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The records include assessments of the volunteers made by their political superiors in the latter part of the war in Spain. Many are highly derogatory, referring to desertion, drunkenness and indiscipline, but should be taken with a pinch of salt, sometimes a very large amount. They were written for internal use, primarily as an assessment of suitability for future membership of the Communist Party at home and were often made by a party representative who may have had a grudge against certain individuals or may simply have been wrong. Many volunteers with outstanding military records in Spain – including senior ranking officers – received extremely critical assessments.
James Cunningham
Other name:  D
Place of birth: Dumbarton
Year of birth: 8th July 1908
Political organisation: CP
Occupation: Boilermaker/Ships Plater
Date of arrival: 30th March 1938
Brigade ID: Not issued
Date of departure:
Date of death: 28th July 1938
Where killed: Gandesa
Comments: Address given as; Mother, 1, Rosewood Street, Glasgow. Hit by mortar fire on 25 August 1938 along with Tom Jones, according to Edwin Greening, p. 84. Vg
Source: IBA Box 21 File A, IBA Box D-7 Files A/1 & A/2 RGASPI 545/6/39/72 & 545/6/121/38-44
Joseph 'Jock' Cunningham
Other name:  Wallace
Place of birth: Glasgow
Year of birth: 20th December 1902
Political organisation: CP '31 & MFGB
Occupation: Miner
Date of arrival: 19th October 1936
Brigade ID: 488
Date of departure: 30th August 1937
Date of death: 22nd February 1969 - Mearnskirk General Hospital, Renfrewshire
Where killed:
Comments: Address given as; 77b, Whifflet Street, Coatbridge. Joined Machine-Gun Company of Commune de Paris Battalion, 11th IB in November 1936. Member of No. 1 Company, 14th IB at Lopera. Briefly returned to UK for home leave in August 1937. Wounded at Jarama and in hospital from March 15 1937 until May 1937.
Source: IBA Box 21 File A/1, RGASPI 545/6/40/102 & 545/6/91/75 & 545/6/93/1 & 545/6/121/44-50 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jock_Cunningham https://spartacus-educational.com/SPcunningham.htm
Charles Cunningham
Other name:  H
Place of birth: Edinburgh?
Year of birth: 21st April 1912
Political organisation:
Occupation:
Date of arrival: 14th April 1938
Brigade ID: Rejected
Date of departure: 22nd April 1938
Date of death:
Where killed:
Comments: Wife and two children. Address given as 106, Links Street, Kirkaldy. "Weakling" Rejected and repatriated
Source: RGASPI 545/6/36/130 & 545/6/121/35-37 & NA KV5/112/C
Alexander Foote
Other name:  Allan
Place of birth: West Derby, Liverpool
Year of birth: 13th April 1905
Political organisation:
Occupation:
Date of arrival: 25th December 1936
Brigade ID: 398
Date of departure: 16th September 1938
Date of death: 1st August 1956 - Pancras, London
Where killed:
Comments: Addresses given as; 31, Faunce Street, Kennington, London & "Oak Tree", Woodcote Road, Forest Row, Sussex. Deserted from the RAF in Gosport to go to Spain. Battalion transport officer. Fred Copeman's 'batman' according to Copeman. Jock Cunningham's driver at Jarama. Courier between London and the British Battalion in Spain. Sent on home leave on 1 September 1938. He decided to continue his efforts against Fascism volunteered for clandestine work with a Soviet spy ring. Foote was one of those arrested when the Swiss police shut down most of the operation and was detained for a time. After the War, he spent some time in the Eastern Bloc and then returned to the West and published his book, A Handbook for Spies.
Source: IBA Box D-7 File A/2 & Box D-7 File A/1, RGASPI 545/6/91/69 & 545/6/135/7-9 "Story of a Russian Spy (Handbook for Spies)" by Alexander Foote. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Foote
Frank Graham
Other name:  Moore
Place of birth: Sunderland
Year of birth: 14th December 1913
Political organisation: CP '33 & NUWM & SAU
Occupation: Worked for NUWM in Newcastle/Student
Date of arrival: 28th December 1936 & 18th May 1937
Brigade ID: 260 & 1086
Date of departure: April 1937 & 26 September 1938
Date of death: 30th April 2006 - Newcastle
Where killed:
Comments: Addresses given as; 33, Etrick Grove, High Barnes, & 20 Eastfield, Chester Road, both Sunderland & 2, Clayton Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. Served as Scout and Intelligence Officer with BB, 15th IB at Jarama and Brigade runner for Cunningham at Brunete. Broadcaster with Radio Barcelona. In hospital at Sort with Typhus (another says Farnes de la Selva) late 1938. " A brave and reliable comrade. Politically unquestionable".
Source: IBA Box 21a File A, Box D-7 Files A/1 & A/2, RGASPI 545/6/40/106 & 545/6/91/60,112 & 545/6/142/7-36 & 545/6/902/13-16. Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - 26 October 1938 P2 Newcastle Journal - 7 January 1988 P8 https://nelh.net/radical-lives/frank-graham-1913-2006/ "Battle Of Jarama 1937" by Frank Graham The Spanish Civil War. Battles of Brunette and the Aragon " by Frank Graham.
Jack Shuckman
Other name:  Louis
Place of birth: Mile End, London
Year of birth: 30th September 1917
Political organisation: YCL '36
Occupation: Various Trades/Ships Steward
Date of arrival: 21st March 1937
Brigade ID: 917
Date of departure: 14th September 1937
Date of death: May 2003 • Redbridge, Essex, England
Where killed:
Comments: 1936 received three months hard labour following an anti fascist demonstration in London. Surname at birth was Schuchman, but other spellings include Schuckman. Also used the name Jack Shaw. Address given as; 47, Fieldgate Mansions, Myrtle Street, Stepney, London. (Residing here in 1939). Saw action at Villanueva de la Cañada in the Battle of Brunete in the summer of 1937 as a runner for Jock Cunningham. 'A young comrade full of spirit and enthusiasm. He has an excellent record at the front.' IBA Box 39/A/31. Repatriated for being under age. WW2 served in the Royal Welch Fusileers.
Source: RGASPI 545/6/40/117 & 545/6/89/59 & 545/6/91/102. Daily Herald 13th October 1936 p6.

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