk) North-West

6 Electionofofficersand

ExecutiveCommitteemembers7 Anyotherbusiness8 DateandplaceofnextAGM9 Chair’sclosingremarks

�Nominationsforofficers(Chair,SecretaryandTreasurer)andExecutiveCommitteemembers(nomorethan11)mustbereceivedinwritingby23August2014.

�Proposeditemsfor“Anyotherbusiness”mustbereceivedinwritingby31August2014.

�Sendnominationsandagendaitemsto:[[email protected]]orwriteto:IBMTSecretary,6StonellsRoad,LondonSW116HQ.

WeekendprogrammeFriday5September�7:30pm-9:30pm:PublicmeetingonOxfordshireandtheSpanishCivilWarintheLongRoom,TownHall,StAldates,OxfordOX11DX;speakersincludeRichardBaxell,TomBuchanan,ColinCarritt,HughPurcellandLizWoolley.

Saturday6September�12:30pm:UnveilingofmemorialinBonnSquare,Oxford,totheInternationalBrigadevolunteersfromOxfordshire;eventsubjecttoconfirmation;check“Events”onIBMTwebsite:[www.international-brigades.org].�3pm-5pm:IBMTAnnualGeneralMeetingatRuskinCollege(seeaddressabove).�6:30pm-11pm:Benefitconcertfor

theOxfordMemorialAppealFundattheGladiatorClub,263IffleyRoad,OxfordOX41SJ;£10inadvanceor£13onthedoor,freebuffetfrom6:30pm-7:30pmandpaybar,pluspresentationbyartistSoniaBoué;eveningperformersincludetheSeaGreenSingers,JohnChristie,thecastof“¡NoPasarán!”andRanKanKan.Ticketsfrom:JohnHaywood,1QueensRoad,BanburyOX160EB(chequespayabletoIBMT);email[[email protected]]ortel01295257587.

Sunday7September�11am-12:30pm:RadicalwalkingtourofOxfordledbylocalhistorianCiaranWalsh(possiblerepeatintheafternoonsubjecttodemand);maximumgroupsof20;ticketsonsaleatSaturday’sAGMandeveningconcert.

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Issue37/2-2014

InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrustwww.international-brigades.org.uk

Charityno:1094928

14-15CoverstoryFeliciaBrownewillbehonouredinAragon,whereshebecamethefirstBritishvolunteertodieinSpain

3-9News�AshesscatteredatBattleofJaramacommemoration

�Openforvisitors:theIBMTexhibitionatNewhaven

�ExpertsdiscussSpanishCivilWar’scultural impact

�From8November:howBritishartistsrespondedtowarinSpain

10-12FromtheSecretary13AnnualcommemorationWordsandpicturesfromLondon’sJubileeGardenson5July

16-17ObituariesIncludingBritishBattalionveteranPhilipTammer

18-21Letters22PoemHowBrigaderJimmyMoonrememberedthestartoftheSpanishCivilWar

23-26Booksandmultimedia26What’son

The IBMTNewsletter ispublishedtwiceayearandissentfreetoallmembers.BacknumberscanbedownloadedfromtheIBMTwebsiteon

[www.international-brigades.org.uk/newsletter.htm].Allcontentisthecopyright©oftheIBMTandcreditedcontributorsandcannotbereproduced

withoutpermission.

EditorJimJump

6StonellsRoad,LondonSW116HQ02072286504

[email protected]

Agroupofarchaeologistsbeganexcavations inMaytotry to findtheremainsof InternationalBrigaderskilled in fightingaroundLopera,nearCórdoba, in lateDecember1936.Therearebelievedtobehundredsofbodies in

unmarkedgravesnear thetown.TheunsuccessfulattemptbytheSpanish

Republic toretakeLoperawasspearheadedbythemainlyFranco-BelgeXIV InternationalBrigade.This includedanEnglish-speakingunitin theCommunedeParisBattalion.ElevenBritishandIrishmembersof theunit

werekilled inthebattle.They includedtheyoungCambridgepoet JohnCornfordandthe

Halifax-born journalistandMarxist theoreticianRalphFox.There isamemorial toCornfordandFox inLopera itself.Usingcontemporaryeyewitnessaccountsby

localpeopleasaguideforwheretosearch, theinvestigation isbeing ledby localhistoriansandexperts fromGranadaUniversity.It isbackedbyLoperatowncouncil,andis

receivingsomefundingfromtheregionalgov-ernmentofAndalusia.The initialphaseof theexcavationsdidnot

yieldanypositiveresults.Theaim,saytheorganisers,willbeto identify

remainsandgivethemaproperburial.

SearchbeginsforremainsofBrigadersburiednearLopera

UNslamsSpain’s‘officialindifference’

Spainmust stepupefforts toprovide justicefor thevictimsof Franco’sdictatorship, says theUnitedNationsofficial responsible forpromot-ing truth, justiceand reparation.Followinga fact-findingmission toSpain,

PablodeGreiff calledon theSpanishgovern-ment in February to repeal the 1977AmnestyLaw,whichprevents crimes fromtheFrancoerabeing investigated.His report is expected tobepresented in

September inNewYork to theUnitedNationsCommitteeonEnforcedDisappearances.Speaking inMadrid,DeGreiff called for the

annulmentof sentenceshandeddownbyquasi-judicialmilitary tribunals that summarily

condemned tensof thousandsof supportersoftheSpanishRepublic to their deaths.Headded thathewas“concerned” that the

Spanishcourtshadblockedmoves for theextradition fromArgentinaof suspectedFran-coist torturers.Inaddition,hesaid that theeffective “privati-

sation”of exhumations frommassgravesofthevictimsof Francoismhad“facilitated theindifferenceofofficial institutions”.Themapofmassgraves thathadbeencom-

piledby familymembersandhistoricalmem-oryassociationshadso far recorded2,382massgravescontaining the remainsof some45,000victims,henoted.

MausoleumOnthe topicof theVallede losCaídos (Valley

of theFallen), Franco’sgiganticmausoleumnorth-westofMadrid,DeGreiff observed that

2,382massgravesidentifiedbyfamiliesandactivists,humanrightsreportnotes

Continued overleaf

José

LuisPa

ntoja

Excavation work has been financed by the localcouncil and the regional government of Andalusia.

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ABOVE: JackEdwards’s sons,Colin and Peter, scatter their father’s ashes at Jarama. Also pictured are (from left)IBMTTrustee Danny Payne and IBMT IrelandSecretary Manus O’Riordan.

TOP:Walking through the olive groves of the Jarama battlefield. Avideo of the commemoration can be seen at:[www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cI3locSmyA].

‘Immensedistance’betweenstateandvictimsthesite failed todisclosehow ithadbeenbuilt–byRepublicanprisoners –nor that theremainsofRepublicanswhodied in thecivilwarhadbeenburied therewithout theconsentof their families.HavingheldmeetingswithSpain’sForeign

AffairsMinister JoséManuelGarcía-Margallo,judgesandrepresentativesof familyassocia-tions,DeGreiffsaidhehadbeenstruckbythe“immensedistance”betweenthe institutionsof

theSpanishstateandthevictimsofFrancoism.Hehadnotencounteredsuchasituation in

20yearsofworkwith theUnitedNations.Inhis latestbook,“TheSpanishHolocaust”,

historian–andIBMTFoundingChair–PaulPre-stoncalculatesthatat least150,000Republicansupportersweremurderedorexecutedbymili-tary tribunalsduringtheSpanishCivilWarandintheearlyyearsof thesubsequentdictatorship.

Still seeking truth and justice: page 13.

From previous page

FRANCO’STOMB:TheValledelosCaídoswasbuiltbySpanishRepublicanprisoners.

TheashesofLiverpoolInternationalBrigaderJackEdwards(1914-2011)havebeenscatteredbyhisfamilyontheJaramabattlefieldoutsideMadrid,wherehefoughtandwaswoundedinactionwiththeBritishBattalioninFebruary1937.Attendedbyfamilyandfriends,theceremony

washeldon“SuicideHill”,besideamemorialtotheInternationalBrigades.ItwasoneofEdwards’slastwishesforhis

ashestobetakentoJarama.Theeventtookplaceon21Februaryaspartof

anannualweekendofactivitiestocommemoratetheBattleofJarama,thisyearattendedbyarecordofnearly400people.AmongthemwasalargecontingentfromBritainandIreland.Themainpartoftheprogrammewasawalk

acrosskeypositionsofthebattlefieldnearMadrid.Onthefinaldayoftheweekend,whichwas

organisedbytheAABISpanishfriendsoftheInternationalBrigades,therewasatourofMadrid’sUniversityCitytovisitsiteswhereInter-nationalBrigadershadfought.AnothergrouptravelledtoTarancóntopaytributeatthememo-rialtotheScotswhofellatJarama.

GatheringatManchestermemorialFiftypeopleattendedanIBMTgatheringatMan-chesterTownHallonSunday9Februarytocom-memoratetheanniversaryoftheBattleofJarama.Eye-witnessreportsofthebattle,whichsaw

some120membersoftheBritishBattalionlosetheirlives,werereadoutbyyoungpeople.Theeventtookplaceinfrontofthememorialto

themenandwomenfromtheNorthWestwhofoughtintheSpanishCivilWar.DesignedbyInternationalBrigaderSidBooth,

thememorialwasunveiledin1983andisnowthefocusofanannualcommemorationeveryFebruary.TheBoltonWoodStreetClarionChoirsang

songsfromtheSpanishCivilWarandasthechoirsang“JaramaValley”awreathwaslaidbesidethememorial.

FamilyfulfillsJack’swishesforashesatJarama

ApermanentexhibitionabouttheInternationalBrigadesopenedatNewhavenFortinEastSussexon28Mayinaceremonyattendedbyfamilymem-bersofvolunteersfromSussexandelsewhere.ThecentrepieceoftheexhibitionistheBritish

Battalion’soldestsurvivingbanner,whichwasbroughtbackfromSpaininDecember1938.Otherdisplaysincludethe“Antifascistas”exhi-

bitionthattellsthestoryofthevolunteersfromBritainandIreland,plusadditionalpanelsdescrib-ingtheimpactonSussexoftheSpanishCivilWar.MountedbytheIBMT,theexhibitionalsofea-

tureshistoricfilmfootageofthereturn–viaNewhaven–oftheBritishBattalionandofaparadeinBrightoninhonouroflocalvolunteers.AftertheSpanishCivilWar,thebannernowin

NewhavenwascarriedbyInternationalBrigadeveteransatanti-FrancodemonstrationsinBritain.MorerecentlyitwasdisplayedatthefuneralsofInternationalBrigaders,whereitwasproudlydrapedovertheircoffins.

SteepedTheexhibitionwasofficiallyopenedbyBill

Thornycroft,aged88,whosefamily,fromnearbyWorthing,wassteepedinthecauseoftheSpanishRepublic.ElderbrotherChrisservedintheInterna-tionalBrigades,theirmother,Dorothy,chairedtheWorthingBasqueChildren’sCommittee,eldersis-terKatewasitssecretaryandyoungersisterandartistPriscillawasactiveintheArtistsInterna-tionalAssociationandcampaignedvigorouslyfortheSpanishRepublic.Speakingattheopening,IBMTSecretaryJim

Jump,whosefather, JamesRJump,alsofromWor-thing,wasoneof20volunteersfromSussex,saiditwasappropriatethattheexhibitionshouldbeat

NewhavenFort,aSecondWorldWarmuseumandvisitors’centreonthecliffsaboveNewhaven.“TheSpanishCivilWarisregardedbymanyhistoriansasapreludetotheSecondWorldWar,andthevol-unteerswarnedthataworldwarwouldfollowunlessthefascistpowerswerestoppedinSpain.”TheIBMT’sNewhavenFortExhibitionProject

Leader,MikeAnderson,pointedoutthatanotheroftheSussexvolunteers,StanHilton,thelastknownsurvivingBritishveteranoftheSpanishCivilWar,wascoincidentallyfromNewhaven.Aged96,henowlivesinAustralia.“NewhavenwasthegatewaytoSpainformany

hundredsofvolunteerswhotravelledtoSpainfromallpartsoftheBritishIsles,”headded.Anotherof theexhibits is an inscribedSpan-

ishRepublican flagpresented toBritishBattal-ionveteranDavidLomonby theAABISpanishInternationalBrigades friendshipgroup in

2012,onlya fewmonthsbeforehisdeath.TheIBMTalsohopestoputonshowtheoriginal

plaquenaming90membersoftheBritishBattal-ionwhowerekilledattheBattleontheEbroin1938.Unveiledin2005inCatalonia’sSierradePàndols, itwasvandalisedtwoyearslaterbySpanishneo-fascistsandbrokenintothreepieces.Areplicahassincebeenunveiled,buttheoriginalhasbeenshippedtoBritainwiththeaimofitbeingmountedatNewhaven.OpentothepublicfromMarchtoNovember,

NewhavenFort isapopularlocalattraction.It isalsovisitedeachyearbynearly10,000school-childrenstudyingSecondWorldWarthemes.

Anine-minute film byMarshall Mateershowing highlightsof the opening of the exhibition can be seen at: [www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwavty1eB_g].Stills of the eventcan beviewed at [https://www.flickr.com/photos/ibmt].

International Brigade Memorial Trust 5

Clockwisefromtopleft:BillThornycroft(alsoinset)cuttingtheribbontoopentheexhibition,theentrancetotheexhibi-tiondeckedinSpanishRepublicancoloursandthenewlyframedBritishBattalionbanner.

IBMT’sfirstpermanentexhibitionopens

TheBrighton&HoveBusCompanyhasnamedoneof itsbuses(right)afterReggieSaxton,anInternationalBrigadedoctorwhobecameaGPinBrightonafter thewar inSpain.Thecompanynamesall itsbusesafterdistinguishedlocal resi-dents,andanewbusthatenteredserviceonroute5betweenHangeltonandHollingbury inthesummerof2013 isnowdedicatedtotheSpanishCivilWarveteranwhodiedin2004,aged92.Sussex-basedformerIBMTTreasurerMike

Andersonwrotetothebuscompanyin2009sug-gestingnamingabusafterSaxton.Thecitationpostedbythebuscompanycanbeseenhere:[http://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/470rs.htm].

Reggie Saxton atworkduring the 1938Battle of the Ebro.

OriginalBritishBattalionbannerondisplayatNewhavenFort

Photos:M

arshallM

ateer

Reggiegetsonthebus

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HAMBURG: IBMTTrusteePaulineFraser(right)presentsacopyof“Antifascistas:BritishandIrishVolunteersintheSpanishCivilWar”toHildeGutzeit,atrusteeoftheErnstThälmannHausmuseuminHamburg,wherethebookwillnowbekept.ThälmannwastheleaderoftheGermanCommunistPartywhowasjailedbytheNazis in1933andexe-cutedin1944.HegavehisnametotheErnstThälmannBattalionoftheInternationalBrigades.TheoccasionwastheannualcommemorativeweekendinHamburgorganisedbytheIBMT’ssisterorganisationinGermany, theKFSR,whichthisyeartookplaceon31Mayand1June.

LIMERICK:Anartist’simpressionofamemorialthatInternationalBrigadesupportersinLimerickhavebeengrantedpermissiontoerectbytheirlocalauthority.TheLimerickInternationalBrigadesMemorialTrust(LIBMT)planstounveilthememorialtothesixlocalvolunteersovertheweekendof12-14September,whenthecitywillbehostingafestivalofSpanishculture.Thecouncil’sunanimousdecisionwasa“greatachievement”,saysGerMcCloskeyoftheLIBMT,“consideringthatourcouncilisdominatedbytheconservativeFíneGaelparty”.Formoredetailssee[http://info3395.wix.com/libmt].

