Description
Object description
Canadian civilian labourer and merchant seaman with Merchant Navy in Canada, United States of America, Mexico, Australia, China and GB, 1920-1934; relief worker in Canada, 1934-1935; volunteer served with Columna Ochandiano and Columna Perezagua, Spanish Republican Militia in Spain, 7/1936-4/1937; served as machine gunner with Machine Gun Coy, George Washington Bn and Lincoln-Washington Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 5/1937-9/1937; served as machine gunner with No 4 (Machine Gun) Coy, Mackenzie-Papineau Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 9/1937-3/1938
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Winnipeg, Canada, 1907-1920: family; political influence of Irish family friend; reaction to Irish nationalism; attitude towards education; attitude towards British imperial history; family issues. Recollections of period as labourer in Canada, United States of America and Mexico, 1920-1923: decision to become hobo and seek agricultural work; joining Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies); Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) song book; harvesting work; story of dispute over better working conditions in Saskatchewan, Canada.
REEL 2 Continues: ranch work in Southern Alberta; labour relations; description of lumberjack work, 1922; trade unionism in Canada; crossing into United States and hoboing around; work on hacienda in Mexico; obtaining job on American ship to get to California; question of political reading and other literary influences.
REEL 3 Continues: joining Communist Party of Canada, 1928. Recollections of period as seaman with Merchant Navy, 1923-1933: interest in seafaring; background to gaining employment aboard windjammer sailing from United States of America to Australia; duties on board windjammer; food; cargo; further details of duties; relations with crew; arrival in Sydney, Australia; construction work in Sydney, Australia; story of attending clandestine screening of film 'Battleship Potemkin' (1925) in Sydney, Australia.
REEL 4 Continues: audience reaction to watching 'Battleship Potemkin' (1925); work on trader sailing from Cairns, Australia to South Sea islands, 1930-1931; decision with other crew members to stow away on ship sailing for Shanghai, China, 1931; arrival in Shanghai, China; attempts to join Chinese Eight Route Army; impressions of Shanghai, China; return to Australia; shipmate's decision to return to Germany; work as stoker aboard SS Bremerhaven to Albany, Australia.
REEL 5 Continues: voyage aboard Gustaf Erikson's windjammer Archibald Russell from Australia to GB, 1932; rations; precautions against scurvy; holystoning the decks; watches worked; slow progress through the doldrums; sight of LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin airship; retrieving packages dropped from LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin from sea; photographing LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin; story of shipmate using ship's sails to make warm clothing.
REEL 6 Continues: rations; presence of weevils in food; story of accidental shooting of crew member during slaughter of pig; off duty activities; shipboard duties; music; language spoken on board; story of falling overboard; question of politics of German crewmen; employment aboard various merchant vessels prior to returning to Canada; voyage aboard merchant vessel in freezing conditions on St Lawrence River in Canada, 1933.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of period as relief worker in Canada, 1934-1935: nature of relief camps for unemployed men; initial period jumping freight trains across country; sight of hobo camp at Sioux Lookout; story of jumping train in thunderstorm near Sioux Lookout; joining relief camp in Halifax.
REEL 8 Continues: description of relief camp in The Citadel in Halifax; story illustrating attitude towards British sovereignty amongst relief workers in Canada; background of camp workers; life in relief camps including political organisation, conditions and routine; role presenting demands to head of camp; move to British Columbia.
REEL 9 Continues: organising strike protest in department store in Vancouver; journey with relief workers by freight train to Regina with intention to join mass relief workers strike in Ottawa; outcome of protest; how striking relief workers were confronted by mounted police in Regina on Dominion Day, 1/7/1935; his escape with other strikers by train; role of strike committee; question of Communist Party membership; mass movement of strikers from Winnipeg to Kenora.
REEL 10 Continues: dispersal of strikers at Kenora; taking ship to GB. Aspects of journey to Spain, 7/1936: hearing of situation in Spain whilst staying in GB; stowing away on ship sailing for Spain in Cardiff, GB; kit taken; impressions of street scenes on arrival in Portugalete, Spain, 18/7/1936. Recollections of period as volunteer with Columna Ochandiano and Columna Perezagua, Spanish Republican Militia in Spain, 7/1936-4/1937: joining Columna Ochandiano in Bilbao; street fighting in San Sebastian including reaction to issue of brandy prior to action; composition of unit.
REEL 11 Continues: opinion of Anarchist troops; nature of fighting in mountains during retreat to Tolosa, 8/1936; defence of heights above Irun, 9/1936; use of dynamite bombs; militiawomen; opinion of Basque Nationalist militias' contribution to fighting; composition of militias; conditions on heights above Irun, 9/1936; retreat from Irun, 9/1936; question of Anarchist inspired explosions in Irun; provision for medical evacuation; provision of rifles and ammunition; rations; character of militia.
