Hearing about Worthing's ties to Spanish Civil War

Worthing’s AudioActive performance space was packed on 22 May for an evening of music, images and spoken word describing the impact that the rise of fascism and war in Spain had on the south coast town.

Organised by the IBMT-affiliated group, Sussex and the Spanish Civil War (S&SCW), performers included singer-songwriter Robb Johnson, storyteller and historian Jon Norman-Mason, local activists Alan Bradley and Sandra Carillo, historian Christian Hogsbjerg and the IBMT’s Jim Jump.

Scripted by former IBMT Trustee Pauline Fraser of the S&SCW, the presentation told the stories of the seven men and one woman, Sybil Clarke, from Worthing who went to Spain to help the Spanish Republic. 

Two were killed in action: Sydney Holland, a pilot in the Republican airforce, whose plane was shot down by German fighter in December 1936, and Tom Elliott, who died from wounds sustained in the Battle of Jarama in February 1937.

The audience also heard how protesters disrupted meetings of Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, which had considerable support in the area. 

Contemporary descriptions of posters announcing ‘Mosley speaks’ being defaced to read ‘Windbag Mosley speaks tripe’ raised a good laugh.

In addition, scores of refugee Basque children fleeing Hitler’s bombs on northern Spain were cared for by volunteers in Worthing and adjacent Lancing, where there are blue plaques to remember their stay.

There is also a plaque in Worthing Labour Hall naming five of the local International Brigade volunteers. There are plans now to add a plaque with all eight names. As well as Clarke, Elliott and Holland, they are Frederick Cronshaw, Jimmy Jump, Freddie Killick, Chris Thornycroft and Edward Updale.

A similar and equally popular event as the one in Worthing was held two years ago at Eastbourne’s Globe Theatre (see See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpASSscHDcE). There is now talk of an event in Brighton.