CUBANVOLUNTEERS:Madrid’s FuencarralCemetery saw the unveiling on 21 December lastyearof a plaque in honour of the Cubans who fought for theSpanish Republicduring the Spanish Civil War.Cuba’s ambassador in Spain, Eugenio MartínezEnríquez, told the gathering beside the new memorialthat 1,412Cuban volunteers had taken part in thewar, the largest contingent of Latin Americans.Theplaque is located in the section of the cemetery con-taining several memorials to the InternationalBrigades, including one dedicated to the English-speaking units of the XV Brigade, of which the BritishBattalion was part.

WATERFORD:TheMunsterCounciloftheCommunistPartyofIrelandhasannouncedthatthelatestbranchofthepartyformedinWaterfordwillbe

namedtheEdwards-O’ConnorBranch.Thisis“inhonourofFrankEdwardsandPeterO’Connor,twoofthe11Water-fordvolunteerswhofoughtwiththeConnollyColumnintheanti-fascistwarinSpain”saystheCPI.

DUBLIN:Amemorialbench(below)withplaquesforInternationalBrigaderMichaelO’Riordan(1917-2006)(above)anddaughter-in-lawAnnette(1953-2013)wasdedicatedinMayatHart’sCorner,Glasnevin,inDublin.

BRUNETE:LocalhistorianErnestoViñastalksabouttheJuly1937BattleofBrunetetosomeofthe100people,includingseveralfromBritain,whoattendedthisyear’sannualtourofkeysitesofthebattlefieldon28June.

Mariano

Góm

ezIsern

Inbrief�AblueplaqueontheformerhomeofInternationalBrigaderandexcoalminerEdwinGreen-ingwasunveiledon26JuneinAberdare.GreeningarrivedinSpaininFebruary1937andreturnedhomewiththeBritishBattalioninDecemberofthefollowingyear.HespentmostoftherestofhisworkinglifeasaschoolteacherinSouthWales.

�IBMTsupportersinDundeemarkedthe75thanniversaryofthereturnofthecity’sInterna-tionalBrigadevolunteerson12December.OrganisedbyIBMTScotlandTrusteeMikeArnott,thegatheringwasheldinDundee’sCitySquare,thevenueforawelcomehomerallyin1938,andwasattendedbyover60people.PresscoveragewasachievedintheDundeeCourierandEveningTelegraphbothbeforeandaftertheevent.

International Brigade Memorial Trust

International Brigade Memorial Trust 7

ByJimJump

TherewasafullhousefortheIBMTpubliclecturedayinManchesteron1March,whichfocusedonthewealthofoutstandingliterature,film,photog-raphyandartgeneratedbytheSpanishCivilWar.Some200peopleheardthefourspeakers,

Carl-HenrikBjerstrom,ProfessorValentineCun-ningham,DrCarmenHerreroandJaneRogoyska,allexpertsintheirfields,explorewaysinwhichthewarhasbeenportrayedinwordsandimages.ChairedbyProfessorMaryVincentofSheffield

University,thisyear’seventwastitled“TakingSides:ArtistsandWritersontheSpanishCivilWar”–areferencetothefamouspamphletpro-ducedbyNancyCunard,WHAudenandStephenSpenderin1937,“AuthorsTakeSidesontheSpanishCivilWar”.ValentineCunningham,ofCorpusChristiCol-

lege,Oxford,describedhowthewarinSpainhad“grippedtheimagination”ofthegenerationthatlivedthroughit.Speakingundertheheading“AestheticisingTragedy”,heexplainedhowwrit-ersandpoets–theoverwhelmingmajorityofthemonthesideoftheSpanishRepublic–usedtheirartandinfluenceinsupportofthecause.ManywriterstriedtodepicttheSpanishCivil

Warasauniquely“new”conflict,saidCunning-ham,onethatencompassedloftyhopesandpoliticalambitions.Buttheycouldnotescapethetragicrealityofdeathandloss,somethingthatwascommontoallwars.Inhistalk“RadicalNation-Buildiing:Republi-

canEducationandtheArts”,Carl-HenrikBjer-strom,ofRoyalHolloway,LondonUniversity,out-linedtheRepublic’seducationalandculturalpoli-ciesandhowtheywereanimportantelementinthemobilisationofsupportforthewareffort.Conscripts,forexample,weretaughtnotonlytoreadandwrite,butalsotowritepoemsandsongsabouttheirexperiencesandthoughts.Inhertalk“CinematicDepictionoftheInterna-

tionalBrigadesinSpanishCinema”,DrCarmenHerrero,PrincipalLectureronSpanishCultureandFilmatManchesterMetropolitanUniversity,showedclipsfromthreefilms:CarlosSaura’s“¡AyCarmela!”,KenLoach’s“LandandFreedom”and

OriolPorta’sdocumentary“AWarinHollywood”(“HollywoodContraFranco”).Allthreeweremadeinthe1990s,buteachapproachedthesub-jectfromadifferentperspective.Theywerealsopartofawideroutputoffilms

dealingwiththeSpanishCivilWar–forexampleGuillermodelToro’s“Pan’sLabyrinth”of2006–thatcontinuedtoinformandunderwritethe

movementfortherecoveryofhistoricalmemoryinSpaininthefaceofofficialsilenceanddenial.Writerandfilm-makerJaneRogoyska,author

of“GerdaTaro:InventingRobertCapa”,tookheraudiencethroughthetragicallyshortbutroman-ticlifeofGerdaTaro,sweetheartoffellowphotog-rapherRobertCapa.ShewaskilledinJuly1937intheBattleofBrunete,butnotbeforetakingmem-orableimagesoftheSpanishCivilWar.Thiswasthesecondyearrunningthatthe

IBMT’sLenCromeMemorialLecturewasheldintheManchesterConferenceCentre.ThelectureisheldannuallyinmemoryofDrLenCrome,aGPfromBlackburnwhowenttoSpaininDecember1936andbecamethechiefmedicalofficeroftheInternationalBrigades.

A10-minutevideobyMarshallMateerabouttheconferencecanbeviewedontheIBMT’sYouTubesite:[www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y25m7B7Hbw].

WhenwritersandpoetstooksidesfortheSpanishRepublic

“Buttheycouldnotescapethetragicrealityofdeathandloss,somethingthatwascommontoallwars.”

Speakers(clockwisefromtopleft):

Carl-HenrikBjerstrom, Jane

Rogoyska,ValentineCunningham,

CarmenHerreroandMaryVincent.

IBMTconferencefocusesonculturalimpactandlegacyofthewarinSpain

The scene inside the ManchesterConference Centre for the 2014 LenCrome Memorial Lecture.

MarshallM

ateer

MarshallM

ateer

Familymembersandsupportersof the Inter-nationalBrigadevolunteers fromEastBelfastcame togetheron1Februaryat theShankillRoadLibrary for theunveilingof abronzeplaque to thesevenShankillmenwhodied inSpain.Theplaquewasunveiledafter a talkgivenbyDrConnalParrofQueen’sUniversityon“Radical Protestants fromthe1930s to theSixties”.Attendedby130people, theeventwaschairedbyShankill Roadcommunityactivist JackieRedpath.ThemenwhowerehonouredwereWilliam

Beattie,BillHenry, James IsaacHillen,WilliamPLaughlin, JosephLowry,Henry (Harry)McGrathandAndrewMolyneaux.Among thosepresentwereFreddieand

TommyMcGrath, twoShankill residentsandnephewsofHarryMcGrath,whowaskilled inthe final actionof theBritishBattalion in theBattleof theEbro.Theraisingofamemorial totheShankillBrig-

aderswastheinitiativeoftheBelfast-basedInter-nationalBrigadeCommemorationCommittee.

TheBelfastTelegraph gaveafullpageinitseditiononthemorningoftheunveiling.See:[www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/belfasts-shankill-hails-its-republican-heroes-29969966.html].

AlicanteplaquerecallsfinalrescuevoyageAmemorial to theevacuationonaBritishshipof some3,000SpanishRepublicans inthe final daysof theSpanishCivilWarwasunveiledon30March–almostexactly75years since theStanbrook set sail fromAlicanteon28March 1939.CaptainedbyWelshmanArchibaldDickson,

theStanbrooktooktherefugeestosafetyinAlgeria. ItwasthelastshiptoleavetheportbeforeItaliantroopsenteredthecity.

Flowerswerethrownintotheharbourtoremembernotjusttherefugeeswhogotaway,butalsothemanythousandsmorewhowerecap-turedandinternedincruelconditionsattheCampodelosAlmendrosconcentrationcamp.Amongthosepresentonthequaysideforthe

ceremonywasSpanish-basedIBMTmemberMalcolmHardy.“Theeventwasverywellattendedandboth

movingandupbeat,astheorganisersareintent

onkeepingthememoryofthestrugglealive.”Butheaddedthatitwasapitythattheinscrip-

tiondoesn’t identifytheStanbrookasaBritishship,notingthat“thefascistsarenamedandshamedasItalians”onthememorial.TragicallyCaptDicksonwouldlosehislife

laterin1939,aswouldallhiscrew,whentheStanbrookwastorpedoedbyaGermanu-boatinNovemberofthatyearintheearlymonthsoftheSecondWorldWar.

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BELFAST UNVEILING:Freddie andTommyMcGrath(top picture)prepare to unveil theplaque.Also picturedareBaronessBlood(left),who asMayBloodwasatradeunionactivist inBelfastbefore joining theGreaterShankillPart-nership andbecomingafoundermemberoftheNorthernIrelandWomen’sCoalition inthe1990s.To herleft is JackieRedpath.Above: the new plaqueandthepublicmeeting

QUAYSIDE:Thenew plaque(left) rememberingthevoyageoftheStanbrookwithRepublican refugees(above)attractedalargecrowd(right) in theportofAlicante.

ShankillRoadpayshomagetoitsvolunteersinSpain

9International BrigadeMemorial Trust

BySimonMartin

WhilstBritishliteratureabouttheSpanishCivilWarhasbeenwidelycelebrated,thestoryofhowartistsrespondedhasremainedlargelyuntold.From8NovemberPallantHouseGalleryinChichesterwillpresent“ConscienceandConflict:BritishArtistsandtheSpanishCivilWar”,thefirstmajorexhibitiontoexaminetheinvolvementofBritishvisualartistsintheSpanishCivilWar.Theexhibitionwillrevealhowagenerationof

Britishartistsinthe1930sweredrawntoengageintheconflict,eitherbygoingtofightinSpaininthecaseofartistssuchasFeliciaBrowneandCliveBranson,providingartisticmanpowerforreliefcampaignsorcreatingindependentworksofartthatmadefiercepoliticalstatements.TheBritishartisticresponsetotheSpanish

CivilWarcrossedboundariesbetweenabstractandrealistartists,unitingdiverseelementsoftheavant-gardeinthefightagainstfascism.Theexhibitionwill featureworksbyleadingmodernartists, includingHenryMoore,EdwardBurra,WyndhamLewis,FE McWilliam,RolandPenrose,SWHayterandJohnArm-strong,alongsideworksbyPabloPicassoandJoanMiróthatinspiredthem,suchasPicasso’siconic“WeepingWoman”.

EightyartworksItwill featuremorethan80artworksina

rangeofmedia,includingpainting,printmak-ing,design,sculpture,photography,filmandtextiles:theIBMThasgenerouslyagreedtolendtheBritishBattalionbannermadebymembersoftheArtistsInternationalAssocia-tion.It isthefirsttimethatmanyoftheseworkshavebeenbroughttogetherandsomehavenotbeenshowninpublicforseveraldecades,Akeythemewillbepoliticalengagementin

Britain,includingthefundraisingandaware-ness-raisingexhibitionsandeventsorganised

bytheanti-fascistArtistsInternationalAssocia-tion,suchas“ArtistsHelpSpain”(1936)andthe“PortraitsforSpain”scheme(1938).Severalartworksdepictingpoliticalprotests

inBritainwillconveythestrengthoffeelinginBritainatthetime,includingInternationalBrigaderCliveBranson’s“DemonstrationinBattersea”(1939)showingworkerswavingflagsandbannersinsupportofSpainand“MayDay”(1938)bytheBloomsburyartistQuentinBell,whosebrotherJulianBellwaskilledinSpainwhilstservingasanambulancedriver.Theexhibitionwill featureoriginalartworks

forthepostersdesignedbyBritishartistsinsupportoftheSpanishReliefCampaign:Felic-ityAshbee,EMcKnightKaufferandFrankBrangwyn.ItalsoconsiderstheroleoftheBritishsurrealistswhopublishedmanifestoscampaigningagainsttheofficialBritishpolicyofnon-intervention,callingfor“ArmsforSpain”andcreatedmacabrepaintingsandsculptures.EvenHenryMooredesignedthecoverofsurrealistmanifesto“WeAskYourAttention”(1937)andalaterprint,“TheSpan-ishPrisoner”(1939).Theexhibitionalsoexploresartistic

responsestotheplightofrefugeesoftheconflict,particularlytheBasquechildren,andtheworkoflaterartistssuchasRBKitajandTerryFrost’sabstractprintsbasedonthepoetryofLorca.Theexhibitionhasbeengenerouslysup-

portedbytheIBMTandtherewillbeapro-grammeoftalks,toursandevents.AfterPallantHouseGalleryitwilltourtotheLaingArtGalleryinNewcastle.

Simon Martin istheArtisticDirectorofthePallantHouseGallery[www.pallant.org.uk]. IfanymembersoftheIBMThaverelevantartworks, photographsorephemeraorwould like tosupportthisexhibition email [[email protected]].

Seepage26forexhibitionvisitinginformation.

ExhibitionshowshowBritishartistsrespondedtotheSpanishCivilWar

Fromleft:HenryMoore’s“SpanishPrisoner”,posterimagebyFrankBrangwynand“SpanishHead”byFEMcWilliam.

OldhammemorialbackonpublicdisplayByTerryBayes

Saturday26Aprilsawagatheringof30pluspeo-pleassembledinOldhamParishChurchofStMarywithStPetertocelebratethere-dedicationofaceramicplaquecommemoratingtheInterna-tionalBrigadersfromOldhamanddistrict.Theeventwastheculminationofacampaign

byIBMTmembersintheNorthWestfortheplaquetobeplacedonpublicdisplay.FollowingrepresentationstoMichaelMeacher,

thelocalLabourMP,andtoLabourandLiberallocalcouncillors,theReverendDerekPalmeragreedtoaccommodatetheplaqueinthechurchuntilafuturesiteismadeavailablebyOldhamMetropolitanBorough.TheservicewasledbytheRevPalmer,who

offeredprayersinEnglishandSpanish.TherewerecontributionsfromtheMayorofOldham,CouncillorJohnHudson,andDoloresLong,ChairoftheIBMT,followingwhichafloraltributewasmadeonbehalfoftheNorthWestDistrictCom-mitteeoftheCommunistPartyofBritain.Prior toandfollowingtheserviceallatten-

deeswere invitedtoperuseanexhibitionofphotographsandinformationscreensdetailingthe livesandactions inSpainbymembersof theInternationalBrigadefromtheNorthWestofEngland.Unveiled in1986, theplaquebyceramics

artist JimRobison lists thenamesof the11 localvolunteers, includingsixwhowerekilled inaction:ClemBeckett,KennethBradbury,HarryHeap,WilliamJackson, JosephLeesandCliffordWolstancroft.TheconcludingaddressbyDoloresLong

quotedthespeechbyDoloresIbárruri(“LaPasionaria”)atthestanding-downparadeinBarcelonainOctober1938,whenshesaidoftheBrigaders:“Youarehistory.Youarelegend”,asentimentfullyendorsedbyeveryoneinatten-danceinOldham.

