Description
Object description
British civilian student with King's College London and London School of Economics in London, GB, 1931-1934; member of Sunderland Branch, National Unemployed Workers Movement in GB, 1934-1936; scout served with No 3 Coy, British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-4/1937; NCO served as scout with Headquarters, XV International Bde and Headquarters, British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 6/1937-11/1937; officer cadet trained at Officer Training School at Tarazona de la Mancha, Spain, 12/1937-2/1938; intelligence officer served with British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 2/1938-3/1938; hospitalised in Barcelona, Spain, 3/1938-6/1938; broadcaster with Radio Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, 7/1938-8/1938
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Sunderland, GB, 1913-1931: family; education at Bede School, Sunderland. Aspects of period as student with King's College London and London School of Economics in London, GB, 1931-1934: attitude towards period as student at King's College; political outlook; membership of Socialist Society at King's College London; attending political demonstrations; behaviour of police and Tom Mann. Recollections of period as member of Sunderland Branch, National Unemployed Workers Movement in GB, 1934-1936: participation in hunger march from Sunderland to London, 1934; question of membership of organisation in Sunderland; writing articles for organisation's newspaper; comparison between Jarrow and National Unemployed Workers Movement hunger marches, 1934; public reactions to hunger march from Sunderland to London, 1934; opinion of Ellen Wilkinson; decision to go to Spain, 1936; prior recollection of opposing British Union of Fascists rally at Olympia, London, 7/6/1934.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of effects of disrupting British Union of Fascist meeting; membership of Kensington Branch, Communist Party of Great Britain. Aspects of recruitment to International Bdes and journey to Spain, 12/1936: organisation of volunteers in Sunderland; journey from GB to Spain via France; impressions of Barcelona on arrival in Spain. Aspects of training with British Bn, XV International Bde at Madrigueras, Spain, 1/1937-2/1937: arrival with volunteers at Madrigueras, 1/1937; deaths of Clem Beckett and Christopher Caudwell at Battle of Jarama, 12/2/1937; opinion of training received; opinion of Soviet rifles and machine guns; ammunition supplies. Recollections of period as scout with No 3 Coy, British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 2/1937-6/1937: joining company; opinion of company commander William Briskey; officer casualties; journey to Jarama front, 2/1937; opinion of Battle of Jarama, 2/1937; effects of battle on Moorish troops of Nationalist Army of Africa; terrain and nature of fighting at Battle of Jarama, 2/1937.
REEL 3 Continues: defending Madrid-Valencia road during Battle of Jarama, 2/1937; arrival of American reinforcements; holding positions on hill defending Madrid-Valencia road; unit casualties; assignment to address meetings about war in Spain in North East of GB, 4/1937-5/1937; encounters with French authorities whilst guiding group of volunteers to Spain, 5/1937; clandestine rendezvous with Charlotte Haldane in Paris, France, 5/1937; opinion of Charlotte Haldane's organisation of volunteers; crossing Pyrenees Mountains during return to Spain; accommodation in nunnery behind Nationalist lines in Spain, 6/1937. Aspects of period as NCO with Headquarters, XV International Bde and Headquarters British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 6/1937-7/1937: nature of Battle of Brunete, 7/1937; Nationalist use of civilian shield at Villanueva de la Cañada, 6/1937; heat and problem with water supply, 7/1937; reconnaissance of the initially unoccupied Mosquito Ridge; 7/1937; failure of battalion attack on Mosquito Ridge, 7/1937.
REEL 4 Continues: effects of defeat at Mosquito Ridge during Battle of Brunete, 7/1937; appointment as scout to Joseph 'Jock' Cunningham, 6/1937; Joseph 'Jock' Cunningham's return to GB, 29/8/1937; opinion of scouting; problems of fighting in Spanish terrain. Aspects of training as officer cadet at Officer Training School at Tarazona de la Mancha, Spain, 12/1937-2/1938: opinion of Soviet instructor; nature of training; opinion of interpreters. Aspects of period as intelligence officer Headquarters, British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 2/1938-3/1938: move into positions at Belchite, 3/1938; state of Belchite, 3/1938; retreat from Belchite, 3/1938; conditions on journey to Caspe, 3/1938; orders to hold Nationalist advance at Caspe, 3/1938; wounding in spine at Caspe, 3/1938; medical evacuation for wounds, 3/1938. Aspects of hospitalisation in Barcelona, Spain, 3/1938-9/1938: evacuation to Barcelona; medical treatment; recovery from wounds. Aspects of period as broadcaster with Radio Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, 7/1938-8/1938: obtaining role; duties.
REEL 5 Continues: example of items broadcast; presence of foreign broadcasters at station; contracting typhoid, 8/1938. Aspects of repatriation from Spain to GB, 9/1938: transfer to British private hospital near Barcelona, 8/1938; how hospital bill was settled; British Embassy's arrangement for his transfer to France aboard HMS Imperial; Nationalist air attack on HMS Imperial outside Barcelona; disembarkation at Marseille, France, 9/1938. Reflections on service with British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-3/1938: attitude to service in Spain; opinion of political commissar system; relations between different political groups within battalion; question of discussion of Spanish politics.
REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Spanish Anarchists; story of death of Spanish Anarchist Buenaventura Durruti, 20/11/1936; story of finding abandoned Anarchist positions during Battle of Jarama, 2/1937; Giles Romilly's shell-shock during Battle of Brunete, 7/1937.