Garber, Joseph (Oral history)

British civilian in East London, GB, 1920-1928; seaman served with Merchant Navy, 1928-1930; member of Young Communist League and Communist Party of Great Britain in London, GB, 1931-1936; served as machine gunner with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-2/1937; hospitalisation and recuperation in El Romeral, Benicasim and Castellon de la Plana Hospitals, Spain, 2/1937-5/1937; officer cadet trained with Officer Training School, Spanish Republican Army, Pozorrubio, Spain, 6/1937-7/1937; officer served as intelligence officer with Special Military Investigations Unit, Spanish Republican Army in Spain, 8/1937-12/1938.

REEL 1 Background in East London, GB, 1911-1936: upbringing with Jewish foster mother in Whitechapel; father's Anarchist background in Lithuania; story of father being used as strike-breaker; education at Jews' Free School, Whitechapel, 1920-1926 including rifle training; activities with Jewish Lads' Brigade; story of receiving bravery award for saving boy from drowning in River Thames; apprenticeship with firm of cabinet makers; memories of General Strike, 4/5/1926-12/5/1926 including sabotaging lorries, militancy of strikers and opposing students; duties and working conditions at cabinet makers. REEL 2 Continues: cabinet making, wages; training as merchant seaman at Gravesend Sea School. Aspects of period as merchant seaman aboard SS Andalucia sailing from GB to South America, 1928-1929: nature of goods cargo; duties; food; fight with ship's cook; opinion of National Union of Seamen; background to joining SS Sea Victory; nature of cargo, owner; getting drunk. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period as member of Young Communist League and Communist Party of Great Britain in London, GB, 1931-1936: employment as cabinet maker making billiard tables; organising union; disputes; fight with member of British Union of Fascists; reaction to outbreak of Spanish Civil War, 7/1936; background to decision to join Young Communist League; reaction to working conditions; opinion of Fascism in trades unions; violent clashes with British Union of Fascists during rally at Olympia, 7/6/1934; distributing Communist Party of Great Britain's newspaper, 'The Soldiers Voice'; agitating among sailors; Tom Mann's address to sailors at Chatham, 1931; story of provocateur comrade; aiding striking waiting staff; attacking strike-breakers at Bloom's Cabinet Makers in Shoreditch; supporting rent strikes; preparations to oppose British Union of Fascist march at Cable Street, Whitechapel, 10/1936. REEL 4 Continues: clashes with Metropolitan Police at Cable Street, Whitechapel, 4/10/1936. Aspects of volunteering for International Bdes and journey to Spain, 11/1936-12/1936: story of meeting woman and nearly missing boat in Marseilles, France; decision to go to Spain; interview at Communist Party of Great Britain headquarters in King St, London; journey to Spain via Paris, France; reaction to leaving GB; kit. Aspects of period as machine gunner with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain, 1/1937-2/1937: reception at Figueras Castle; billeting in private house in Madrigueras; recruitment to British Bn as machine gunner; kit; opinion of rifles and machine guns used including Huot-Ross Automatic Rifle; question of artillery; problem of steam given off by Maxim Machine Gun. Recollections of period as machine gunner with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, 15th International Bde during Battle of Jarama, Spain, 6/2/1937-27/2/1937: sight of Nationalist cavalry approaching; Spanish civilians forming artillery crew; air attack. REEL 5 Continues: positions on sunken road; sight of Nationalist Moorish troops attacking No 1 Coy during retreat; reaction to Fred Copeman's decision to hold fire; suspicion of presence of Italian troops serving with Nationalist forces; sight of Republican Air Force attack, 12/2/1937; rout and regrouping; being sent to retrieve machine gun from under corpse; retreat in face of Nationalist tank advance; arriving at brigade headquarters and demanding food; returning to front with George Nathan and others; controlled fire under Jock Cunningham; positions; movement; view of tank crew casualties; sustaining thigh wound; wounds suffered by other comrades; medical treatment; Nationalist Air Force attack on ambulance and casualties. REEL 6 Continues: medical treatment. Aspects of period as member of Young Communist League and Communist Party of Great Britain in London, GB, 1931-1936: question of content and production of newspaper, 'The Soldier's Voice'; attending demonstrating against National Government, Westminster, 1931; effects on city of International Floodlighting Congress; bugling 'The Assembly' at demonstration; clashes with Metropolitan Police; formation of Jewish Lads Brigade band; question of content of 'The Soldier's Voice.' Aspects of period as machine gunner with No 2 (Machine Gun) Coy, British Bn, 15th International Bde during Battle of Jamara in Spain, 6/2/1937-27/2/1937: question of capture of No 4 Coy, British Bn by Nationalist Moorish troops, Nationalist positions; controlled fire; positions; anti-tank bombs; sleeping; rations. REEL 7 Continues: attitude towards dressing for battle; reinforcements; death of new volunteer; going over the top; personal parapet; self-styled officers; memories of Janos Galicz known as 'General Gal'; casualties among tank crew; sight of Nationalist Moorish troops; moving injured comrade into safety; rations; wounding going over the top. Recollections of period of hospitalisation and convalescence in El Romeral, Benicasim and Castellon de la Plana Hospitals, Spain, 2/1937-5/1937: Nationalist attacks on El Romeral Hospital; meeting with Republican nuns; visiting brothels during convalescence. REEL 8 Continues: Nationalist bombardment of Benicasim and Castellon de la Plana Hospitals; stories relating to Fifth Column; sight of Republican Air Force attack on Non-Intervention Committee German patrol ship Deutschland off coast, 29/5/1937; casualties; sight of HMS Hood; story of visit by Captain Arthur Pridham of HMS Hood to British wounded in Castellon de la Plana Hospital and visit from British intelligence officer bearing gifts. Aspects of training as officer with Officer Training School, Spanish Republican Army, Pozorrubio, Spain, 6/1937-7/1937: instruction on Japanese tactical night training methods; political education; question of use of Soviet instructors; impressions of villages around Madrid; artillery fire on Villanueva de la Canada during Battle of Brunete, 7/1937; sight of dead comrades. REEL 9 Continues: reaction to air attacks; view of civilians; role of Assault Guards; treatment of villagers; receiving concussion; treatment of prisoners; personal morale, physical condition in hospital in Madrid; story of father's plea for his return home. Aspects of period as intelligence officer with Special Military Investigations Unit, Spanish Republican Army in Albacete and Valencia, Spain, 8/1937-12/1938: memories of various comrades; story of censoring 'Daily Worker;' censoring letters between families and volunteers; visiting imprisoned deserters from Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM); other duties; story of sending stray volunteer back to front; attitude towards intelligence duties; surveillance work; sending deserters to a punishment battalion; prior recollection of discovery of fascist on Young Communist League camping holiday in GB, 1934. REEL 10 Continues: American comrade with artificial leg who fought in Battle of Jarama, 2/1937; question of deserters; meeting with prostitute; duties in Valencia; opinion of Spanish Republican Government; living conditions for civilians in Barcelona; impressions of towns during withdrawal of unit from Valencia and Barcelona; question of carrying arms; wages; rations.