OldhamMayorJohnHudsonaddressesthosepresentinsidetheChurchofStMarywithStPeter.


FROMTHESECRETARY

www.international-brigades.org.ukfacebook.com/groups/7123291063

twitter.com/IBMT_SCW

Charityno.1094928

SecretaryJimJump

6StonellsRoad,LondonSW116HQ02072286504

[email protected]

PresidentMarleneSidaway

[email protected]

ChairDoloresLong

[email protected]

TreasurerCharlesJepson

[email protected]

IrelandSecretaryManusO’Riordan

[email protected]

MembershipSecretaryMaryGreening

[email protected]

EducationOfficerRichardThorpe

[email protected]

MerchandiseOfficerChrisHall

[email protected]

OtherExecutiveCommitteemembersMikeAnderson,MikeArnott,RichardBaxell,

PaulineFraser,Hilary Jones,DuncanLongstaff,DannyPayne,MickWhelan

FoundingChairProfessorPaulPreston

PatronsRodneyBickerstaffe,ProfessorPeterCrome,HywelFrancisMP,ProfessorHelenGraham,KenLivingstone,LenMcCluskey,ChristyMoore,JackO’Connor,MaxinePeake,

BaronessRoyallofBlaisdon

TheInternationalBrigadeMemorialTrustkeepsalivethememoryandspiritofthemenand

womenwhovolunteeredtodefenddemocracyandfightfascisminSpainfrom1936to1939

ByJimJump

We thought thatwith thedeathofDavidLomon inDecember2012wehad lostour lastBritishBattalionveteran living

inBritain. In fact thatdistinctionnowprobablyrestswithPhilipTammer,whodied in Januarythis year in Londonat theageof98.Sadly the IBMTdidnotknowofPhilip’s exis-

tenceuntil afterhisdeath,whenwewerecon-tactedbyhis family. Philipapparentlydidn’tspeakabouthisexperiences inSpain,whichmightgosomeway towardsexplainingwhytherewasneveranycommunicationbetweenPhilipandus.His family, however, areproudofPhilip’s

record inSpain, anddaughterMaxineGodleyhaswritten tous tosay: “I should like to takethisopportunity to thankyou for yourworkonbehalf of veteransof theSpanishCivilWar.Theydeserveour immense respect.”PhilipTammer’sposthumousemergence

begs thequestion: are thereanymoreBritishand Irishvolunteers–other thanStanHilton,who lives inAustralia – still out there?Giventhecruel exigenciesof ageand time, this ishighlyunlikely, butworthbearing inmind.

Seeobituaryonpage16.

Happy100th,GretaInour last issue (1-14),wepublisheda list ofthe 10knownsurviving InternationalBrigadevolunteersaround theworld, includingourownBritishBattalionveteranStanHiltonofcourse– thoughmissingwasanotherBriton,PhilipTammer (seeabove).

ButnowcomesnewsviatheAABI Interna-tionalBrigadesfriendshipgroupinMadridthatthere isanotherveteranstillalive:SwedishnurseGretaSegerson,whowillbe100thisyear.Tomarkhercentenaryshehasbeennominatedtobeawardeda“medalofhonour”bythecityofGothenburgwhereshe lives.

AlmudenafliestheflagCongratulations toAlmudenaCros,who inJunewaselectedasPresidentof theAABI, theAmigosof the InternationalBrigades,whodosomuch tomaintain thememoryof thevolun-teers inSpain.Withindaysofbeingelected,Almudena (our

mainpictureon thispageshowsheratourcommemoration inLondon in July2013) joinedotherpro-Republicandemonstratorson thestreetsof theSpanishcapital on 19 June.Demandingaconstitutional referendum, they

WediscoveranotherBrigader,buttoolatetogettoknowhim

STILLGOING STRONG:Greta Segerson.

PRESIDENT: AlmudenaCrosbringsgreetingsfromourfriendsinMadridatour2013annualcommemoration.See“Almudenafliestheflag”.

Guy

Smallm

an

wereprotestingagainst theswearing-in thatdayof FelipeVI asKingofSpain following thesuddenabdicationofhis father JuanCarlostwoweeksearlier.Theprotesters found that thepolice tooka

dimviewof theRepublican tricolour flagbeingdisplayed inanyway.This iswhat she reportedon the IBMT’s Facebookpage:

I was challenged today twiceby thepolice forwearingmy International

Brigades t-shirt,whichhas theRepublicanflag.On this dayof the royal proclamation, ourflagwasbanned inMadrid. Somyactionofcivil disobediencewas towear it onmychest,and Iwas threatenedwith a fine even thoughthis flag is legal and theSpanish constitutionbacksmy right towave it. Since thedemon-strationwasbanned inPuertadel Sol, Repub-lican supporters rallied inTirsodeMolina,where I had theopportunity to state that ban-ning this flag is like spittingon thegravesoftheBrigaderswhogave it all defending thesevery colours. Later on, I pulled the flagout infront of abus shelter inPaseodeRecoletoswhen thepolicehad their backs turned. Justso that youknowwhat “democracy” is like inthis country.

RememberingthevolunteersfromNewcastleandOxfordshireOneoftheIBMT’scoretasksistokeepaneyeonthemorethan100memorialstotheInternationalBrigadesspreadaroundtheBritishIsles,andtosupportlocaleffortstoerectnewones.Twosuchinitiativesarecurrentlytakingplaceincitieswheretherehaslongbeentheneedforaproperpermanenttributetothelocal

volunteers:NewcastleandOxford.Bothcam-paignsarereceivingstrongsupportfromtheIBMT’sexecutivecommittee.InNewcastletheplanistoerectaninformation

boardclosetothememorialtreeandplaquethatwereplacedoutsidetheciviccentrein1986bylocalBrigadersFrankGrahamandTommyKerr.Theplaquesimplystatesthatthetreewasplanted“tocommemoratethe50thanniversaryoftheSpanishCivilWar”. Itdoesn’tmentionthefactthatmorethan50volunteersfromtheTyne-sideregionwenttoSpainandoneinfourofthemwaskilled.Withbackingfromlocalcouncillorsandtown

hallofficials,thecampaignisbeingcoordinatedbylocalhistorianandIBMTsupporterDonWat-son,whocanbecontactedhere:[[email protected]].InOxfordthereisnomemorialwhatsoever,

despitethefactthatnearly30volunteersinSpainhadeitherlived,workedorstudiedthere.Sevenofthesewerekilled.Theideaforamemorialcameoriginallyfrom

ChrisDavisoftheOxford&DistrictTradesUnionCouncil.Aswellasstronglocaltradeunionsup-port,theplanisbackedbythecitycouncil,whichwillprovideacitycentresite,aswellasbyanenthusiastictriooflocalIBMTmembers:ColinCarritt,ChrisFarmanandJohnHaywood.Sofartheyhaveraisedover£2,500–agood

start,butnotenough.Planningpermissionallowing,theaimistounveilthememorialatthetimeoftheIBMT’sannualgeneralmeetinginOxfordearlyinSeptember.Contact[[email protected]] ifyouwanttohelp.Sendanydonationsforeitherorbothmemorial


VANDALISEDAGAIN:Sad, and not a little disturbing, to learn that some of the Spanish Republicanmemorials on top of the Ebro battlefield’s Hill 705 have been vandalised (above), no doubt by Spanish neo-fascist “ultras”. The latest attack in February this year is not the first. Our own memorial plaque that namesthe 90 British Battalion members who died in the battle was thankfully undamaged on this occasion. Butthe originally-installed plaque, unveiled in 2005, was smashed and daubed with Falangist (Spanish fascist)graffiti two years ago and had to be replaced.

BREASTPLATE:EllisGeorgioupostedthisphotoofhimselfwithatattooinhonouroftheInternationalBrigadesontheFacebookpageoftheAABISpanishInternationalBrigadesfriendshipgroup[www.facebook.com/brigadas].Ellis,fromLondonbutlivinginBrighton,isthegrandsonofGreekCypriotvolunteerJack(Yiacoumis)Georgiou,whofoughtintheBritishBattalion.Notsurprisinglythephotoprovedverypopu-larandgotmorethan160“likes”.

TheIBMT’sownFacebookpagecontinuestogaininpopularityandhasnowpassedanothermilepost,withmorethan3,5oomembersatthelastcount.Therearenewpostingseveryday–andit’san“opengroup”,soanyonecanjoinin.

Fascinatingimagesandsnippetsofinformationarefrequentlysharedamongmembers,spicedattimesbyhotlydebateddiscussionsontopicscentredontheInternationalBrigadesandSpanishCivilWar.Joinhere:[www.facebook.com/groups/7123291063].

Equally,ourmore recentlylaunchedTwitterfeedisgaining in popularityandnow hasmore than 400followers.Findusat[@IBMT_SCW].Seealso“BesttunesonFacebook”:page24.

PARTIALSTORYTELLING: ItwasgoodtoseethatAlmuñécartowncouncilmarkedthecentenaryofthebirthofLaurieLeewithaseriesofeventson26-27June.Amongthesewastheunveilingofanewplaque(above)onthememorialtotheGloucestershire-bornwriterwhodiedin1997.Almuñécarwasthefishingvil-lageof“Castillo”in“AsIWalkedOutOneMidsummerMorning”,Lee’saccountofhistravelsthroughpre-civilwarSpain,andin“ARoseforWinter”,writtenafterhisvisittoAndalusiainthe1950s.

Itseemsodd,though,that, inthepublicityputoutbyAlmuñécarcouncil (runbytheright-wingPartidoPopular), thesetwojourneystoSpainarefullydescribed,butthereisnomentionoftheoneLeemadein1937whenhebrieflyjoinedtheInternationalBrigades,beforebeingmedicallydischargedforepilepsy.Ahighlyfictionaliseddescriptionofthisepisodeappearsinhis“AMomentofWar”(1991).

Continued overleaf

MarinaMorales

�


FROMTHESECRETARY

appealstotheIBMTSecretaryattheaddressonpage10.Makechequespayableto“IBMT”andindicateonthereverseorinacoveringletterwhethertheyareforeithertheNewcastleorOxfordmemorialappeals.

OrwellprogrammerewritesthepastTheAlmeidaTheatre innorthLondonstagedafinedramatisationbyRobert IckeandDuncanMacmillanofGeorgeOrwell’s“1984” inFebruaryandMarchthisyear.Thenovel is,amongotherthings,apowerfulwarningabout theperilsofmanipulatingthetruthandrewritinghistory. It

wasasurpriseandgreatshamethereforetoreadintheplay’sprogramme,whichdetailedOrwell’s life from1903to1949, thatwhile fight-ing inSpain in1937Orwellwas“shot in thethroatbyaKremlin-sponsoredsniper”.This isnonsenseofcourse.HewasshotbyafascistsniperontheAragonfront,andthe incident isdescribedat length inhisSpanishCivilWarmemoir“HomagetoCatalonia”.Onbehalf of the IBMTIwrote toRobert Icke,

saying: ‘Given the importanceattached toOrwell’s experiences inSpain in shapinghispolitical philosophy, this isnotan insignificantdetail. I’ve readelsewhere thesameclaim thatOrwellwasshot inSpainby thecommunists.This fictionmight conveniently fit thepara-digmsof seeingOrwell aboveall asananti-communist andofblaming theSovietUnion forthedefeatof theSpanishRepublic rather thanpointing the fingeratBritainand theotherWesternpowerswhoabandoneda fellowdemocracyunder fascist attack.But the factsaboutOrwell’s injuryareeasy toestablish.”Ickewroteback toapologise for theerror,

adding: “You’requite right in yourunderliningofourmistake (and its consequent irony inashowabout the importanceof/impossibilityofobjective truth), and I’vepassed it on to thepeoplewhocompiled theprogramme forfutureversions.”

HistoricallyilliteratecomparisonsNewspaper columnsand theblogospherehavebeenawash this yearwith comparisonsbetween thevolunteerswhowent toSpainandthoseyoungBritons joining theconflict on thesideof theanti-government jihadists inSyria.Columnists suchasGeorgeMonbiot (The

Guardian) andAndreasWhittamSmith (TheIndependent) haveattempted todraw theseparallels. In this column I’vewrittenbeforeabout thisphenomenonof commentatorsandpoliticians,usually in supportofonesideorother inadispute in theMiddleEast, invokingtheSpanishCivilWar tobolster their argu-ments.Thecomparisonsarehistorically illiter-ate.But it’s interestingnonetheless that thewar inSpain is still sooftenusedasamoralbenchmarkbywhich tocondemnthe inactionofgovernmentsorpraise theselflessbraveryofthevolunteers.Asoneonline comment toMonbiot’s article

(headlined“Orwellwashailedahero for fight-ing inSpain.Todayhe’dbeguiltyof terrorism”)pithilyobserved:“Notallwarsor causesareequal. Let’s alsoremember thosewho fought for theRepubli-cans inSpainwhere fighting for thedemocraticgovernmentof aEuropeanstateagainst a fas-cist backed insurgency–an insurgencywhosebackershadalready foundedDachauandposeda real andcredible threat, even if theEuropeanelitehadn’t identified it yet, to theentire continent.Assadposes zero risk to theentireUKanddemocraticgovernance itself.”

Whosaid“¡Nopasarán!”?¡Nopasarán! (Theyshallnotpass!)hasbeenafamousslo-ganofanti-fascists.eversince itsusebysupportersof theSpanishRepublicduringtheSpanishCivilWar.Butwhichsideusedit first in thewar?Browsingan

anthologyofphotosof theperiod inaSpanishbookshoprecently, Iwasstruckbyapictureofelectionposters inMadrid inFebruary1936,with“Elmarxismonopasará”(Marxismshallnotpass)prominentonposters (seephotoabove)of theAcciónPopular right-wingcoalitionofpar-ties–whichafewmonths laterwouldsupporttheuprisingbyFrancoandothergeneralsagainst thePopularFrontgovernment thatwontheelection inquestion.Thisgotmewondering:didSpanishRepublicans lift thesloganfromAcciónPopular?Maybeitwas justacoinci-dence.Afterall theexpressionhadobtainedcommoncurrency20yearsearlierduringtheFirstWorldWarwhenit featuredonFrenchprop-agandapostersas“Ilsnepasserontpas”.

SETTINGANEXAMPLE:ThanksgotoIBMTmemberGeorgeWaterhouseforbringingourattentiontothesephotosofMiddlesboroughFCfansinananti-racistprotestoutsidetheChampionshipside’sRiversideStadium.BeforethegameagainstBrighton&HoveAlbionon14Decemberlastyearthese“RedFaction”fanswavedanInternationalBrigadeflag(above)toprotestagainstanincidentinthepreviousweekatanawaygameagainstBirminghamwhenagroupofBorosupportersrippedupacopyoftheKoran.

ONTHEBALL:NewscomesofyetmoreSpanishCivilWar-themedslogansandimagerydeployedbysoccerfans,thistimeattheLeagueofIreland’sPremierDivisionsideBohemianFC.Dublin-basedIBMTmemberLukeO’Riordan–grandsonofIrishBrigaderMichaelO’Riordan–istheclub’swebmasterandhadahandincreatingtheseeye-catchingbanners.The“Bohs”are100percentownedbythemembersoftheDublinclub,whosecoloursareredandblack.

From previous page

“Itwasasurpriseandgreatshametoreadintheplay’sprogramme,whichdetailedGeorgeOrwell’slifefrom1903to1949,thatwhilefightinginSpainin1937Orwellwas‘shotinthethroatbyaKremlin-sponsoredsniper’.”