REEL 12 Continues: background to movements with militia, 7/1936-9/1936; change of name of militia to Columna Perezagua, 1/9/1936 and it's composition; relations between Basque Nationalists and Communists; reaction to decision to withdraw from San Sebastian, 13/9/1936; move to Oviedo, late 9/1936; duties of militiawomen and reasons why most left front line; memories of militiawoman Dolores; routine; precautions taken at night; background to first attack on Oviedo, 10/1936; appointment as armourer and state of armaments; attack by Moorish and Spanish Foreign Legion troops of Nationalist Army of Africa at Oviedo, 3/1937.
REEL 13 Continues: acquiring machine-pistol; story of wounding during attack by Nationalist troops, 3/1937; Nationalist air attacks during hospitalisation in Durango, 31/3/1937; learning of presence of international volunteers in Spain; reasons for wanting transfer to International Bdes; sight of Condor Legion air attack on Guernica, 26/4/1937; visiting Guernica during aftermath of Guernica, 26/4/1937; transfer to International Bdes in Bilbao, 4/1937; nature of journey from Bilbao, Spain to Paris, France, 5/1937.
REEL 14 Continues: story of reaction of Communist Party of Great Britain to his request to go to Spain in London, GB, 7/1936. Aspects of journey to join International Bdes in Spain, 5/1937: impressions of American and Canadian volunteers travelling from Paris, France to Spain; reasons for slight delay in journey southwards; crossing Pyrenees Mountains; arrival at Figueras Castle; move to Albacete; interview and refusal to go to officers' training school. Recollections of operations as machine gunner with Machine Gun Coy, George Washington Bn and Lincoln-Washington Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 5/1937-9/1937: joining George Washington Bn, 5/1937; presence of Finnish volunteers in unit; opinion of Oliver Law; background to Brunete offensive, 7/1937; opinion of wealth of armaments available to Republican forces; in action at Mosquito Ridge during Battle of Brunete, 7/1937; opinion of Republican Air Force and Nationalist Air Force; use of Maxim Machine Gun; retreat from Mosquito Ridge, 7/1937; opinion of Washington Bn.
REEL 15 Continues: composition and character of George Washington Bn; amalgamation of Lincoln and George Washington Bns, 7/1937; casualties at Quinto, 8/1937; street fighting at Belchite, 9/1937; opinion of Nationalist forces; prior recollection of witnessing shooting of surrendering Nationalist soldier on Basque front, 12/1936; stories of atrocities; further details of fighting Belchite, 9/1937; opinion of Republican Air Force. Recollections of operations as machine gunner with No 4 (Machine Gun) Coy, Mackenzie-Papineau Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 9/1937-3/1938: transfer to battalion; opinion of formation of battalion; memories of volunteers in battalion, battalion commander Robert 'Bob' Thompson, battalion political commissar Edward Cecil-Smith and Sergeant Milton Herndon.
REEL 16 Continues: conditions in positions in ravine; story illustrating company discipline; flash-flooding of vacated positions in ravine; reaction of company members to introduction of new discipline measures; size of battalion and machine gun company; arrangements of bivouacs; reaction to order to salute officers; contact with and opinion of Jeffery Mildwater of British Anti-Tank Bty; attending political meeting of British Anti-Tank Bty.
REEL 17 Continues: voicing of his opinion at political meeting of British Anti-Tank Bty; reasons why Leo Mendelowitz volunteered; topics of discussion in battalion; nicknames; opinion of strategy and tactics employed at Fuentes de Ebro, 10/1937; in action at Fuentes de Ebro, 13/10/1937; description of Republican Army tank attack at Fuentes de Ebro, 13/10/1937; Leo Mendelowitz appointment as company commander, 10/1937; proximity of trenches; wounding whilst on patrol, 11/1937; drinking cognac after wounding and evacuation.
REEL 18 Continues: medical treatment at Murcia and Benicassim, 11/1937; return to company near Teruel, 12/1937; prior recollections of Christmas in positions on Basque front, 12/1936; Christmas in trench positions near Teruel including visit by Paul Robeson, 12/1938; nature of action at Teruel, 1/1938; move into front line at Teruel, 15/1/1938; battalion actions at Teruel, 1/1938; nature of cold weather conditions at Teruel, 1/1938-2/1938; nature of retreat southwards from Teruel, 2/1938; story of drinking with Ernest Hemingway in Hotel Florida, Madrid, 12/1937; story of death of Leo Mendelowitz, 3/1938.
