Garber, Joseph (Oral history)

British Jewish civilian in East London 1926-1936. Served with Merchant Navy, 1928-1930. Served as machine gunner with British Bn, 15th International Bde and with Special Military Investigations Unit in Spain, 12/1936-12/1938.

REEL 1 Family background and education in East London, England 1911-1936: upbringing with Jewish foster mother in Whitechapel; father's Anarchist background in Lithuania; story of father being used as strike-breaker; aspects of attending Jews Free School, ca 1920-1926 including rifle training, activities with Jewish Lads Bde; story of saving boy from River Thames, receiving bravery award; employment in cabinet-makers; recollections of General Strike, 1926 including sabotaging lorries, militancy of strikers, opposing students; duties, conditions in cabinet-makers. REEL 2 Continues: cabinet-making, wages; decision to train as merchant seaman at Gravesend Sea School; training. Aspects of period as ordinary seaman bugler aboard merchant ship Andalucia sailing from GB to South America, 1928-1929: luxury goods cargo; duties; food; fight with ship's cook; opinion of National Union of Seamen; background to recruitment to Sea Victory; Sea Victory's cargo, owner; getting drunk. REEL 3 Activities with CP and YCL in London, 1931-1936: employment as cabinet-maker making billiard tables; organising unions; disputes; fight with Blackshirt; reaction to outbreak of Spanish War, 7/1936; decision to join YCL; reaction to work conditions; opinion of Fascism in trades unions; violent clashes with BUF at Olympia rally, 1934; distributing CP/British Army newspaper, 'The Soldiers Voice;' agitating among sailors; Tom Mann's address to sailors in Chatham in 1931; story of provocateur comrade; story of aiding striking waiting staff; attacking strike-breakers at Bloom's Cabinet Makers, Shoreditch; supporting rent strikes; preparations to oppose BUF at Cable St. REEL 4 Continues: clashes with police at Cable St, 10/1936. Background to joining International Bdes in Spain, 1936: story of meeting woman and nearly missing ship out of Marseilles; decision to go to Spain; interview at King St, London; aspects of journey to Spain via Paris, France; reaction to leaving GB; kit. Aspects of period with IBs in Spain, 12/1936-2/1937: reception at Figueras Castle; billeting in private house in Madrigueras; recruitment as machine gunner with British Bn, 15th IB: kit; opinion of rifles, machine-guns including Ross and Chochaw; question of artillery; problem of steam from Maxim machine guns. Account of battle of Jarama, 2/1937: view of approaching cavalry; Spanish civilians forming artillery crew; air attack. REEL 5 Continues: positions on sunken road; view of Moors with Mausers attacking No.1 Coy in retreat; reaction to Fred Copeman's decision to hold fire; suspicions of Italians among enemy; view of Republican air attack, 12/2/1937; rout and regrouping by Lomax; being sent to retrieve machine-gun from under corpse; retreat in face of tank advance; arriving at Bde 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 of others; medical treatment; air attack on ambulance; casualties in ambulance. REEL 6 Continues: medical treatments. Review of activities with YCL in London during 1930s: question of content, production of newspaper, 'The Soldier's Voice;' demonstrating at Westminster against National Government, 1931; effects on city of International Floodlighting Congress; bugling 'The Assembly' at demonstration, clashes with police; forming band with Jewish Lads Bde; question of content of 'The Soldier's Voice.' Review of battle of Jarama, 2/1937: question of capture of No.4 Coy, British Bn by Moors, 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; recollections of General Gal; casualties among tank crew; view of Moors; moving injured comrade into safety; stories illustrating rations; wounds going over the top. Period of convalescence, 2/1937-5/1937: attacks on hospital at El Romeral; meeting Republican nuns in hospital; visiting brothels during convalescence. REEL 8 Continues: being bombarded in hospitals in Benicasim and Castellon de la Plana; stories of Fifth Columnists; view of air attack on non-intervention ship, SS Deutschland off Murcia coast, casualties; view of HMS Hood; story of visit by Captain of HMS Hood to British wounded in Castellon de la Plana hospital and visit from British intelligence officer bearing gifts. Aspects of training at officer's training school, Pozorubio, ca 5/1937-7/1937 including Japanese tactical night training methods, political education, question of Soviet instructors. Aspects of battle of Brunete, 7/1937: impressions of villages around Madrid; artillery fire on Villanueva de la Canada; view of dead comrades. REEL 9 Continues: reaction to air attacks; view of civilians; role of Assault Guards; treatment of villagers; concussion; treatment of prisoners; personal morale, physical condition at hospital in Madrid; story of father's plea for his return home. Aspects of period with Special Military Investigations Unit in Albacete and Valencia, ca 8/1937-12/1938: recollections of comrades; story of censoring 'Daily Worker;' censoring letters between family's and volunteers; visiting imprisoned POUM unit of deserters; other duties; story of sending stray volunteer back to front; attitude towards intelligence duties; surveillance work; sending deserters to punishment Bn. Story of discovery of Fascist on YCL camping holiday in GB ca 1934. REEL 10 Aspects of activities with Investigations Unit in Valencia and Barcelona, 1937-1938: recollections of American comrade with artificial leg who fought at Jarama; question of deserters; meeting with prostitute; duties in Valencia; opinion of Spanish Republican Government; living conditions of civilians in Barcelona; impressions of towns during withdrawal of unit from Valencia and Barcelona; question of carrying arms; wages; rations.