ANNUALCOMMEMORATIONPh

otos:A

ndrewWiard ASSEMBLED:The scene (left) around the International

Brigade memorial in Jubilee Gardens on London’sSouthBankon 5 July at the IBMT’s annual commemoration.

Among those who laid wreaths in memory of the 2,500volunteers from Britain and Ireland – including 526 whodied in Spain – were representatives of the Catalan gov-ernment,Spanish Republicans who fought in the Span-ish Civil War and later in the British Army, the ASLEF traindrivers’ union, the ConnollyAssociation, Marx MemorialLibrary, the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen andWomen and the Communist Party of Britain.

The event attracted some 300 people.They heardMaddyCarty sing her own compositions “No Pasarán”and “CONDEMn Age” and folkduo Na-Mara’s “The Bite”.Na-mara also played a version of “Jamie Foyers” and ledthe singing of “Jarama Valley” and, at the finale, “TheInternationale”.For a shortvideo by Marshall Mateer showing highlightsof the event, go to the IBMT’s site on YouTube: [www.youtube.com/user/ibmtnews].

EmilioSilva(top)and(fromleft) IBMTPatronsRodneyBickerstaffeandHelenGrahamandMiguelGómezoftheAABISpanishFriendsoftheInternationalBrigades,whoreadtheMarcosAnapoem“LaVida”(Life)torememberthemanythousandsofpoliticalprisonersinFranco’sjailsforwhomthewardidnotendin1939.

Below:Singer-songwriterMaddyCartyand(bottom)PaulMcNamara(left)andRobGarciaofNa-mara.

Wreath-layers(right)JosepSuárez,Headof

DelegationoftheCata-lanGovernmentinLon-donand(below)BattleofCableStreetveteran

MaxLevitas(whosebrotherMauriceservedintheBritishBattalion

inSpain)andMontyGoldman(right)ofHack-

neyCommunistParty.

Thewarthatended75yearsago,butnotforthoseSpaniardsseekingtruthandjusticeTheIBMT’s2014annualcommemoration inLondonfocusedontheunfinishedbusinessoftheSpanishCivilWarthatended75yearsagoinApril 1939.Speakersexplainedthat theSpanishstate

wasstill refusingtoaccount for thetensofthousandsofSpanishRepublicanswhoweremurderedandsummarilyexecutedbytheFrancoregimeanditssupporters.Theirremainslieinmassgravesscattered

aroundthecountry,saidEmilioSilva,oneoftheleadingcampaignersforofficialrecognitionofthecrimescommittedagainstthosewhohadsup-portedSpain’sconstitutionalanddemocraticallyelectedgovernment.“AfterCambodia,Spain is thecountrywith

thegreatestnumberofpeopleunaccountedforinmassgraves,”saidSilva,whois thePresidentandco-founderofSpain’sARMHAssociationfor

theRecoveryofHistoricalMemoryandwhosegrandfather inLeónwasmurderedbyFalangist(Spanishfascist)gunmenin1936andhisbodydumpedinamassgrave.IntroducingSilvatothegatheringinJubileeGar-

dens,ProfessorHelenGrahampraisedtheworkoftheARMH,whichsinceitscreationin2000hadnotonlycarriedoutmanyexhumationsofmassgravesbuthadalsobeeninstrumentalingettingtheUnitedNationstolaunchaninvestigationintoSpain’spolicyofimpunityforthecrimesofFranco.Shesaiditwasextraordinarythatthiswasstillhappening25yearsafterthedictator’sdeath.IBMTSecretaryJimJumpsaidtheofficial indif-

ferenceandhostilityfacedbythefamiliesofthosemurderedbytheFrancoregimeunderlinedtheneedfortheIBMT“tochallengeanyrewritingofhistory,whetherinSpainoranywhereelse,thatdenigratestheopponentsandvictimsoffascism”.

By Pauline Fraser

“YousayIamescapingandevadingthingsbynotpaintingormakingsculpture.Ifthereisnopaintingorsculpturetobemade,Icannot

makeit. Icanonlymakewhatisvalidandurgenttome.Ifpaintingandsculptureweremorevalidandmoreurgenttomethantheearthquakewhichishappeningintherev-olution,orifthesetwowerereconciledsothatthedemandsofonedidn’tconflict(intime,even,andconcen-tration)withthedemandsoftheother, Ishouldpaintandmakesculpture.”ThuswroteFeliciaBrowne,artist,communistand

fighterforabetterworld, inalettertoherfriend,ElizabethWatson.Thesehauntingphrasesechothecommitmentofprogressiveartistsdowntheages,includingByronandSylviaPankhurst.Shewouldbefollowedbymorewritersandartistswhoputthefightforabetterworldabovetheirart.FeliciaBrownewasafirst:thefirstandonlyBritish

womancombatantandthefirstBritishvolunteertobekilledinSpaindefendingdemocracyandfightingfascism.TheIBMTiscommemoratingherthisyear, inthe110th

anniversaryofherbirth,withatouroftheAragonFrontinOctober.ThetourgroupwillvisitTardienta,thesmalltownclosesttothespotwhereshewaskilled,anddonatea


COVERSTORY

FeliciaBrownArtist’sshortlifetoberememberedonspecialIBMTtriptoAragonFront

SKETCHBOOK:Some oftheSpanishsketches(above)byFeliciaBrownethatwere publishedin 1936immediatelyafterherdeathin “DrawingsbyFeliciaBrowne”.Thiscopyofthebook(left)alsofeaturesahand-written poembyStephenSpender. It isheld inthe libraryatMonashUniversityin Melbourne,Australia.

framedcopyofherartworktothemayorandtowncouncilasamemorialtoher.FeliciaBrownewasborntowell-to-doparents inthe

Londonsuburbsin1904.ShetookvariouscoursesattheSladeSchoolofFineArt inLondonbetween1921and1928.ThenshewenttoGermanytostudysculpture.His-torianTomBuchananwrites*thatshewitnessedtheriseofNazisminBerlin,andmayhavetakenpart inanti-fas-ciststreet fighting.ShereturnedtoBritain intheearly1930sandin1933joinedtheCommunistParty.ShetravelledbycartoSpainviaPariswithherfriend,

EdithBone.TheyarrivedinBarcelonajustdaysbeforeFranco’sattemptedcoupof18July1936.ThepeopleroseuptodefendthePopularFrontgovernmentandFeliciaBrownewasimmediatelycaughtupinthoseheadydays.Aftertryingunsuccessfullytoenterthemedicalserv-

ices,shevolunteeredtojointhePSUC(Catalancommu-nist)militia,theKarlMarx,headingforAragontodefendtheRepublic.TheymadetheirheadquartersinthesmallbutstrategicallyimportanttownofTardienta.Itwassitu-atedneartotherailwaylinefromZaragozatoHuesca,whichtookvitalsuppliestotherebelforces.Anaqueductthatcarriedwatersuppliestotheenemyalsopassedthroughthetown.WhentheKarlMarxmilitiaarrivedinTardienta,other

militiacolumnswerealreadybilletedthere.Severalsmall-scaleexchangesoffiretookplaceon14and15August1936betweenforcesoftheColumnadelBarrio,whichincludedDutchmilicianaandmachine-gunnerFannySchoonheyt,andtherebels.FeliciaBrowne’smilitiaattemptedtosabotagetherail-

wayline.Inasurpriseattackbyfascistforcesthatgreatlyoutnumberedthem,anItalianmilicianowaswounded.Feliciawenttohisrescueandbothwerecutdownbymachine-gunfireandkilled,probablyon22August1936.DuringherbrieftimeinSpain,FeliciaBrownesketched

International BrigadeMemorial Trust 15

SMILING:Arare photo ofFeliciaBrowne andunidentifiedchild.Thisone waspublishedposthumouslyinSeptember1949in SpainToday, themagazine ofthe International BrigadeAssociation.

FeliciaBrowne’ssketcheswill fea-ture isthe exhibition “ConscienceandConflict:BritishArtistsandtheSpan-ishCivil War”atthe PallantHouseGalleryinChichesterfrom8Novemberto 15 February2015 andafterwardsattheLaingArtGallery,NewcastleuponTyne, inthespringofnextyear.Seepages9and26formoredetails.

ne:firstBritishcasualtyinSpain

othermembersofthemilitia, localpeopleandthescenesaroundher.Followingherdeath,theseandothersketcheswereexhibitedinLondoninOctober1936.AselectionofthemwerelaterpublishedbyLawrence&Wishart,usingasaprefaceFeliciaBrowne’slettertoEliza-bethWatson.TheyhavefrequentlybeenreproducedtoillustratebooksontheSpanishCivilWar.

Pauline Fraser is an IBMTTrustee. Along with IBMTTreasurerCharlesJepson she is organising the IBMT trip to Aragon this October.Seepage 26 for more details.

* In “The lost art of Felicia Browne” in “The Impact of theSpanishCivil War on Britain” (SussexAcademicPress, Eastbourne, 2007).

16 International BrigadeMemorial Trust

OBITUARIES

PhilipTammerByJimJump

ThelastknownInternationalBrigadevet-eranlivinginBritain,PhilipTammer,diedinLondonon28January2014,aged98.

TheIBMTwasunawareofhisexistenceuntilafterhisdeath,whenfamilymemberscontactedthetrust.PhilipDiamondTammerwasbornon20Octo-

ber1915,theyoungestofsevenbrothersandsis-tersinaJewishfamilylivinginBethnalGreeninLondon’sEastEnd.HewonascholarshiptothelocalgrammarschoolandlatersecuredaplacetostudylawatKing’sCollege,London.LikemanyyoungJewishmenofhisgenera-

tion,hewasalarmedbytheriseof fascisminEuropeandsawanopportunity to fight it inSpain,whereHitlerandMussolinihadsenttroops,armourandwarplanestoassista fas-cist-backedrebellionagainst theelectedgov-ernmentof theSpanishRepublic.AssoonashewasoldenoughtojointheInter-

nationalBrigadesPhilipabandonedhisstudiesandfamilyhomeandtookaferrytoDunkirkon28January1938.MI5agentsweremonitoringyoungmentravellingthroughChannelportsatthetime,andnexttohisnameinalistcompiledbyMI5–nowintheNationalArchives–isscrawled“SuspectedrecruitforSpain”.HearrivedatAlbacete,themainbaseofthe

InternationalBrigades,on7February.HisofficialrecordcardlistshimasamemberoftheYoungCommunistLeagueandtheNUC(NationalUnionofClerks).AfterabriefspellatthenearbyTara-zonadelaManchatrainingcamp,hewassenttothefrontwiththeBritishBattalionon9March1938butwascapturedthreeweekslaterintheRepublicanretreatthoughAragon.BackedbyamassiveconcentrationofItalian

tanksandGermanairpower,FrancohadlaunchedanoffensivefromthewestthroughsouthernAragon.TheBritishBattalion,alongwithotherSpanishRepublicanarmyunits,wasroutedandfleddowntheEbrovalleytowardstheMediterranean.Manywereambushedandkilledorcaptured

asFranco’sforcesracedeastwards.Philipisthoughttohavebeenoneofthe140battalionmemberstakenprisonerearlyon31Marchout-sideCalaceite.Adozenothersdiedintheattack.

HewasheldattheFrancoistconcentrationcampofSanPedrodeCardeña,nearBurgos,untilrepatriationinaprisonerexchangewithItal-iantroopson25October1938.InhereulogydeliveredatPhilipTammer’s

funeralon30Januarythisyear,daughterMaxineGodleysaidofhistimeinSpain:“Hewascap-turedduringthisbrutalandbloodyconflictandtheSpanishdidnottakeprisoners.AsIunder-standhewouldhaveperishedattheirhands,hadnotareporterfromtheDailyExpressarrivedatthesceneofthetransportofthecaptivesandenquiredloudlyifanyonespokeEnglish.WhenDadassented,hewasinformedthathewasthereporter’snewassistant.“Hisexperienceofthisbloodyconflicthada

profoundimpactonhimbuthewouldneverspeakofthisforeverafter,whichInowthinkwasduetoposttraumaticstress.Heneverreturnedtohisuniversityplace.Icannotimaginehowhisfamilyfeltonhisreturn.”DuringtheSecondWorldWarII,Tammer

servedfirst inEgypt,wherehetranslatedletterssenttoGermanprisonersofwar.OneofthemboastedthattheAllieshadbombedonlyadummymunitionsfactory,nottherealone,thelocationofwhichthewriterthenrevealed.HewasafterwardspostedtoKenya,wherehetrainedrecruitsfortheKing’sAfricanRiflesbeforetheyweresenttoBurma.AfterthewarPhilipmarriedDeborahPlatt

(whodiedin1990)andtheysettledinKentoninnorth-westsuburbanLondontoraiseafamily. Inthe1950sTammerjoinedpublisherAndréDeutschasthecompanysecretaryandaccount-ant.Affectionatelyknownas“PrincePhilip”,hewasheldinhighesteembyauthorsandcol-leagues.Inhermemoir,novelistDianaAthillwrotethathewas“thedearest,kindest,mostlong-suffering,mostuprightandmostloyalaccountantanyoneeverhad”.Heretiredin1985.Aswellasbeingoneofthelastlivingmembers

oftheBritishBattalioninSpain,PhilipwasalsothelastoftheTammerbrothersandsisters.UntilnotifiedofTammer’sdeath,theIBMT

believedthatthedistinctionofbeingthelastInternationalBrigadeveteranlaywithDavidLomon,whodiedinDecember2012.

AnonlineappreciationofPhilipTammer’slife,bySuzanneCollierandMaxineGodley,canbefoundhere:[www.bookbrunch.co.uk/pid/article_free/remembering_deutschs_prince_philip).

LEFT:PhilipTammer(far left), withcolleaguesfrompublishersAndréDeutsch, includingDeutschhimself (secondfromright).

RIGHT:WithnovelistDianaAthill.

TonyBennLabourpoliticianandcampaignerTonyBenn,whodiedon14Marchattheageof88,wasa

longstandingadmireroftheInternationalBrigadesandsupporteroftheIBMT.Heispic-tured(left)withInternationalBrigadeveteranWallyTogwell(1914-2000)nexttotheInterna-tionalBrigadememorial inLon-

don’sJubileeGardens,wherehewastheguestspeakeratthecommemorationinJuly1991.

JohnComleyJohnComley,whodiedon24February2014attheageof84, livedinCascasteldesCorbièresontheFrenchsideofthePyrenees.His localknowledgeandcontactsmadehimoneofthekeyfacilitatorsofthe70thanniversarycom-memorativewalkacrossthePyreneesthatwasorganisedbytheIBMTinApril2006. JohnandwifeMaggiehelpedidentifyasuitablerouteandsuppliedflowerstolayatthememorialsalongtheway. Johnalsoattendedother IBMTcommemorativeevents inLondonandinSpain.Heleft instructionsforanydonationsathisfuneral togotheIBMT,and£150wascollected.

BobCrowRMTtransportunionGeneralSecretaryBobCrow,whodiedon11Marchattheageof52,wasproudofthemorethan100railandmaritimeworkerswhojoinedtheInternationalBrigades.Hearrangedforaplaquenamingthemtobeinstalledinthefoyeroftheunion’sheadquar-tersinLondonin2004.Healsospokepassion-atelyatthegalaeveningeventinLondonon7Decemberlastyeartocommemoratethe75thanniversaryofthereturnoftheBritishBattalionfromSpain.

