By Jim Jump The promise made by the Spanish Republic more than 70 years ago was fulfilled on 9 June when surviving British and Irish International Brigaders were awarded Spanish citizenship. In an emotionally-charged ceremony at the Spanish embassy in London, the veterans were presented with their Spanish passports by ambassador Carles Casajuana. There were tears among many onlookers as IBMT Chair Sam Lesser, speaking in fluent Spanish on behalf of the other Brigaders, declared: “Hemos tardado un poco, pero creo que hoy podemos decir que hemos llegado a casa.” (“We’re a little late, but today I believe we can say that we have come home.”) Ambassador Casajuana made it clear that the honour being bestowed on the veterans was a token of appreciation for all the 2,500 volunteers from the British Isles who went to Spain to help the Republic from 1936-39. “This is an act of recognition, an act of gratitude to a group of extraordinary men and women,” he said. Referring to the defeat of the Republic and to the heavy casualties suffered by the Inter- national Brigades, he added: “Your efforts were not in vain. Your ideals are part of the foundations of our democracy in Spain today.” Sam Lesser also recalled the huge sacrifices made by the volunteers, particularly the more than 500 from Britain and Ireland who were killed in Spain. “They lie for ever in the olive groves and in the sun and shade where their blood is mingled in the Spanish earth.” Spanish citizenship was conferred on International Brigaders by the Ley de la Memoria Histórica (Law of Historic Memory), which was passed by the Cortes (Spanish parliament) in October 2007 – though it took more than 18 months for this provision of the act to be put into effect. There were seven veterans at the embassy in June. An eighth Brigader, Les Gibson, was unable to attend for health reasons. All are now in their 90s or, in the case of Penny Feiwel and Lou Kenton, aged 100. A Spanish passport was also posthumously awarded to Jack Jones, who died in April, and was presented to his son, Mick. A decree in 1996 gave all International Brigaders honorary citizenship. However, full citizenship could then only be claimed if they renounced their nationality. The granting of unconditional Spanish citizenship marks the honouring of a promise to this effect made at the farewell parade of the International Brigades in Barcelona on 28 October 1938 by the Spanish Republican government. See a video of the event at: [www.guardian.co.uk/world/ video/2009/jun/10/spain-international-brigade-veterans]. Issue 24 / Autumn 2009 www.international-brigades.org.uk ¡Hemos llegado a casa! IBMT Newsletter Veterans at the Spanish embassy; seated from left: Thomas Watters, Lou Kenton, Joseph Kahn, Sam Lesser, Penny Feiwel, Jack Edwards and Paddy Cochrane. INTERNATIONALBRIGADE MEMORIALTRUST We’ve come home, Brigaders tell ambassador as they receive theirSpanish citizenship Graeme Robertson/The Guardian
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Transcript
By Jim Jump
Thepromisemadeby theSpanishRepublicmore than70 years agowas fulfilled on9 Junewhen survivingBritish and Irish InternationalBrigaderswere awardedSpanish citizenship.In an emotionally-charged ceremony at the
Spanish embassy in London, the veteranswerepresentedwith their Spanishpassports byambassador Carles Casajuana.Therewere tears amongmanyonlookers as
IBMTChair SamLesser, speaking in fluentSpanishonbehalf of the other Brigaders,declared: “Hemos tardadounpoco, pero creoquehoypodemosdecir quehemos llegadoacasa.” (“We’re a little late, but today I believewe can say thatwehave comehome.”)Ambassador Casajuanamade it clear that
the honour beingbestowedon the veteranswas a tokenof appreciation for all the 2,500volunteers from theBritish Isleswhowent toSpain to help theRepublic from 1936-39.“This is an act of recognition, an act of
gratitude to a groupof extraordinarymenandwomen,” he said.Referring to thedefeat of theRepublic and to
theheavy casualties sufferedby the Inter-national Brigades, he added: “Your effortswere not in vain. Your ideals are part of thefoundations of our democracy in Spain today.”SamLesser also recalled thehuge sacrifices
madeby the volunteers, particularly themorethan500 fromBritain and Irelandwhowerekilled in Spain. “They lie for ever in theolivegroves and in the sunand shadewhere theirblood ismingled in theSpanish earth.”
