description
Object description
British civilian member of North Hammersmith Branch, Communist Party of Great Britain in London, GB, 1934-1937; served as rifleman and company commissar with British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain, 9/1937-10/1938; POW in in Zaragosa Prison, Zaragosa, San Pedro de Cardenas Prison, Burgos and San Sebastian Prison, San Sebastian in Spain, 11/1938-3/1939
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hammersmith, London, GB, 1907-1937: father’s business; education; employment; reaction to sight of strikers during General Strike, 1926; treatment of strike breaker during General Strike, 1926; witnessing strike violence at Hammersmith Broadway during General Strike, 1926; his political reading. Recollections of period as member of North Hammersmith Branch, Communist Party of Great Britain in London, GB, 1934-1937: background to joining branch; educational classes; opposing British Union of Fascists in Hammersmith and Kensington; story of attempted recruitment by British Union of Fascists; anti-Fascist activities at Hammersmith and Chelsea.
REEL 2 Continues: areas of British Union of Fascist support in London; fighting fascist organiser ‘Boo Boo’ during fascist rally. Aspects of volunteering for International Bdes in London, GB, 1937: North Hammersmith Branch, Communist Party of Great Britain support for Republican Spain; question of popular support for Spanish Nationalists in GB; attempts to dissuade him from volunteering; volunteering, 9/1937. Aspects of journey from GB to Spain via France, 9/1937: questioning by CID officer at Victoria Station, London; organisation in Paris, France; crossing Pyrenees Mountains; composition of group. Recollections of period as rifleman with No 1 Coy, British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain, 9/1937-10/1937: memories of Lewis Clive and David Guest.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of intellectuals in brigade; rifle training at Albacete; train journey to Ebro front; forward position at machine gun post; capture of Nationalists in church crypt at Fuento del Ebro; joining battalion; effects of heavy unit casualties and arrival of reinforcements; method of maintaining personal morale; story of making tea close to ammunition store; involvement in unsuccessful tank attack; sight of Spanish company commander going over the top; fraternisation between Spaniards in no-man’s land.
REEL 4 Continues: firing on fraternising Nationalists; reaction of Republican Spaniards to International Bde firing on fraternisation; role of political commissars; opinion of Ebro Offensive; accuracy of Nationalist artillery; armaments of International Bdes; opinion of use of anti-tank guns at Teruel. Recollections of period as political commissar with British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain, 11/1937-10/1938: appointment as political commissar and their role; cases dealt with as political commissar; role of political commissar in action; decisions made at Teruel; casualties at Teruel; story of conflict with company commander.
REEL 5 Continues: resolving of disputes between political commissars and company commanders; move to Teruel front, 12/1937; Christmas celebrations; difference of opinion between Fred Copeman and Sam Wild over officer privileges; memories of JBS Haldane; further details of difference of opinion between Fred Copeman and Sam Wild; loss of positions on mountain at Teruel; sustaining leg wound; rejoining unit; appointment as kitchen commissar at Huesca, 2/1938; rations; rejoining company; blowing up of bridge carrying Nationalist tanks across River Ebro; attempts to teach Spanish soldier literacy; move to Mondejar.
REEL 6 Continues: story of company’s adoption of name ‘Attlee’; crossing River Ebro; situation on Hill 481; death of Lewis Clive; his wounding in hand from mortar fire; evacuation to casualty clearing station; visit by Paul Robeson to hospital; reaction to being under artillery and aerial bombardment and orders to withdraw from Ebro front; capture in trench; rolling to avoid machine gun fire; assault on Irish prisoner by Nationalist. Recollections of period as POW in Zaragosa Prison, Zaragosa, San Pedro de Cardenas Prison, Burgos and San Sebastian Prison, San Sebastian in Spain, 11/1938-3/1939: recognising Nationalist named ‘Boo Boo'; conditions in Zaragosa Prison; medical treatment for Irish prisoner attacked by Nationalist.
REEL 7 Continues: plan to swap identities with two volunteers; illness in Zaragosa Prison; violence between prisoners during transit to San Pedro de Cardenas Prison; story of dispute with volunteer in railway tunnel at Teruel; reorganisation of prisoners due to conditions; recreational activities; escape attempts of German prisoners; Christmas show, 12/1938; attitude of Spanish Nationalists to German Gestapo; processing of prisoners by Gestapo; propaganda aimed at prisoners; move to San Sebastian Prison; reception from civilians in San Sebastian; story of priests being asked to report Nationalist atrocities.
REEL 8 Continues: story of executions conducted by teenagers in San Sebastian Prison; release from captivity; execution of Spanish prisoners at San Sebastian Prison; lice infestation; reception on return to GB, 3/1939; reactions to political attitudes in Army Bureau of Current Affairs during service with British Army during Second World War; story of knowledge of weapons gained in Spain. Memories of International Bde volunteers including Sam Wild.
