Description
Object description
British machine gunner served with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, XV International Bde and British NCO and officer served as rifleman, adjutant and political commissar with British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 1937-1938
Content description
REEL 1 [Feely]: Aspects of background to volunteering to join International Brigades go to Spain, 1936: influence of Left Book Club and Daily Worker newspaper; recruitment to International Bde through Communist Party of Great Britain in St Helens; political attitudes of other volunteers; volunteer's rejection on medical grounds; question of nature of volunteers; literary influences. [Cooney]: question of integration of Spanish volunteers into International Bdes. [Feeley]: Aspects of journey to Spain and period as machine gunner with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 1937-1938: contact with Spanish people; food and leave in Barcelona; sniper training; behaviour of Communist Party of Great Britain members in Spain; civilian employment in St Helens; journey through France and issue of canvas sandals to cross Pyrenees Mountains; story of getting lost with Canadian volunteers in rural France; questioning by non-intervention observers at railway station.
REEL 2 Continues: [Cooney]: Aspects of journey to join International Brigades in Spain and period as NCO and officer with British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 1937-1938: character of journey to Spain. [Feeley]: reaction to Spanish food and wine; fly problem. [Cooney]: songs. [Feeley]: crossing Pyrenees Mountains. [Cooney]: arrival at Figueras. [Feeley]: start of training; segregation into language groups; singing of Slav volunteers; sniper training; reputation of British volunteers; move to front; coping with cold climate. [Feeley and Cooney]: memories of Scottish volunteers; opinion of Anarchists; reaction to prospect of front line service; character of air attacks.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction to air attacks; descriptions of anti-tank actions; evading capture at Calaceite, 3/1938; question of political awareness of volunteers in Spain; sources of news; memories of Peter Martin. [Cooney]: role of Communist Party. [Feeley]: idea of immigrating to Spain after Republican victory. [Feeley and Cooney]: opinion of Aid Spain Committee movement in GB.
REEL 4 Continues: [Feeley]: political atmosphere on return to GB, 1938; effects of experiences in Spain.