Spanish citizenshipwas conferredonInternational Brigaders by the Ley de laMemoriaHistórica (LawofHistoricMemory),whichwaspassedby theCortes (Spanishparliament) inOctober 2007 – though it tookmore than 18months for this provision of theact to beput into effect.Therewere seven veterans at the embassy in
June. An eighthBrigader, LesGibson,wasunable to attend for health reasons. All are nowin their 90s or, in the caseof Penny Feiwel andLouKenton, aged 100.ASpanishpassportwas also posthumously
awarded to Jack Jones,whodied inApril, andwaspresented to his son,Mick.A decree in 1996gave all International
Brigaders honorary citizenship. However, fullcitizenship could thenonly be claimed if theyrenounced their nationality.The granting of unconditional Spanish
citizenshipmarks thehonouring of a promiseto this effectmadeat the farewell paradeofthe International Brigades inBarcelonaon28October 1938by theSpanishRepublicangovernment.
See a video of the event at: [www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jun/10/spain-international-brigade-veterans].
Annualmembership ratesare£15standard;£7.50 for concessions;£20 family (singlehousehold); affiliatingorganisationsbyarrangement. Furtherdetails andmembership formsareavailable fromtheMembershipSecretary.
IBMT
IBMT NEWSLETTER
FROM THE SECRETARY
The IBMTNewsletter ispublishedthreetimesayearandissent freetoallmembersof the IBMT.
Members livingoverseascanaccessthecurrent issuebyusingapasswordontheIBMTwebsite.BacknumberscanbedownloadedfromtheIBMTwebsiteon[www.international-brigades.org.uk/newsletter.htm].For informationaboutreceivingthe IBMTNewsletterontape,contact the IBMTSecretary.
Sendall itemsfor thenext issuetotheeditorby24December2009at the latest.
Accommodation�EventsDurhamcoordinatesaccommodation inDurham’scol-leges.As it is term-time, there isnobudgetaccommodation,but thefol-lowingmaybeavailable:–DurhamBusinessSchool:£55(single)and£90(double)pernight.–CollegeofStHild&StBede:£45(single)and£65-£70(twin)pernight.ContactCharlotteKerrofEventsDurhamon0191-3342886oremail:
NB:MembersrequiringtransportfromMiddlesbroughtoDurhamonFridayor fromDurhamtoNewcastleonSundayshouldcontact the IBMTSecretary (seedetailsonpage2).
Thememorial inMiddlesbroughTownHallwascommissioned in1939byInternationalBrigadesupporters in the town.CarpenterHaroldWBennett carriedoutmostof thework,with thegold letteringdonebyan InternationalBrigader,TommyChivers.Theplaquewaskept inaprivatehousebutwasapparentlystolen inthe1960s.Amazingly, itwas foundbyaschool-teacher ina junkyard inActon,westLondon, in1983.Shebought itanddonated it to the InternationalBrigadeAssociation.Theplaquewaseventuallyunveiled in1992.The inscription reads: “Todefend liberty…Theytypified the realBritons’hatredof the tyrant; theywent tosafeguardpeaceand theartsofpeace, thathumanitymightgo forward.Theywent tohelp thedefencelessSpanishpeople fight the invadingarmies.Theywent tosavetheir lovedonesandus fromthehorrorsof fascism.Because they lovedpeace, theywentout to fight– fromTeesside.”
