International Brigade Memorial Trust
Robert Hargreaves reports on a rain-soaked battlefield tour of the Spanish capital…
While England basked in warm spring sunshine, visitors to Madrid were caught in a torrential downpour as they paid homage to the heroes of the International Brigades on a walking tour of the city’s Spanish Civil War battlefields.
But, undeterred by the rain, members of the 50-strong group, from Britain, Ireland and France, organised by the North West Trade Union International Committee (NWTIC), pressed on.
Day one took in the site of the hospital that treated wounded Brigaders, the headquarters of the famous Fifth Regiment of the Republican Army, and the site of Montana barracks, pivotal in the events that rallied Madrileños behind the battlecry ¡No pasarán! as Franco’s army attacked the Spanish capital.
Stephanie Turner, retired Unison member and IBMT stalwart from Manchester, commented: ‘We were soaked to the skin, but we wanted to carry on. The Brigaders showed great bravery and made huge sacrifices, and we felt we’d be letting them down if we gave up.’
French, Irish and British trade unionists, drying out.
En route, walkers heard detailed narratives of the battle from leaders Mark Hoskisson, Danny Payne, and Andy Brown, while Steve Farley explained the significance of the Atocha memorial to lawyers murdered by fascists in 1977.
Fascinating facts about the Fifth Regiment, whose members helped relieve pressure on the British Battalion at the Battle of Jarama, were related by Georgina Andrews and Micaela Tracey-Ramos.
Later, the group were guests of the Partido Communista de España, and heard talks on the important contribution of women such as Lillian Urmston and Felicia Browne to the anti-fascist cause.
Bullet holes still visible in Casa de Campo.
Fortunately, the rain held off during the second day’s walk through the Casa de Campo, where Brigaders defended strategic bridges over the River Manzanares.
Afterwards, flowers were laid at the memorial to the Brigaders at the university campus, scene of bitter hand-to-hand fighting that halted the fascist advance. Expert and insightful narrative was provided by our Spanish guide.
On the final day, a small party, including French comrades, visited Fuencarral cemetery for a ceremony at the International Brigade memorials.
Kevan Nelson pays tribute to Soviet help for the Spanish Republic.
NWTIC organiser Kevan Nelson paid tribute to the help to the Republic provided by the Soviet Union, both in men and materials, and interpreter Andy Brown spoke at the memorial about exiled Spaniards who fought with the Allies against Germany and Italy in the Second World War.
Isabelle Voisin, leader of the French delegation, urges solidarity in the fight against fascism.
Leader of the French trade union delegation, Isabelle Voisin, thanked British counterparts for organising the trip, declaring: ‘We come together despite obstacles of language and borders. Your tenacity in paying tribute to the International Brigaders galvanises us in our urgent need to fight contemporary fascism. Together we affirm ¡No pasarán!’.