MarinaGinestaMarinaGinestawasthe17-year-oldmilitantsocialistpicturedonaBarcelonarooftopinoneofthemostmemorableimagesoftheSpanishCivilWar(seenextpage).ShediedinParison6


Juan

Guzmán

HelveciaHidalgo,oneoftheleadingfiguresamongthe“Basquechildren”whoset-

tledinBritainaftertheSpanishCivilWar,diedinNottinghamon18April2014.Shewas91.As14-year-oldHelveciaGarcía

Aldasoro,shearrivedinSouthamp-tonfromBilbaoon23May1937withnearly4,000otherrefugeechildrenfromnorthernSpain’sBasqueregion–thenbeingbesiegedandattackedbyFranco’srebelforcesandhisGermanandItalianallies.Withherwerehertwoyoungestsiblings,agedeightandnine.Theirwidowedmother,fromtheminingvillageofLaArboleda,nearBilbao,hadassuredherchil-drenthattherewouldbenobombsorfoodshortagesinEngland.Fromtheinitialholdingcampout-

sideSouthampton,alltheniños(children)weredispersedto“colonies”aroundBritain.HelveciaandherbrotherandsisterweresenttoalargehouseinCarshalton,Surrey.Theretheyweretakenunderthewingofoneofthevolun-

teerhelpers,BarbaraCadbury,oftheCadburychocolatefamily.Mostofthechildrenwhohad

arrivedonLaHabana inSouthamp-tonwereeventuallyrepatriatedtoSpainoncethewarended.ButtheGarcíaAldasorotriofeltunabletoreturntoalifeofpovertymadeworsebythefactthattheirfamilyhadbeenstrongsupportersoftheSpanishRepublic.Sotheirnewguardians,GeorgeandBarbaraCadbury,arrangedforthethreechildrentobeeducatedataQuakerboardingschoolatSaffronWalden,Essex,afterwhichHelveciawenttosecretarialcollegeinBirmingham.FollowinganinterviewwithPablo

deAzcárate,theRepublic’sformerambassadorinLondon,Helvecia

becamethesecretaryattachedtothenewlyformedSpanishInstituteandtheJuanLuisVivesScholarshipTrust,bothofwhichhadbeensetupbytheexiledgovernmentoftheSpanishRepublic.ThisworkplacedHelveciaatthe

heartoftheculturalandeduca-tionalactivitiesoftheexiledSpan-ishcommunityinLondon.TheirsocialcentrewastheHogarEspañolat22InvernessTerrace,Bayswater.HelveciawasoneofitsprominentactivistsanditwasattheHogarthatshemetJoséHidalgo,aSpanishRepublicanfromCataloniawhosettledinLon-donafterservingintheBritishArmyduringtheSecondWorldWar.Theyweremarriedin1946.

Thoughsheeventuallyleftherjobinordertoraiseherfamily,Helveciaremainedactiveinanti-FrancoactivitiesinLondon,andcampaignedaswellfortheLabourParty.Shewasalsotheunofficialnationalconveneroftheremainingfewhundredniños inBritainandorganisedanannualget-togetherinMayeachyear–atraditionthatcontinuestothisday.ShebecametheHonoraryPresi-

dentoftheBasqueChildrenof37Association,whichwascreatedin2002,andwasalsoagreatsup-porteroftheInternationalBrigadesandtheIBMT,regularlyattendingcommemorativeeventsuntilshemovedtoNottinghamin2008tobeclosertoherdaughter.

HelveciaHidalgoin2006and(farright),

picturedonleft insecondrowin

Carshaltonwithotherrefugeechildrenfrom

northernSpain.

January2014attheageof94.Thephotowastakenon21July1936,justthreedaysafterthemil-itaryrebellionagainsttheSpanishRepublichadbeenlaunched.GinestawentintoexilefollowingtheRepublic’sdefeatin1939,first inFrance,thenintheDominicanRepublicandVenezuela.

JohnHovanJohnGHovanofProvidence,RhodeIsland,wasoneofthelasttwoknownveteransoftheUScontingentofInternationalBrigadevolunteers,knownastheAbrahamLincolnBrigade.Hediedon27Marchattheageof97afteralongillness.Heremainedapoliticalandunionactivist inthe

1940sand50sfollowinghisreturnfromSpainandservicewiththeUSarmedforcesinthePacificduringtheSecondWorldWar,andinlateryearswasanadvocateofrightsforseniorcitizens.

GeraldHowsonEminentSpanishCivilWarhistorianGeraldHow-sondiedon7June,aged88.Hisground-break-ingstudy“ArmsforSpain”(1998) revealed inforensicdetailhowtheSpanishRepublicwascheatedbyalmosteveryone it turnedto in itsdesperateattemptstopurchasethevitalmili-taryhardwaredeniedto itbythenon-interven-tionagreement.Lesswellknown, thoughjustasthorough, ishis“Aircraftof theSpanishCivilWar”(1990),nowoutofprint.Hewasamanwithwide interestsandtalents.Hespoke idiomaticSpanish,pickedupduringhis travels throughSpain inthe1950s,wherehemanagedto learnflamencoguitarandwasanartistandphotogra-pherofnote.Thestoryofhis timelivingwiththegaditanosofCádiz isdescribedvividly inhis“TheFlamencosofCádizBay”(1965),anacknowledgedclassic.

JoanRamelsonIBMTmemberandretiredsocialworkerJoanRamelsondiedon15January2014,aged91.ShewasthewidowofCanadianInternationalBrigaderBertRamelson,whosettledinBritainfollowingthewarinSpainandlaterbecametheCommunistParty’snationalindustrialorganiser.BorninLeeds,JoanmovedtoWhitstable,Kent,afterBert’sdeathin1994,followingalifetimeofpoliticalactivism.

PeteSeegerThedeathof folksinger-songwriterandpoliticalandenvironmentalactivistPeteSeegeron27January2014at theageof94wasmournedbymanypeople,not least those introducedtosomeof thesongsof thevolunteers inSpain

thathedidsomuchtoreviveandpreserve.Sixofthem,performedbySeeger,appearedonthefirstvol-umeoftheseminaltwo-volumeLPcol-lection“SongsoftheSpanish

CivilWar”,whichwasreleasedbyFolkwaysRecords intheUSin1961.Amongthemwereclassicssuchas“JaramaValley”,“LongLivetheFifteenBrigade”and“IfYouWantToWriteToMe”.ThereisafullaccountofPeteSeeger’stiestotheInternationalBrigadevolunteersintheMarch2014issueofTheVolunteer(above), journalofALBA,oursisterorganisationintheUS.See:[www.albavolunteer.org/?issue=Issue:%20March%202014].

HelveciaHidalgoByJimJump


LETTERS

Iwanttothankyouagainforyour interestingandinformative IBMTNewsletter.Myhus-bandSamandIare IBMTmembers.Myuncle,

MauriceFriedman,wasamemberof theLincolnBrigadeanddiedon2April 1938atGandesa.LastsummerwewerestayingnearToulouse

andtooktheopportunitytovisit thesiteof theconcentrationcampatLeVernetd’Ariègethatwasmentionedinyournewsletter (issue1-12).Wefirstwenttothevillagetoseethemuseum.Unfortunately itwasWednesdayandtheywereclosed! Inanycaseit isverysmallsowecon-soledourselvesthatmaybewedidn’tmissmuch.Ontheoutsideof themuseumweredirectionstothetrainstationandcemeterysoonwewent.Thecampwasfirstusedforthe internmentof

SpanishRepublicansandInternationalBrigadersandthenduringtheSecondWorldWar itwasusedasaholdingcampforthosedes-tinedfortheNazideathcamps.Themuseumanditsassociatedmonumentsarededicatedtoallof thepeoplewhowereinternedthere.

Thenearbytrainstationisthesameoneusedtotransportprisonerstoandfromthecampandit isstill inusetoday. It isshroudedinenormouspiecesofcloth,whicharecoveredinphotosoftheprisoners(seephoto).Next tothestationisacattlecar identical tothoseinwhichpeopleweredeportedtodeathcampsintheSecondWorldWar(seephoto).Aplaqueinsidethewagonliststhenamesof45Jewishchildren,aged2to17,whoweretransportedfromLeVernettoAuschwitzon1September1942.Seeingthiswasaterribleexperience,maybebecausewereallydidnotexpect tofindthishere.Butwearegrateful tothepeopleofLeVernetandFrancewhokeepthismemoryalive.Wethenwentacrosstheroadandvisitedthe

memorialandcemetery.Thiswasofcoursealsoaverymovingexperience.There isa lotof infor-mationinEnglish, includingadedication(seephoto).There isalsoamemorial tombstonefortheanti-fascist fighters(seephoto).Iwouldrecommendavisit toLeVernetto

anyonewhohastheslightest interest inthepast.Wefeel that it is important tohavethesememoriesout inplainsight forall toseeandnever forget.Colleen DarbyByemail

ShipsforSpain

Asan IBMTmemberandcollectorofoldpho-tographsandpostcards, Iwas interested to

readthearticle in IBMTNewsletter issue1-14about theBritishmerchantships tradingwithRepublicanSpain.Twoor threeyearsago Iacquiredanoldpho-

tographalbumput togetherbyamemberof thecrewofHMSSussex that,during thecivilwar inSpain,waspatrollingoff theSpanishcoast. Inthisalbumthereweremanycivilwar-relatedphotographs, including twothatwereofpartic-ular relevance to thatarticle.

Onewasapictureof theDellwyn,oneof theshipsnamedonFrankCasey’sproposedmemo-rial,showingthatvesselafterhavingbeensunkintheharbouratGandíabyFranco’s forces.Theotherwasapictureof theStangate,which

hadbeenstoppedbytheNationalistarmedlinerMarNegrooutsideSpanishterritorialwatersandwouldhavebeensunkhadnotHMSSussex intervened,allowingtheStangate tocarryon,ostensibly toGibraltar.ThissnapshotshowstheStangategoingmer-

rilyonherway.TheDellwynwas, Ibelieve,captainedbythe

much-laudedblockaderunner“Potato Jones”,famousfor runningfoodstuffs intoBilbao.ChrisThompsonBraintree

Delrespondstogoodcause

Asmanyof your readersknowalready, JohnGeorgeHovan, amemberof theAbraham

LincolnBrigade,diedonThursday27March in

GratefultoallthoseatLeVernetwhohelpkeeptheseterriblememoriesalive PHOTOS:TheDellwyn (left)andStangate duringthe

SpanishCivilWar.

PRESERVED:ScenesfromtheLeVernetconcentrationcampinsouthernFrance,including(clockwisefromtopleft),themainmemo-rial,photosofprison-ersatthetrainsta-tion,thededicationinEnglishandoneofthetrucksusedtotrans-portprisoners.Seemainletterbelow.


TheCD“FromBlantyre toBarcelona”was reviewed in

theNewYear 2012 issueof IBMTNewsletter, but thanks toStephenSmellie, Secretary ofSouth LanarkshireUnison,wenowhave copies for sale tohelpraise funds for theplannedmemorial to themenandwomen fromOxfordshirewhowent todefend theSpanishRepublic.Producedby Lanarkshire

SongwritersGroup, this CD is awonderful tribute tomembersoftheBritishBattalionandotherswho fought against fascism intheSpanishCivilWar.Most of the 13 songsarenew

compositions,with somebeingre-workingsof traditional Span-ish songsand tunes. As Jim Jumpexplained inhis original review:

“Ahighlight of thealbum is‘JaramaValley’using theoriginalwordspennedby InternationalBrigaderAlexMcDade, killedattheBattle ofBrunete in July 1937.PerformedherebyBilly Stewartwith guitar, banjo,mandolinand fiddlebacking, this is thefirst time thatMcDade’s songhasbeenproperly recorded.”

Alsonotable isGordonNeilperforminghis haunting song“TheGhosts of Spain”written forGeorgeDouglaswho, as anoldman in the song, looksout fromtheWishawGolf Clubon the18thhole rememberinghisdead comrades.TheScottish anarchist volun-

teer EthelMcDonald is alsorememberedbyChris Rogers in“FromBellshill toBarcelona”andRobert Armour recounts themur-der of FredericoGarcía Lorca in“FountainofTears”.Inmyopinion theCD is,with-

out doubt, thebest compilationand renditionof songs commem-orating themenandwomenwho fought todefenddemocracyinSpain.It is accompaniedbyabooklet

explaining thebackground to

each songaswell as acknowl-edging theartists involved.Thecover photographdepicts asmall orchestra including thecellist GeorgeGreen (killedonthe last dayof theengagementin thewarof the InternationalBrigades) andhiswifeNanplay-ing theaccordion.Youwill not regret partingwith

£10plus£2p&p (£4p&p for non-UKorders),whenyou receive thisexcellent album.All proceedsgotowards the funds for theOxfordmemorial.John HaywoodOxford InternationalBrigadeMemorial Appeal Committee

Howtoorder: Senda cheque (madepayable to IBMT)with yournameandaddress to: JohnHaywood, 1QueensRoad,BanburyOX160EB.

BuytheCDandhelpraisememorialinOxford

GerardHendrikJoan-BendienBenBendienistryingtofindoutmoreabouthisfather,GerardHen-drik Joan-Bendien.ThoughDutch-born,GeraldlivedinEnglandandwaseducatedatCharterhouse,theSorbonneandthenSandhurst.Hewasborn1916anddiedinNovem-ber1945aged29inaroadaccidentinHollandwhilststill inuniformasaDutchcommando.AfterSandhurst,heisthoughttohavefought intheSpanishCivilWar. Itseemsheaddedthe“Joan”afterthecivilwar.

HeisbelievedtohavebeenanacquaintanceofthepoetCDayLewisandwroteat leastonepoemaboutthewarinSpain,“TothePeo-plesofSpain”.AnyonewithanyinformationaboutGerardBendienshouldcontact [[email protected]].

XIIIInternationalBrigadeMarkDerby,authorof“KiwiCom-pañeros:NewZealandandtheSpanishCivilWar”(2009),haswrit-tenfromWellington,NewZealand,in

searchofinformationinpublishedorunpublishedformandinanylan-guageontheactivitiesoftheXIII(13th)InternationalBrigadeinaboutFebruary-August1937.Ifyoucanhelp,emailMark:[[email protected]].

Contactsinthe1940sand50sFilm-makerArielPintorisresearch-ingafeaturedocumentaryexploringvariousaspectsoflifeinSpainintheaftermathofthecivilwar.Heispar-ticularlyinterestedintheexperi-

encesofmembersorassociatesoftheInternationalBrigadeswhoremainedincontactwithSpanishfamiliesthroughthe1940sand50s,attheheightofFrancoistpurgesandrepression,whetherbyprivatecorre-spondenceorothermeans.EmailArielifyouthinkyoucanhelp:[[email protected]].Here’salinkto“TheShadowRemains”,ashortfilm(withEnglishsubtitles)byPintoraboutFranco’spostwarindoc-trinationoforphanedchildren:[http://vimeo.com/55169850].

aProvidence,Rhode Island,hospital [seeobit-uaryonpage17].“TheLincolns” fought inSpainagainst fas-

cism in the 1930scivilwar there.This leavesDelmerBerg, ofColumbia,California, asnowthe last knownsurvivingmemberof theAbra-hamLincolnBrigade.All LincolnsarehonorarymembersofVeter-

ansForPeace, inwhich I amactive.Del is in verygoodhealthandspeaks regu-

larlywithoneofmy friendsover thephone–soI getupdatedoften.I recently senthim fora latebirthdaypresent

–his98thbirthdaywason20December2013–a folder containingcolourphotocopiesofmyfather’s collectionofpostcard reproductionsofRepublicanposters fromtheSpanishCivilWar.

