Brewer, James Francis (Oral history)

British civilian miner and member of Labour Party in Rhymney, South Wales in GB, 1926-1934; student at Ruskin College, Oxford in GB, 1934-1936; gunner served with Anti-Tank Bty, 15th International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-10/1938

REEL 1 Background in Rhymney in GB, 1913-1926: family; education; employment as miner. Recollections of period as miner in Rhymney. GB, 1926-1929: political discussions amongst miners; question of local support for General Strike, 5/1926; support received from local tradesmen during strike; local attitudes towards General Strike, 5/1926; formative political influences; leaving mining, 1929; further education; membership of Labour Party in Upper Rhymney, late 1920s. Recollections of period as student with Ruskin College, Oxford in GB, 1934-1936: winning scholarship to attend Ruskin College, 1934. REEL 2 Continues: contact with German refugees; estimation of support for British Union of Fascists in Oxford area; relations between Labour Party and Communists in South Wales; memories of Communists at Oxford; his belief in parliamentary democracy. Aspects of decision to go to Spain and journey from GB to Spain, 1936-1937: influence of suppression of Asturian miners in Spain; reaction to outbreak of Spanish Civil War; decision to go to Spain. REEL 3 Continues: leaving Cardiff, 1/1937; shadowing by Special Branch officer; journey across France; crossing from France into Spain. Recollections of period as gunner with Anti-Tank Bty, 15th International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-10/1938: joining Republican forces in Figueras; digging in at Jarama; joining newly formed anti-tank battery. REEL 4 Continues: appointment as quartermaster, 3/1937; casualties from exploding ammunition at Brunete; strafing of food supply vehicles; incident which bred his dislike of political commissar; threat of being shot for drawing too many rations; attempt to get gun re-rifled at Escorial; evacuation of traumatised soldier; circumstances of his posting from quartermaster’s role to one of the guns. REEL 5 Continues: attempt to stop fleeing troops at Brunete; unit’s withdrawal from Brunete front; visit to La Pasionaria after Brunete; discipline and comradeship; opposition to political commissar system; role played by volunteers with military training; execution of comrade; quashing of idea of fighting as separate British nationalities; issue of desertion; role of George Nathan at Brunete; story of wounding of General John Harding by shell splinters in Libya, 1/1943. REEL 6 Continues: death of George Nathan, 16/7/1937; opinion of justification of heroic reputation of International Brigaders; opinion of defeat of Spanish Republic; role of political instruction in International Bdes; reaction of volunteers to address by Sam Wild, 4/1938; VIP visits; opinion of Ernest Hemingway; contributions to ‘Assault and Battery News’; coping in cold weather at Teruel, 12/1937; hospitalisation for pneumonia; return to line at Teruel; opinion of superiority of Nationalist firepower at Teruel; move to Gandesa. REEL 7 Continues: manning machine gun at Gandesa; firing on sniper in church; capture of Nationalist positions; reaction to execution of prisoners; Italian tank attack at Belchite; disagreement over withdrawal at Belchite; his determination to save anti-tank guns; retreat across River Ebro; loss of anti-tank gun; disorganisation at Mora del Ebro. REEL 8 Continues: view of distressed women soldier at Mora del Ebro; sight of units and equipment; re-crossing of River Ebro; opinion of volunteer Tom Jones; loss of artillery units at Sierra Pandols; reaction to decision to withdraw International Bdes; carrying British Bn banner during farewell parade in Barcelona, 29/10/1938; reaction to orders not to fire on Nationalists before battle at Sierra Pandols, 10/1938; destruction of machine gun by Nationalist fire. REEL 9 Continues: attack by German Condor Legion aircraft; refusal of food from Red Cross in France during return journey to GB; reception on arrival in GB and question of treatment of International Bde volunteers on return. Enlistment in Royal Artillery, 1939. Memories of Aneurin Bevan in Tredegar, South Wales. REEL 10 Continues: opinion of Aneurin Bevan.