reviewof“MadridbeforeHani-ta”(Issue23),whichIhaveseen.Thereviewcontainsseri-ouserrorsof factandbigotedanti-Israelviewsnotfoundinthefilm.Hanitawasnotthefirstkibbutz–founded1938;thathonourgoestoDeganiyahin1910,28yearsearlier!Whilst it istruethatmanyof
theIsraelivolunteerswerecommunists, theywerealsoZionists,otherwisewhywouldtheseidealisticre-buildersof“re-bornIsrael-in-waiting”havebeeninIsrael inthefirstplace,whentherewereothercountriestheycouldhavegoneto?OfcoursetheZionist left
leadershipweredisquietedthatsomanyfightersshouldgotoSpainin1936;Israelwasinthemidstofaterrorcam-paignbeingwagedagainst itfromtheArabpopulationandleavingwasarealsecurityrisk,but itwasarisktakenanyway,basedonthesoundZionistprincipleofhelpingathreat-eneddemocracy!Neither is ittruethatthevolunteerswerecriticisedforbelievinginco-existencewiththeArabs;co-existencewasverymuchtheethosofmodernZionism(fromthe1870s) inIsrael/BritishOccupiedPalestine–andremainssotothisday.Zionismisnotandneverwas
a“project”,aninsultingtermusedbyanti-Jewishpropagan-dists; it isandremainsforever
thenational liberationmove-mentoftheJewishpeople. It isthegreatestanti-racist,anti-imperialiststruggleinhistorybecauseithascorrectedthegreatest injusticedonetotheJewsovercenturies–thesteal-ingofour landbytheArabs. Iftheleftcanacceptallkindsofothernationalisms,butnottheJewishversion,that isanti-Semiticdiscrimination.Yourreviewerclearlyreflectsthisimmatureanti-Israelview.MartinSugarmanArchivistandhistorianAjex(AssociationofJewishEx-ServiceMenandWomen)London
EranTorbiner,directorandpro-ducerof“MadridbeforeHani-ta”,repliesfromTelAviv:Whilst it istruethatHanitawasnotthefirstkibbutz, itwasthe
of theCubanRevolutionat a reception inHavana’s CasadeAmistad (Houseof Friend-ship) inHavana.They includedComandanteVictorDreke,who fought alongsideCheGuevaraat thedecisiveBattle of SantaClarainDecember 1958.The trip toCubawasarrangedbyBelfast&
DistrictTradesCouncil andwas, for Edwards,the culminationof a lifetimeambition.Sadly, LípizRodríguez, oneof the last three
knownCubanveteransof theSpanishCivilWar, died some threemonths later on 13August, aged91.
Rodrígueznot only fought in theSpanishwar, but beforehandalso inCubaagainst thedictatorshipofGerardoMachado.Hewaslater a founder of theCubanNationalRevo-lutionaryMilitia and last sawaction in fightingduring theattemptedUS-backed invasionattheBayof Pigs in 1961.InSpain, he fought underBuenaventura
Durruti, theAnarchist leader, inMadrid in1936and from1937,whenall Republicanmili-tary unitswerebrought under aunified com-mand, he joined the InternationalBrigades,seeing front-lineactionat theBattle ofBrunete in 1937andat theBattle of theEbro1938.His storywaspublished inCuba in 1994 ina
biographybyArcadioRíosappropriately enti-tled: “Fuegoen laSangre” (Fire in theBlood).
armyveteranoftheFirstWorldWar,arrivedinSpaininMarch1937.Hewaswoundedfourtimes,forthefirsttimeattheBattleofBruneteinJuly1937wherehewasevacuatedtothehospitalatHuetewithashoulderwound.Afterwards,heserved in the fightingaround
To get in touch with the group, contact Drew McEwan at:CarmanCentre, 175 MainStreet Renton, WestDunbartonshire G82 4PF; tel: 01389-710 261 or email:[[email protected]].
GeorgeFletcher’ssonanddaughter,HelenCadmanandJohnFletcher(right),withManuelOlarte, the localcouncillor inchargeofcultureatHuete,southeastofMadrid,whereGeorgespentsometimeinhospital.
�FromBrunete,ErnestoViñasandÁngelRodríguezreport that theyaimtomaketheweb-sitecommemoratingthe1937BattleofBrunetebilingual.Theyrunthesitealongwithother localenthusiastsandwelcomefeedbackandcontri-butions.See: [www.bruneteenlamemoria.com].
�StuartWalshhasemailedustopointout thatColumbiaUniversity in theUShasplacedonlineafascinatingandoftenverymovingarchiveofover150drawingsmadebychildrenduringtheSpanishCivilWar.See: [www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/children/index.html].
�HankGeertshascontactedustoreport thatAmsterdam’s International InstituteofSocial
children from theBasqueCountrywhoarrived inSouthampton inMay 1937during theSpanishCivilWar.Mostwere later reunitedwith their parents either inSpainor in exile, butMartínezwasamong the400or sowhomadetheir home inBritain.Martínezwas in a “colony” for
the children inCarshaltonwhich
wasnotable for the talentedgroupof volunteer teaching staff.Among themwasPepeEstruch,theatredirector and collaboratorwith FredericoGarcía Lorca,whorecognisedMartínez’s gifts andhelpedhimsecurea scholarshipfrom theexiledSpanishRepublicangovernment to studyat CroydonSchool of Art.Martínez’s paintingswere first
displayed in 1944at theSpanishInstitute in London.More thanadozensolo and20mixedexhibi-tions inBritain andSpainwere tofollowover thenext six decades.War, exile and childhooddreamsandnightmareswere recurrentthemes inhiswork.Aged 11,Martínez and twoof
his brothershadarrived inBritainfromBilbaoon the steamshipHabanawithother children sentby their parents to escapeFranco’s bombing campaign
against theBasqueCountry.Thefamily spentmuchof theSecondWorldWar in a French internmentcampandafterwards lived inpoverty; the threebrothers inBritainwere forced tomake theirownway in life.