I added informationonmyvolunteerworkfundraising forVeteransForPeaceandabouttheir humanitarianprojects inVietnam.Iwasnot solicitingDel –my intentionwas

just to informandupdatehim.Hesentaper-sonal cheque for$100 forVietnameseAgentOrangevictims, schools, orphanages,unex-plodedordinanceclearingetc!NadyaWilliamsSanFrancisco

LuiswasconsideredSpanish

Iwaspleased to find thenameofmygoodfriendLuisAlbertoQuesada in the list (issue

1-14)of the last 10Brigadersalive in theworld.Luiswas technicallynotpart of the Interna-

tionalBrigades.All Spanish-Americanvolun-teers served in themilitia columns (anarchistandsocialist) and later in theRepublicanArmy.Effectively theywereconsideredSpaniards.

Very fewArgentinevolunteerswere in the Inter-nationalBrigades.Luiswasborn in 1919 inArgentina in the

provinceofBuenosAires toSpanishparents.Hewas inSpainwhen theSpanishCivilWarbegan.When thewarended,he remained17years

imprisoned indifferent jailsuntil hewas freedandcould return toBuenosAires.He is currently ina carehomeandnot in the

bestofhealth.JuanCarlosCesariniBuenosAires

CANYOUHELP?

LETTERS

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Charityno:1094928

Keepingalivethememoryandspiritofthemenandwomenwhovolunteeredtodefenddemocracyandfightfascismin

Spainfrom1936to1939

Iwassaddenedtoreadthe letter fromTomSibley inthe last issueof the IBMTNewslet-ter (issue1-14).I’vetoldthisstorytono-one,butthereasonI

resignedasTreasureroftheIBMTafewyearsagowasbecauseofanincidentduringatriptoSpainorganisedbytheIBMT.AsIwasreadingapanelinamuseumaboutGeorgeOrwellandotherfor-eignvolunteers,amemberoftheIBMTcameuptomeandsaid:“Youdoknowthatit’saknownfactthatOrwellwasafascist. It’sbeenproventhathewasacard-carryingmemberoftheBritishUnionofFascists.”Itwasasincerelyheldviewfromthisindividual,butabsolutelyastonishing.InasimilarveinwasSibley’scommentthat

“thePOUM’sstrategyandactionswereadven-turistandobjectivelycounter-revolutionary–borderingontreachery”.Other thanahardlineStalinist,nohistorianorsanestudentof theSpanishCivilWarwouldobjectivelysaythat thePOUMwas“counter-revolutionary”.Clearlytheywereanti-Stalinist,but thatdoesnotmeantheywereagainst theSpanishrevolution!POUMvolunteerswereundoubtedlyanti-fas-cistand,althoughtheirnumbersweretiny, theyvolunteeredtofightagainst themassedforcesof reaction inSpain–thoughtragicallysomeof

themmettheirendbeingexecutedbyStalinistsecretpolice.Beingananti-fascist isnevergoodenoughfor

people likeSibleyandthepersonIencounteredonthetrip,whoreligiously(!)believethat ifsomeoneisanti-Stalinist then,ergo, theyarefascist too.That’spureclaptrap,which iswhyIwassodisappointedtoseethis typeof remarkprinted inthe letterspages.Theproblemisthatsomepeopleonlysee

thingsintheirmyopicblackandwhiteterms.Forexample,withoutRussia’smassiveaidtheRepublicwouldundoubtedlyhavecollapsedsooner,butit isalsotruethatahugeamountofordinarySpanishpeasantsandworkersthatfoughttherebelsincountlesstownsandvillagesacrossSpainheldanarchistsympathiesandwantedacompletesocialrevolution.Thecontri-butionsofcommunists,anarchistsandPOUM-

BIGBROTHER:SigninBarcelona’sPlaçaGeorgeOrwell,namedaftertheauthorof“HomagetoCatalonia”,whofoughtwiththePOUMmilitiainSpainandwitnessedthein-fightinginthecityinMay1937.


istas–nottomentionahugerangeofotherpoliti-calgroupsontheleftandcentre–wereallvitaltotheRepublic’sresistance.Sibleytalksabout“dissidentanarchistsand

supportersof thePOUM”whowerebehindtheuprising inBarcelona.Again,utterStalinist tosh.AnybodywithanounceofsenseknowswhathappenedinBarcelona inthoseterribleMayDays,andwhoinitiatedtheviolence. Inhisbook“TheSpanishCivilWar”PaulPrestonsays:“Theimmediatecatalystof theMayDayswastheraidontheCNT-controlledtelephoneexchangeorderedbythePSUC[Catalancommunistparty]”.Hegoesontosaythatpopular resist-ance ledbytheanarchistCNTandPOUMcon-frontedtheforcesof theGeneralitat [Catalangovernment]andthePSUCforseveraldays.Iwishthiswasanacademicdebateabout the

past,butunfortunatelySibley’sone-eyedviewissymptomaticofsomeonthe left today,whoinsteadofunitingagainstcommonenemiesspendmoretimeattackingothersonthe leftthatdonotagreewiththeirspecificviews–whicharetheonlyonesdeemedvalid.I resignedfrommypositiononthecommittee

of the IBMT(butnot the IBMT,ofcourse)duetoone-eyedideologues likeSibley,andit’ssadthatsuchnonsense isstill spoutedtoday.Sonocriticismof the IBMTis intended,onlyof

theviewsheldbysomemembers.Nick MorenoByemail

Worn-outanti-Orwellmantra

TomSibley’s letter (“Behaviourof thePOUMborderedontreachery”)contains little to jus-

tify itsselectionasthe leadletter in the last issueof IBMTNewsletterashemerely repeatsawornoutanti-Orwell,pro-communistmantraregard-ingtheevents inBarcelonaofMay1937.His lettershouldbeseeninthecontextof

long-standingattemptsbycommunists todis-creditOrwell forbeingthefirstpersontoexposethetruenatureof theSovietUnionandMarxist-Leninismfroma“left”perspective.Orwell’s accountofwhathappened in

Barcelonawill, I believe, stand the testof timeas,unlike the“manyobjectiveandprogres-sive”historians thatTomcites,Orwellwasaneye-witness.Anotherpersonwhoprovidedrelevantevi-

dencewasFredCopeman,aBritishBattalioncommander. Inhisautobiography“ReasonInRevolt”CopemanrelateshowWalterTapsellwassentonbehalfof thebattalionto investigateandreportonthePOUM“uprising”.Copemanwrote:“He[Tapsell]wasof theopin-

ionthat theSpanishCommunistPartywerenotunconnectedwiththeuprising,andthat the

POUMwasbeingusedasablind.TherealmanoeuvrewastoembarrasstheGovernment…All this,ofcourse,wasdynamiteandTappy’sreportwasnotpublished.”Tom’s fulsomepraise for theroleplayedby

communistsandtheSovietUnion indevelopingthePopularFront isopentoquestion.In theearly1930s itwascommunistpolicy to

regardsocialdemocracyas“social fascism”. In

Germany,KPDCommunistParty leaderErnstThälmanncoinedthephrase“AfterHitler,ourturn!”,believingthataunitedfrontwiththesocialdemocratsagainst theNaziswasn’tneeded.Incontrast totheorthodoxcommunist line,

TrotskyarguedinMarch1932foraworkers’unitedfrontagainst fascism,rejectingthetheoryofsocial fascism.AlthoughHitlercametopower in January

1933, immediatelybanningtheKPDandarrest-ingThälmann, itwasn’tuntil 1935that thePopu-larFrontbecamecommunistpolicy.Hadsuchapolicybeenadoptedbycommunistsatanearlierstagethere is thepossibility thatEuropeanhis-torymighthavetakenadifferent turn.Incaseanyoneiswondering, I’mnotanadvo-

cateofanyvariationofMarxism-Leninism,regardingTrotskyasa“wannabe”dictatorwholost the internalpowerstrugglewithStalin.MikeAndersonByemail

TheEditorwrites:This isatopic thatarousesmanystrongly-heldviews. Inorder todrawalineunder thecurrentdebate inthe IBMTNewsletter(wedon’thaveenoughspacetocarryon!),TomSibleyhasbeeninvitedtorespond.Takentogether,NickMoreno’sandMikeAnderson’sletters runto960words in length.TomSibley’soriginal letterandtheresponsethat followstotal760words–so, thoughTomhasa lastword,hiscriticshavehadalongersay. Ihopereaderswill consider this formula fair.However,inorder toallowadebatetocontinue, thefull

exchangeof lettershasbeenpostedontheIBMTblog[www.international-brigades.org.uk/blog/blog]andisopenforcomment.

Evidencebearsoutmyanalysis

AsIstatedinmyoriginal letterthereremaindif-ferencesofinterpretationoftheanti-Republi-

cangovernmentuprisingledbyPOUManddissi-dentanarchists.ThisisreflectedinthelettersbyMikeAndersonandNickMoreno,thelattermarredbypersonalisedhostility.Mikestatesthatthereislittlenewinmy“anti-

Orwellmantra”.ButrecentlyithasbecomeevenclearerthatOrwell’saccountisinaccurateandmisleading.Thearticle“Timetostoppayinghom-age toOrwell’s versionofevents” (IBMTNewsletterno.21)showsthatSpanishhistorianÁngelViñas,usingnewlyavailablearchives,con-cludesthat,contratoOrwell,theuprisingwaspre-plannedandwellarmed.Mostaccountsreportthattheanarchists

openedfireonthepoliceatthetelephoneexchange.PaulPrestonwrotethattheordertotaketheexchangeintotheRepublic’scontrolcamefromthepolicecommissioner,notthePSUCasNickalleges.FromViñaswenowknowthatthisordercamefromagovernmentminister,aRepub-licanLeftPartymember,inorderprimarilytobetterco-ordinatethewareffort.AnditwasGeneralitatandRepublicangovernmentsecurityforces,notcommunistmilitias,whodefendedtheRepublicagainsttheultra-leftistinsurgentsinBarcelona.Byearly1937inRepublicanareasthebasisfor

monopolycapitalisminagriculture, industryandfinancehadbeenseriouslyunderminedandtheChurchwasnolongeradominantforce.Workers’andwomen’srightswerebeingextended,althoughtheexigenciesofwarlaterhaltedthisprocess.Itwasthissocialdemocraticrevolution,whichinvolveddevelopingamodernisedliberalstate,thatthePOUMistswereviolentlyopposedto.Inthattheytookuparmsagainstaprogressivegovernmentfacingafascistenemy,theiractionsarerightlydescribedastreacherous.TouseCopeman’s1948writingstomakeuncor-

roboratedaccusationsaboutcommuniststrategyin1937iscrass.BythenCopemanwasinthralltotheCatholicChurchandtheCIA-backedMoralRearmamentMovement.Hehadbecomeadevoutanti-communist.Whatcannotbegainsaidisthatthecommunistswerethebackboneoftheanti-fascistunitycampaign.Orwellwasnohistorian.Hespentonlysix

monthsinSpain,generallyonaninactivefront.AsRaymondCarrhasputit:“Orwell’svisionofSpainwasblurredbyaromanticismthatcouldlapseintopoliticalnaivety.”Tom SibleyByemail

SaddenedthatStalinistnonsenseagainstothersontheleftisstillbeingspouted

“Tom’sfulsome praisefor the role played bycommunists andtheSovietUnion indeveloping thePopularFront isopen to question.”


POEM

JimmyMoon

Itdoesnotseemthirtylongbleedingyearsthisweekend

ThatthebloodyrisingstartedinSpain,Andofmycomradesandcompanionsofthosedays

Veryfewnowremain!Therewasaband,theSamuraioftheWest,SomeoddtwothousandfromtheseBritishIslesWhosprangtoarms,madethePyreneanpassesAndlikeknightsofaneworderWouldwintheirspursinthecauseoffreedom.

Youtoday,whowouldrememberus,thecommonmen,

Haveheardmuchfromintellectuals,Whowouldcallustiltersofwindmills,AndcynicallylaughatDonQuixote.Butitisbettertohavefoughtandlostinagoodcause,

Ifyoucansay,inourlosing,wehavelostatall!

IwellrememberthatweekendthirtyyearsagoFormybrotherandI,youngladsinourteens,Setoffonourbikes,oursteelsteeds,HeadingfortheothersideofLeicester.Fathercalledusearly,Mothergaveusgoodfoodforsaddlebags,InourstrongyouthwespedThroughthesultrycountrysideofJuly.

Wheelshissedontarmac,thesunshonedown,Withhighgearsandonwell-oiledwheelswesped

Outintothecountry,passingthehaymakersAndsweatingoverourbars,Eventuallyreachedourdestination,Andsleptasonlyyoungmencan.Nextday,theSunday,wemustreturn,AndinfickleJulythesunshonebrassyandburning,

Yetthenightbeforethegoldenyellowmoonhungovertheforest.

IrememberwestoppedforteaataroadsidecaféAndIchidedmybrotherforhislackofspeedWhomuchlaterwastosingehiswingslikeIcarusAndfallingtohisdeathblazinginhisbomber

MissingsomewhereoverGermany.AndallthroughthathotSundaywepedalledHardthehundredandtwentymileshomeagain.

Meanwhilewewonderedhowtwoofourcomradesfared

WhoatthisverytimewerecyclingthroughsouthernFrance

DowntoBarcelonatothatromanticwarmerclime,

Fordownthere,inCatalonia,theyhopedTotesttheiryoungmanhoodintheWorkers’Olympiad!

WhatdidweknowofSpaininouryouth?Oranges,pomegranates,thecastanets,Thewildgypsydancing,ofdarkeyedbeauties,Therousingcallofflamencoheardontheradio.WeknewoftheSpanishMainOftalesofloftygalleons,Laidlowbyourpirateancestors.OfrecenttimestherewasalegendOfminerswiththeirdynamiteinAsturiasWhohadmadeadesperatestandtodefendtheirliberties.

Thisisallweknew,Wewhoweretoknowsomuchforsolong.

AndallthetimeourwheelssangAndechoedouryouthfulsong.ThateveninglatewearrivedhomeStrippedtothewaistMyMothersaid:“GoodGodyoudidnotcomethroughLondonlikethat!”

“AllthewayfromLeicester”welaughinglyreplied,

Andaftersupperwepreparedthebed.“Thereisarumour”fathersaid“Thatthere’sarisinginSpanishMorocco,’GainsttheSpanishRepublic,thefascistgeneralsrise.”

SoNatandSaminBarcelona,Whattalesthey’lltellontheirreturn!Theywerenottocomeback,Butstayedtofightinthefirstcenturia.Red,yellowandvioletwastobetheirbannerAndwiththreepointedstarsonberetsAllourfriendsonebyonewouldgotoMadridWherestoodtheInternationalBrigadeTogivetheirbloodtoSpain,

Andnowonlysometwohundredofusremain.

LastweekIheardthatMartinHaddiedofcancerofthelung,AndAlanofleukemiahadlosthisonlyson.OfthosewholaidnotdowntheirlivesAmongsttheolivegrovesorweremaimed,someReturnedtosufferoncemoreinthebloodyworldwar.

Andothersdiedfoolishlyandwithoutcause:Archiedrankhimselftodeath,Jockisatramp,Guywentmad.TheysayGeordie’swifehaslefthim,Orisittheotherway?Paddy’sontheroad,isstillworkingveryhard,Ohmydearcomrades,lifeissometimessad.

WhereisblackSam,Whodrovetherationtruckandhadfrostbite?Oralmond-eyedChang,WhosefatherkeptalaundryAndoncetaughtEnglishinPeking?Thebrown-skinnedTurkfromIstanbul,WhosepseudonymwasSmith?Sobrave,IwellrememberhimandThegolden-voicedCubanwhosangtousatnightTheywerejustafewofuswhowenttoSpain,tofight.

OftheotherbravebattalionsandbrigadesFormedofallthetribesofmenBardsinotherlandsshalloftensingofthem,Thehigh-steppinggirlsandbraveboysofouryouth

You’dhardlyrecognisethemintheirchildren,Thisisthetruth!

