Crome, Leonard (Oral history)

British doctor served with Scottish Ambulance Unit in Spain, 1/1937-3/1937; served as Assistant Medical Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Medical Service, 35th Div, Spanish Republican Army in Spain, 3/1937-9/1938

REEL 1 Aspects of volunteering for Scottish Ambulance Unit in Spain, 1936: membership of Left Book Club in Blackburn, GB, 1935; background to volunteering for unit; 12/1936; Aspects of period as doctor with Scottish Ambulance Unit in Spain, 1/1937-3/1937: size of unit despatched to Spain headed by Fernanda Jacobson; prior recollections of Sir Daniel Macaulay Stevenson, chief financier of Scottish Ambulance Unit in Glasgow, 12/1936; story of smuggling of wealthy Spaniards out of Republican Spain by members of unit; decision to leave unit and join British Medical Unit of the International Bdes, 3/1937; destination of food parcels transported by Fernanda Jacobson; use of Palace Hotel as hospital in Madrid; atmosphere in Madrid; political attitudes at British Embassy in Madrid. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of period as Assistant Medical Officer and Chief Medical Officer with Medical Service, 35th Div, Spanish Republican Army in Spain, 3/1937-10/1938: background to joining British Medical Aid Unit, XV International Bde, then 35th Div; character of Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski including execution of volunteers; receiving present of a chicken from Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski; story of reprimand from Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski for concealing conflict between international volunteers; Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski use of physical discipline; second hand story relating to Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski's service in Second World War; memories of Dr Norman Bethune; shortages of supplies; question of lack of training and knowledge of military medicine; opinion of British nurses. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of nuns employed as nurses; death of ambulance driver Julian Bell, 18/7/1937; pace of work; divisional movements, 1937-1938; deployment of medical units; duties; death of Mieczyslaw Domanski known as Dr Dubois, Polish Chief Medical Officer of 35th Div at Quinto, 29/8/1937; processing of wounded and field dressings; treatment of Nationalist wounded; story illustrating problem of distinguishing between troops from both sides; wounding of medical staff and shooting of Dutch doctor by Nationalist forces; question of shooting of prisoners by both sides; nature of Spanish Civil War; degree of awareness of Workers Party of Marxist Unification (POUM) and Anarchist activities. REEL 4 Continues: degree of knowledge of Barcelona uprising, 5/1937; Karol 'General Walter' Świerczewski's opinion of Communists in International Bdes; opinion of German Communist volunteers; treatment of Nationalist prisoners; opinion of military specialists provided by Soviet Union; provision of military equipment by Soviet Union; opinion of Spanish people; attitude towards service in Spanish Civil War.