From1946 to 1984,Martínez
worked in Londonasadisplayartist, arrangingexhibitionstandsandshopwindows.In accordancewithhiswishes,
his ashesnow lie in small plot 15yardsaway fromKarlMarx’stomb inHighgateCemetery innorth London.
International BrigadeMemorial Trust
MemoriesofthechildofaBrigaderByDollyWest
Iremembergoing intomyparents’bedroominShepherdsBush,westLondon,andseeingmumanddad(FrankWest) sittingontheedgeof theirbed,hewithhisarmaroundherandmumcrying. Iwasaged fiveat the timeandhaveworkedout that thatmusthavebeenthedayhetoldherhewasgoing toSpain.At that timetherewereboxesplacedoutside
Co-opshopsasking fora tinof foodorsugar tobeput in themtobesent toSpain.Thatcam-paignwascalledFood forSpain;anotherwascalledMilk forChildren.Hammersmithalsocol-lectedmoney tosendambulances forSpain.Mumwent toVictoriaStationwhenthe
1939.By then Iwaseightyearsold.Hehadspentmostofhis last fewmonths in theSanPedrodeCardeñaprisoncamp.Whenhecamehomewewere livingovera
dairyandourkitchenwasbehind theshop. Ithadarangewithahearthwhichhadbeenwhitenedbymumwithablockofchalk. I canpicturehimsittingonastoolandmysister
Eileenand Istanding in frontofhim.But thething I remembermostof thatoccasion is thedeadcockroachesonthatwhitehearth.He lookedgaunt.Timeswerehard formum.
Shecouldn’tgetanyUAB(UnemploymentAssistanceBoard)benefitbecausehehadgonetoSpain.Shedidhousework fora familyon theUxbridgeRoad for8penceanhour. Itwashardworkas therewerenoaids likevacu-umcleanersandall the roomshadcoal fires inthemandtheyhadtobecleanedandre-laideveryday.Mumwas illwithasthmaandbron-chitis.
JeanMasseyhelpedmumalot. JeanandBillMasseywerebothCommunistPartymem-bersandBillwasaveryactive tradeunionist.“Aunty Jean”putus incontactwith the Interna-tionalBrigades’Dependants’AidCommitteewhogavemumsomemoneywhentheycould.
JeanwasalsoaveryactiveCo-operator.Andthroughhercontacts,Eileenand Iwere takenondaysout to theseasideby theBFYC(BritishFederationofYoungCo-operators).TheWood-craftpeoplealsohelpedus.Iwas takento theAlbertHall andEarlsCourt,
where thereweremeetings tosupport thefight,withchoirsandspeechesandmanycolouredbanners–andofcoursecollections.I amonlyawareofoneotherchildofaBrigad-
erwhoremembershisorherparent–or in thiscasebothparents–going toSpain.That isMartinGreen.HismotherwasofcourseNanGreenwhowaswith themedical volunteersand laterbecametheSecretaryof the Interna-tionalBrigadeAssociation.Martin’s father,George,waskilled in thesamebattle inwhichmyfatherbecameaprisoner.Are thereanyotherchildrenwhoremember
ThisisastoryofloveandlossinSpainduringthecivilwar. It isbittersweetandit isnofairytale.ButthenVictoriaHislopknowshersubjectandshedoesn’tpullherpunches.HerresearchintotheeventsinSpainfrom1936to1939andtheexodusofrefugeestoFranceandtoBritainintheafter-mathisimpeccable.Shesparesusnothingasshelaysbarethefullhorrorandunspeakablecru-eltyoftheNationalistonslaught.Andyetsheisnevervoyeuristicorsensational.Shejusttellsitasit is.Soniaisamiddleclass,middleagedHome
Videos of songs byThe Foundlings,including “Salud Brigadista”,inspired by International BrigaderBob Doyle, can be played at: [www.myspace.com/foundlingsband].