Theyouthtodayridemotorbikes,Thegirlsnoskirtsatall.TheirhairislongandflowingTobewithitorontheball.ButunderneaththisrebelshowAgainstallcantandpowerTheymaystillfindinSpain’sfreedomTheirbestandfinesthour.Ohyes,IwellrememberthateveninglongagoAndperhapsofTom,DickandHarryyou’llsayIjustrememberthem–TheyfoughtinSpainThatwemightholdourheadshighertoday.WilltomorrowbringanothercloudlessdayinSpain?

JimmyMoon(left)inReadinginMay1990withfellowInternationalBrigadeveteranReggieSaxton.

CloudlessDayinSpainSunday18thJuly1966

InternationalBrigaderJimmy(JamesNathaniel)MoonrecalledtheoutbreakoftheSpanishCivilWarinthesummerof1936inthispoemwritten30yearsaftertheevent.

BorninFulhamin1916,MoonwaslivingathomeinLondonwhenthewarbegan,thoughbythetimehedecidedtogotoSpainhewaslodginginReading,havingmovedtheretoworkasalaboratorytechnicianattheNationalInstituteforResearchinDairying.HeservedintheBritishBattalionfirstasastretcher-bearer,thenasamachine-gunnerbeforebeingcap-turedatCalaceite,Aragon,on31March1938.Hespentthenext10monthsimprisonedatSanPedrodeCardeña,nearBurgos,andwasrepatriatedearlyinFebruary1939.

Thispoemisbelievedtobepreviouslyunpublishedandhascometolightinpapersheldbylong-standingInternationalBrigadesupporterMartinCantor.ThededicationonMartin’scopysimplysays:“ToMartinCantorfromJimmyMoon,10thFebruary1990.Salud.”


“Mac-Pap:MemoirofaCanadianintheSpanishCivilWar”byRonaldLiversedge(ed.DavidYorke)(NewStarBooks,Vancouver,2013)£12.99

ReviewedbyAlanLloyd

By the timehe arrivedin Spain,

Ron Liversedgehadlivedmoreofalifethanmostpeo-ple.BorninBrad-fordin1899,heenlistedtofightintheFirstWorldWarattheageof16,waswoundedtwiceandreceived

anearlylessoninMarxismfromaGermanpris-oner.By1927hewasmarried,widowedduetotheinfluenzapandemicandwithason.HemigratedtoCanadaforabetterlifeonlytobecaughtupintheDepression,andspentyearsrid-ingboxcarslookingforwork.Hisexperiencesdur-ingthistimearerecordedinhisfirstbook,“Recol-lectionsoftheOntoOttawaTrek”,oneoftheveryfewdetailedrecordsofthatawfulperiodofCana-dianhistory.Likemanyofhisotherworkingclassactivists,

hewasactiveintheReliefCampWorkers’UnionandtheCanadianCommunistParty.TogoandfightinSpainmusthaveseemedanaturalpro-gression,andsohewent,oneoftheoldestvolun-teerstofight, in1937.HisentryintoSpainwasterrifying.Travelling

fromFranceontheCiudaddeBarcelona,hewasbelowdeckswhentheshipwastorpedoedbyanItaliansubmarine;hesurvivedtheattackandwasrescuedbyafishingboat.SobegannearlytwoyearsofactionfromFuentesdeEbrorightthroughtotheendofthewar.Itwasnotuntiltheearly1960sthatRonLiv-

ersedgebegantowritehismemoir.Hewasclearlyblessedwithatremendousmemory;itisfullofdetailsashetakesthereaderthroughhistimeasaMac-Pap,astheCanadianswhoservedintheMackenzie-PapineauBattalionwereknown.Butit isalsotothecreditofeditorDavidYorke

that,ontheoddoccasionwhereitappearsLiv-ersedge’smemoryhaslethimdown,heisnotafraidtochallengetherecollectionandidentifyinsteadwhatisontherecord.Thepottedbiogra-phiesofeachofthenamesrecordedandexten-sivenotesbothalsoaddtothebook.ThedetailandthefeelingwithwhichLiversedge

writesmakesitoneofthebestmemoirsIhaveread.Asittookthebestpartof50yearstofindapublisheritalsoleavesmewondering,notforthefirsttime,howmanymorepricelessmanuscriptsarestillgatheringdustaroundtheworld.

Entanglementsofwar“HotelFlorida:Truth,Love,andDeathintheSpanishCivilWar”byAmandaVaill(Bloomsbury,London,2014)£25(hardback)

ReviewedbyFrankCasey

AmandaVaill’slatestworkisinpartan

accountofthefamousoccupantsofaMadridhotelthroughoutthelastthreeyearsoftheSecondRepublic.Butthestoryisnotrestrictedtothecen-tralzoneorevenwithintheboundariesofSpain.

It rangesovermany fronts, countriesandcon-tinents.Yetthebook’scontentsaresuccinctlydescribedinthetitle:truth, loveanddeathintheSpanishCivilWar.Theprincipalprotagonistsconsistofthreecou-

ples.TheestablishedAmericanauthorErnestHemingwayistherewithhislover,museandliter-aryrivalMarthaGellhorn.HehopesthatinSpainhemightregeneratehis

stalledcareerandevadetheattentionsofhisbetrayedwife.Theyounginnovativeémigréphotojournalists,

RobertCapaandGerdaTaroarestar-crossedloversdisplacedfromtheirhomelandsbytheriseoffascism.InSpaintheyperfectedtheircraftonthebattlefieldsandintheshell-torncities.ThestoicalandresoluteheadoftheMadrid

censor’soffice,ArturoBarea,shareshisworkandbedwithhisAustriandeputyIlsaKulcsar,apoliti-calactivistwhoseestrangedhusbandLeopold,aseniorNKVDofficer,willsoonalsobepostedtoSpain.ArturoandIlsastruggletoprovideanhonest

servicetotheforeigncorrespondentswhocometothemtofilestories.Astheyseektobalancetheneedforaccuratereportingagainstthenecessi-tiesofwartheirsuperiorinValenciahasadiffer-entagenda.Thevariouscomplexandoftenadulterous

entanglementsbetween loversandspousesareexplored,butnot inasalaciousor judge-mentalway.That is justapartof the tale,notthewhole.Asthewarprogressestheinsurgentartillery

andaircraftraindeathontheSpanishcapitalandtheHotelFloridadoesnotescapeunscathed;neverthelessitcontinuestofunction,asymbolof

Continued on page 25

BOOKSBradford,boxcarsandthe‘CiudaddeBarcelona’

“FromtheCaltontoCatalonia”byWillyandJohnMaley(CaltonBooks,Glasgow,2014)£7.99(p&pfreetoIBMTmembers)*

ThisclassicplayaboutScottishInternational

Brigadershasbeenre-issuedbyindependentleft-wingbookshopCaltonBooks,writesChristopherHall.Writtenbythesonsof

ScottishInternationalBrigaderJamesMaley,whowastakenprisoneratJaramawherehewaspartoftheBritishBattalion’smachine-guncompany,theplayisbasedroughlyontheirfather’sexperiences.Itwasoriginallypublishedandper-formedin1990.

Theplaytells thestoryof threeGlaswe-gianInternationalBrigadevolunteersandtheir familiesback inScotland. It iswritten invernacularworking-classGlaswegian,whichtakessomegettingusedto,butgivesaddedauthenticity tothewordsspokenbythevolunteersandfamilymembers.

MotherTheplaystartswiththe

motherofoneof thevolunteerswho,whilework-ingasacinemausherette,seeshersononanewsreel,havingbeencapturedasaprisonerofwar.Idon’twant tosayany-

moreandgivethestoryaway,asthis isaverymov-ingandinspiringplay. It isaworkthatneededtoberestoredtopublicavailabil-ityandhopefully this re-issuewillalso leadto itbeingperformedonceagain.

*Email[[email protected]]orphone07590262987.

ThreeGlaswegiansinSpain

“Thismemoirleavesmewondering,notforthefirsttime,howmanymorepricelessmanuscriptsarestillgatheringdustaroundtheworld.”


BesttunesonFacebookTheIBMT’sFacebookpagegoesfromstrengthtostrength–thereweremorethan3,500mem-bersby Junethisyear–andattractsaconstantstreamofknowledgeableandinterestingpost-ingsontopicsconnectedtothe InternationalBrigades.Here’sonethatwaspostedon26AprilbyBill

DavidsonofEdinburgh…“Myfatherwasaprofessionalmusician inthe1930sWestEndofLondonandplayedwithmanytopbands–Ambroseandthe like.Thebandalwayswore formaleveningdressasyoucanseefromthepic (he’s thetrumpetplayerontheright-handsideof the leader inwhite). In late1936hesteppedoutsideaMayfairclubtohaveacigaretteandwasmetbyamobofpoliceonhorsesattackingan“ArmsforSpain”demo.Thepoliceapologisedtohim(callinghim“Sir” inhiseveningdress)astheywereclubbingawomanwithabannerwhichshethrustathim.Hewasa-politicalanddidn’tknowwhat itwasaboutbutwassoangryhefoundoutandall thebandfromthatweekcontributedaproportionof theirmoneytothe“ArmsforSpain”movement.”

TojointheIBMTFacebookgroup,goto[www.facebook.com/groups/7123291063].

PhotocacheAberdeen-basedIBMTmemberKevinBuyershascreatedafascinatingwebsite,called“InternationalBrigadesinSpain”(seeabove),containingawealthofbiographicalinformationandrarephotos.See[http://kevinbuyers.wix.com/spanishcivilwar].

CostablogThisphoto(bottom,left)oftheInternationalBrigadememorial inBenissa,northofAlicante, isoneofmanyinterestingimagesaccompaniedbycommentarytakenfromthe“CivilWarontheCostaBlanca”blogbyexpatGeoffMartin.See:[http://costablancacivilwar.blogspot.co.uk].

RichMixpickingsThreevideosfromthegalanightattheRichMixinLondonon7December2013arenowviewable

online.GototheIBMTNewspageonYouTube[www.youtube.com/user/IBMTnews]toseea16-minutefilmbyGreggMcDonaldofConsequentialFilmsabouttheeventorganisedbyPhilosophyFootball inassociationwiththeIBMTtomarkthe75thanniversaryofthereturnoftheBritishBat-talionfromSpain.AnothervideofeaturesTheeFaction(pictured

below)beltingouttheirrock’nrollversionof“JaramaValley”:[www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xi3ujwK-vQ].Finally,thecouplingatRichMixofIvorMontagu’s1938film“WelcometotheInter-nationalBrigade”andpartofthechoralrequiem“BalladofHeroes”thatBenjaminBrittencom-posedfortheInternationalBrigadescanbeseenandheardonPhilosophyFootball’sYouTubesite.Thefilmlastsjustoversixminutes.See[www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr4EMeSWLfg].

MULTIMEDIA

BlowingthetrumpetforSpain–ontheIBMT’sFacebookpage.

Newwebsite:see“Photocache”.

TheeFactionperform“JaramaValley”atRichMix.

MemorialtotheInternationalBrigadesontheCostaBlanca.

BANNERMYSTERY:WiththeoldestsurvivingBritishBattalionbannernowondisplayatNewhavenFort,speculationrevivesaboutthefateorwhereaboutsofthefirstBritishBattalionbanner,whichwascapturedintheretreatthroughAragoninthespringof1938.

Thecapturedbannerisbrieflyseen(above)in“DefendersoftheFaith”,apro-Francopropagandadocumentarymadein1938byUSfilm-makerRussellPalmer.Whetherthebannerwaslaterdestroyedorsurvivestodayinaprivatecollectionisunknown.

DesignerbyJamesLucasandwithembroiderybyPhyllisLadyman,bothoftheArtistsInternationalAssociation,thereplacementbannerwasareplicaofthefirst,butwiththeadditionofbattlenames.The“DefendersoftheFaith”excerptwiththeBritishBattalionbannerclipcanbeseenhere:[www.youtube.com/watch?v=74WEibaxVVQ”].

enduranceagainstanimplacablefoe.Itsresi-dentsalsowillbechangedutterly.Allthecharactersinthedramaaredepicted

uncompromisinglybytheauthor.But,despitetheirfoiblesandfrailties, it isthathumanityandgrowingcommitmenttoacausegreaterthanthemselvesthatultimatelyshinesthrough.This thoroughly researchedandextremely

readablebook isa fitting tribute to thosewhosestory it tells. Even their failings lean tovirtue’s side.

Pitchbattles“FearandLoathinginLaLiga”bySidLowe(YellowJersey,London,2013)£18.99(an£8.99paperbackwillbepublishedinAugust2014)

Reviewed byRichard Baxell

NovisitortoBarcelonafootballclub’siconic

stadium,theCampNou,canfailtonoticetheslo-gansplashedinhugelet-tersacrossthebackoftheseats:mèsqueunclub(morethanaclub).Ifoneaimistogoadsup-portersoftheirarch-

rivals,RealMadrid, itcertainlyseemstowork.AsSidLoweexplainsinhishighlyentertainingandexhaustiveaccountoftherivalrybetweenSpain’stwodominantfootballteams,theirritatedMadridfanshaverespondedbyinventingtheirownver-sion.“Barcelona”,theychant, is“másqueunputiclub”(morethanabrothel).Atonelevel,“FearandLoathinginLaLiga”isa

celebrationoftwohighlysuccessfulfootballclubswho,whiletheymayinspiremutualfearandloathing,alsodrawplauditsandadmirationfromaroundtheworld.Theyhavealsoattractedsomeoftheworld’smosttalentedfootballers,manyofwhomcropupinthisbook.ThereisBarcelona’s

powerfulforwardofthe1950s,theHungarianLászlóKubala,whosefatheroptimisticallyboughthimaviolinasachild,onlyfortheyoung-stertouseitasagoalpost.AnotheristheArgen-tinestar,AlfredoDiStéfano(whosomestill feelwasabetterplayerthaneitherPeleorMaradona),whomMadridinfamouslystolefromunderthenosesofBarcelona.ThedetailedaccountofJohanCruyff’stimeatBarcelonaclearlyoutlineshowmuchthecurrentteamofMessi,Xavi, IniestaetalowetoCruyffandtheinspirationalDutch“totalfootball”ofthe1970s.However,“FearandLoathing”ismèsqueun

libreaboutfootball for, inadditiontobeingTheGuardian’sSpanishfootballcorrespondent,SidLoweholdsaPhDinmodernSpanishhistory.HecombineshisareasofexpertiseeffectivelytodemonstratehowthehistoryofthetworivalclubsisinextricablyboundupwithSpanishhistoryitself. Justastherearefiercebattlesoverthepastandhistoricalmemory,somanyoftheseargu-mentshavebecomeexpressedthroughthetriballoyaltiesoffootball;“warminustheshooting”,asOrwellfamouslydescribedit.However, it is,per-haps,nogreatsurprisethatmuchofthestoryoftherivalrybetweenthetwoteamsisaboutper-ception,ratherthanreality.Mostfootball fans,“thetwelfthmanontheterraces”,arenotneutral,dispassionateobserversand–likeeveryoneelse–oftenchoosetobelievewhattheywanttobelieve.Forexample,thebookoutlineshowsupporters

ofrivalteamswithinSpain–andaroundtheworld–oftenscornRealMadridas“Franco’steam”.ForCatalansespecially,Realrepresentstheimageoftraditional,Castilian,centralisedpower,whileBarcelonaisportrayedasabeaconofdemocracy,thesymboloftheseparatistmovementwhichFranco(andbyextension,Madrid)brutallysup-pressed.NowitiscertainlytruethatFranco’sregimewasextremelypartisantowardsReal;theinfamousmatchof1943,whichended11-0toMadrid, isbutoneexampleoftheregime’smed-dling.AndSantiagoBernebeu,thefatherofthemodernclub,wasquiteevidentlypro-Franco,havingvolunteeredtofightfortheNationalists

duringthecivilwar.However,astheauthormakesclear,thingsarenotalwaysassimpleassomewouldliketomakeout;thissimplisticbinarydivisioninevitablymeansthatinconven-ienttruthsareignored.Inmanywaysthisbookisanexerciseinmyth

busting;perhapsaresponsetosomeofthemoretrenchant(ifnotbizarre)opinionstheauthor

musthavecomeacrossinnewspapers’onlinecomments,orviasomeofhis140,000followersonTwitter.So,forexample,hepointsoutthatRafaelSánchezGuerra,thepresidentofRealMadridfrom1935to1936,wasactuallyputontrialbytheFrancoregime,accusedofbeing“aRed”.AndwhileoneofthecurrentdirectorsatBarcelonaisallegedlyamemberoftheright-wingFundaciónFranciscoFranco,theparentsofReal’sformermanager,VicentedelBosque(nowinchargeoftheSpanishnationalteam),wereimprisonedbyFranco’sregime.Toreturntofoot-ball, theauthorarguesthat“[Real]Madriddidnotbecomethebestbecausetheyweretheregime’steam;theyweretheregime’steambecausetheybecamethebest.”Andit’snotasthough


Continued overleaf

BOOKSDETAILEDTRAVELGUIDE:DavidMathiesonwritesfromMadridtosaythathisguide(left)totheSpanishCivilWarbattlefieldsitesaroundMadridisbeingpublishedthisautumnbytravelguidespecialistsSignalBooks.

“FrontlineMadrid:BattlefieldToursoftheSpanishCivilWar”willprovidesuggestedroutes,maps,photosandexplanationsaboutsome20locationsinandaroundMadrid.TheseincludesitesaroundtheUniversityCityandParquedelOeste,aswellaskeypositionsintheSierradeGuadarrama,ElEscorialandtheJaramaandBrunetebattlefields.

Pricedat£9.99,the208-pageguide(see[www.signalbooks.co.uk/2014/04/frontline-madrid])hasaspecialfocusontheInternationalBrigades,saysDavid,whocarriedouthisresearchforthebookoveryearsofdoingguidedtoursastheorganiserofspanishsites.org.

From page 23

“ThepresidentofRealMadridfrom1935to1936,wasactuallyputontrialbytheFrancoregime…whileoneofthecurrentdirectorsatBarcelonaisallegedlyamemberoftheright-wingFundaciónFranciscoFranco.”

HERE’SVOLUME TWO:ThesecondvolumeofthepocketguidetoInternationalBrigadesitesinMadridhasbeenpublishedbytheAABISpanishInternationalBrigadesfriendshipgroup.

NowtranslatedintoEnglish,the80-pagepocket-sizedguidelistsbuildingsandsitesinthecapital’sUniversityCityandtheCasadeCampoparkinthewestofthecity.

ThesewerethemainbattlegroundsinthedefenceofMadridinNovemberandDecember1936,inwhichtheInternationalBrigadesplayedavitalrole.TheBritishBattalionhadyettobeformed,buttherewereEnglish-speakingunitsinthemainlyFrenchandGermanbattalionsthattookpart.

ThefirstvolumeofthisseriesisalsoavailableinEnglishaswellasSpanish.

Theguidesarepricedat€5andcanbeorderedfromtheAABI’swebsite:[www.brigadasinternacionales.org].

26 International BrigadeMemorial Trust

WHAT’SONFrom previous page

8AugustBELFAST:“InternationalBrigadersintheirownwords”poetry readingsandtalksorganisedbytheBelfast-basedInternationalBrigadeCommemorationCommittee;12pmto2.30pmatShankill Library,298-300ShankillRd,BT132BN;more informationfromErnestWalker [[email protected]].5-7SeptemberOXFORD:WeekendofactivitiescentredonIBMT’sannualgeneralmeeting(at3pmon6SeptemberatRuskinCollege,Dun-stanRd,OldHeadington,OX39BZ);moredetailsandprogrammeofeventsoninsidefrontcover;contact[[email protected]]formoreinformation.12-14SeptemberLIMERICK:Debate,music,poetryetctorememberlocalvolunteers, includ-ingpoetJohnLiddy,historianRichardBaxellandIBMTIrelandSecretaryManusO’Riordan;organ-isedbyLimerickInternationalBrigadesMemo-rialTrust:[https://www.facebook.com/libmt].16-22OctoberARAGON:Six-dayIBMTtourof

theAragonFront;b&bandtransportwithinSpain:£245sharingor£325single;moredetailsonpages14-15;emailPaulineFraserat[[email protected]]foranylast-minuteavailabilitythroughcancellations.17-19OctoberBERLIN:AnnualcommemorativeweekendorganisedbyKFSRInternationalBrigadefriendshipgroupinGermany;includestalks,film,guidedtourandsongs;programmedetailsandregistrationfromAndréeMergen[[email protected]].8November-15February2015CHICHESTER:“ConscienceandConflict:BritishArtistsandtheSpanishCivilWar”exhibitionatPallantHouseGallery,9NorthPallant,PO191TJ;TuestoSun10am-5pm(Thursuntil8pmandSunfrom11am);Seepage9previewand[http://pallant.org.uk].

NB:EventsnotorganisedbytheIBMTaretheresponsibilityoftheindividualsandorganisa-tionsconcerned.

BOOKSBarcelonafanshaveamonopolyonfeelingaggrieved:Madrid’sdefeatinthe1960Europeancupfinalstill rankles,amidstrumoursofbribesanddodgyEnglishreferees.Thebook’sskilful interweavingoffootball,his-

toryandpoliticsmakesforanenjoyableandinterestingread.PerhapsmembersoftheIBMTwhoarenotfollowersofthebeautifulgamemaywonderwhytwobooksrelatingtofootballhavebeenreviewedinrecentnewsletters.However, ifLiverpoolFCmanagerBillShankly’sinfamousquotethat“somepeoplebelievefootball isamatteroflifeanddeath…Icanassureyouit ismuch,muchmoreimportantthanthat”doesnotconvince,thenperhapsananecdotefromthebookconcerningthesupremelytalentedDanishfootballer,BrianLaudrup,maydoso.In1994,LaudrupledBarcelonatoanastonishing5-0vic-toryoverRealMadrid;thefollowingyear,heplayedinanotherelclásico,butthistimearound,theDaneledReal, intheirturn,toa5-0victory.AccordingtoLaudrup,whenheeventuallydecidedtoleave laLiga,arelievedKingJuanCar-losconfessedtohim,“That’sgood…nowIcangobacktobeingtheonlyKingofSpain.”

RichardBaxellisahistorianandIBMTTrustee.Thepaperbackversionofhislatestbook,“UnlikelyWarriors:TheBritishintheSpanishCivilWar”waspublishedinAprilthisyearbyAurumPressofLondon,pricedat£12.99.

North-EastradicalsLong-standingIBMTsup-porterDonWatsonhaswrit-tenahistoryofthepre-warunemployedworkers’move-mentofhisnativeNorth-East.Ashisbookpointsout,manyoftheseactivistsamongtheswollenranksofthejoblessofthe1920sand

30salsofoughtinSpain,amongthemFrankGra-hamofSunderland,BobElliotofBlyth,whowaskilledatBrunete,andWilf JoblingofBlaydonandHarryReynoldsofNewcastle,bothkilledatJarama.Aswellasbattlingthelocalboardsthatadministeredrelieffordestitutefamilies,from1922themovementorganised“hungermarches”toLondon,culminatingintheJarrowMarchof1935.

“NoJusticeWithoutaStruggle:TheNationalUnemployedWorkers’MovementintheNorthEastofEngland1920-1940”(MerlinPress,Brecon,2014)£15.95.

LettershomeAcollectionofletters–inSpan-ishonly–fromvolunteersintheBritishBattalionhasbeenputtogetherbythreeSpanish-basedacademics,NachoBlanes,AdriánSánchezCastilloandPaulQuinn.“LascartasdelBatallónBritánico:LasBrigadasInternacionalesenlaguerracivilespañola”ispublishedbyLaCatarata(Madrid,2014)€16.

BySoniaBoué

In thesummerof1939QuakerandSpanishMedicalAidCommitteevolunteerAlecWain-manrescuedmyfather, JoséGarcíaLora,andabout14otherSpanishrefugeesfromBar-carès internmentcampinFranceandwel-comedmanyof themtohishomeattheOldPrebendalHouseinShipton-under-Wych-wood,Oxfordshire.“WithoutYouIWouldNotExist” isbased

onthetruepremisethat IwouldnotexistwithoutAlecWainman.Myfathermaynothavesurvivedthecampand,withoutAlec,maynothavefoundrefugeandexile inEng-land,andthuswouldnothavemetmymother.Mydebtofgratitudetohimisofsuchmagnitudeastobeimmeasurableandyet I feelcompelledtoaction.Withintherealmofthe imaginationwhereboundariesof timeandworldlymeasurecanbesus-pendedIcanaspiretocreateaformoftrib-ute,whichIhopewillbefithisextraordinaryaltruism.ThusIwillshowmygratitudethroughaformofart tributewhichseekstospeaktoAlecacrosstime,usingasuit toembodyAlecandasuitcasecontainingmes-sagesforhim.

Alocationfor thetributewillbeannouncedshortly,a filmofwhich is tobeshownon6Septemberaspartof theIBMT’sweekendofactivities inOxford,wherethetrustwillbeholdingitsAnnualGeneralMeeting. Iwillalsobeinvitingpublicparticipation intheformofresponsestoAlec’scontributiontotheRepublicancauseandhisphilanthropiceffortsonbehalfof theexilestobeincludedinthetribute.Theprocesswillalsobeuploadeddirectly tosocialmediaplatforms.IwillpubliciseAlec’seffortsonbehalfof

theSpanishexilestoanewaudience,usingmyresearchaboutthisperiodto informpeo-pleof theexactnatureanddepthofAlec’scontributiontotheshatteredlivesofagroupofSpaniards,whootherwisemighthavefaceddeathandwhothemselveswentontotouchandcontributetothelivesofsomanyothers.Ripplesofkindnessandpositiveeffectcontinuetothisdayandaregatheredandfurtherdisseminatedbytheproject.

SoniaBoué[www.soniaboue.co.uk]isanartistworkingwithobjectsandperformance.Herpresentationon6Sep-temberwilltakeplaceat6.30pmattheIBMT’sbenefitconcertattheGladiatorClub,Oxford.Seenoticeoninsidefrontcoverforinformationaboutthevenueandevent.

‘WithoutYouIWouldNotExist’:adaughter’stribute

AlecWainmanwithrefugeechildrenfromSpain’sBasqueCountryatShipton-under-Wych-wood.WainmanlaterrescuedthefatherofartistSoniaBoué,andshewillcreateatributetohimthatwillbepre-sentedinOxfordfollow-ingtheIBMT’sAnnualGeneralMeeting.

CDsingleExclusively for the IBMT, Billy Braggperforms “JaramaValley” andMaxinePeakedelivers La Pasionaria’semotional farewell speech to theInternational Brigadeswith a dubbacking fromTheUrbanRoots.£5 plus£1.99p&p

AntifascistasBritish and IrishVolunteers intheSpanish CivilWarThe story of the volunteers inwordsandpictures, byRichardBaxell,Angela Jackson and Jim Jump(paperback).£10 plus£2.99p&p

Poems fromSpainCollection of poemswritten byBritishand Irish International Brigaders.Edited by Jim Jump (paperback).£10 plus£2.99p&p

LookingBackat theSpanishCivilWarIBMT’s LenCromeMemorial Lectures2002-2010by expert historians on theSpanishCivilWar, includingHelenGraham, Paul Preston, Francisco JRomeroSalvadó, RichardBaxell,EnriqueMoradiellos, Angela Jackson,Ángel Viñas and JuliánCasanova.Edited by Jim Jump (paperback).£10 plus£3.99p&p

¡Salud!BritishVolunteers in the RepublicanMedicalService during theSpanishCivilWar, by Linda Palfreeman(paperback).£12 plus£3.99p&p

IBMT badgeSolidmetal badgewith InternationalBrigademedal in centre andInternational BrigadeMemorial Trustaround the edge.£3 plus£2.99p&p

WristbandStretchy rubberwristband inSpanishRepublican colours and embossedwith “IBMT” and “antifascistas”.£2.50 plus£2.99p&p

75th anniversaryplateA limited edition of 75 plates(individually numbered)made in theUK from finest bone china. Eachplate(26cmdiameter) has a copyof themedal given to International Brigademembers alongwith a list ofmajorbattles.£30plus£4.99p&p

ConnollyColumn t-shirtBlackcotton t-shirtwith design(pictured) inSpanish Republicancolours across chest commemoratingthe volunteers from Ireland. AvailableinS,M, L, XL.£10 plus£3.99p&p

BritishBattalion t-shirtIn red or grey andmade for the IBMTbyt-shirt specialists Philosophy Footballfromethically sourced cotton. BritishBattalion banner on front and“International BrigadeMemorialTrust” on sleeve.Available in:S (36inch chest/90cms)M (40inch/100cms)L (44inch chest/110cms)XL (48inch/120cms)XXL (52inch/130cms)Fittedwomen’s (34-36inch/70-90cms).£15 plus£3.99p&p

TomMannCenturia t-shirtMade for the IBMTby t-shirtspecialists Philosophy Football fromethically sourced cotton.TomMannCenturia banner on front.“International BrigadeMemorialTrust” on sleeve. Available inS,M, L,XL, XXLand fittedwomen’s size (seeabove for size details).£13 plus£3.99p&p

Jarama75th anniversaryposterA3poster specially designed for theIBMTbySimonHawkesworth of FoldDesign tomark the 75th anniversary oftheBritishBattalion’s first andmostbloodybattle.With first two verses of“JaramaValley”.£2 plus£2.99p&p

IBMTgreetings cardMeasuring approximately 15cmx10cm, the IBMTgreetings cardfeatures a drawing byRafael Albertidedicated to the InternationalBrigades in 1996. Blank inside.£5 for packof 6 (including envelopes)plus £1.99p&p

IBMTOrwell posterA3poster ofGeorgeOrwell designedbySimonHawkesworth of FoldDesignfor IBMT’s 2013 LenCromeMemorialLecture.£2 plus£2.99p&p

Sendorders,includingyournameandaddress,asizeandcolourwhereappropriate,andachequepayabletotheIBMTto:IBMTMerchandise,286BrantinghamRoad,ManchesterM210QU.

FormultipleordersintheUKuptoavalueof£30(excludingp&p)calculatetotalp&pbytakingthehighestp&pamongitemsordered,halvingthep&poftheremainingitemsandaddingthemtogether.Thereisnop&ponordersforgoodsworthmorethan£30.

ForordersoutsidetheUKortopaybycreditcardorPayPal,gotoourwebsite:[www.international-brigades.org.uk/merchandise.php]wheretherearealsootheritemslistedforsale.

IBMTmerchandiseProceedshelpfundthecommemorative,educationalandpublicityworkofthetrust

TheIBMTexhibitionatNewhavenFort�DisplaysincludetheBritishBattalionbannerbroughtbackfromSpainin1938

�NewhavenFort,FortRoad,Newhaven,EastSussex,BN99DS�Seewww.newhavenfort.org.ukforvisitinginformation

InternationalBrigadeMemorialTrust

www.international-brigades.org.uk

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ateer

international brigade memorialtrust · 2018-08-28 · be hosting a fe st iv a lofsp nh cur e.t ’...

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