International Brigade Memorial Trust
Rob Hargreaves presents a new multimedia memorial to the 10 Oldham Brigaders...
Now you can see and read the story of the 10 Oldham men at the touch of a button. The unique account of Oldham’s International Brigaders in the Spanish Civil War forms the centrepiece of a new, permanent digital exhibition in the town’s archives.
Graham Briggs, IBMT volunteer, who researched materials for the exhibition, selects material on Oldham Brigader, Albert Charlesworth, for display in the new digital kiosk.
In the heart of the shopping centre, on the ground floor of a suite of new temperature-controlled storage facilities, Oldham Council has installed a ‘digital kiosk’ and other audio-visual facilities, giving visitors quick access to aspects of the town’s history dating back to 1597.
The history of the 10 Oldham volunteers – six of whom were killed in action – is told in images and narrative, researched and compiled by stalwart of the North West International Brigade Memorial Group Graham Briggs, together with a short film put together by this author. The film is accompanied by music of legendary folk group the Oldham Tinkers, whose moving song Ten Oldham Men features on the group’s hit CD A Lancashire Grace.
Over recent years, the North West International Brigade Memorial Group has developed extensive contacts with Oldham Council in order to make regular contributions to their annual history festival by way of presentations, talks and film screenings.
Graham at the memorial to the six Oldham Brigaders killed in Spain, now enjoying pride of place in the town’s new civic centre.
More recently, the town’s mayor presided over a well-attended re-dedication of the memorial to Oldham’s slain volunteers, which now occupies pride of place in the newly refurbished civic centre.
The new digital exhibition has been prepared by principal council heritage officer Sean Bagguley and archivist Jan Hicks. It is easily accessible and close to the town’s new market, so young and old alike can visit.
It features, by way of PowerPoint and a touch-button digital screen, images of Brigaders, historical context and the film backed by Oldham Tinkers’ powerful song Ten Oldham Men. Archive staff are on hand to help the digitally hesitant!
Films, facts and images: the home screen of the display, showing the wide range of materials available on the lives of Oldham’s 10 volunteers.
Those Brigaders who never returned to Oldham from Spain were Harry Heap (aka Harry Rawson) killed in action (KIA) Lopera in December 1936; Clem Beckett, KIA Jarama, February 1937; Joe Lees KIA Brunete, July 1937; Clifford Wolstencroft, KIA Belchite, September 1937; Ken Bradbury KIA Teruel, January 1938; and William Jackson KIA Gandesa, April 1938. The four survivors were Charlie Armitage, Joe Buckley, Albert Charlesworth and Charles Hanson. Details of all their remarkable stories are provided in the images and the film.
This important initiative in Oldham comes at a time when Trust members everywhere are being encouraged to renew efforts to give the International Brigades their rightful place in history. At the recent Manchester commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the Trust’s historical consultant, Richard Baxell, joined others in lamenting the problems faced in putting the record straight, especially as to the relevance of the Brigaders’ role in preparing Britain to fight fascism in the Second World War.
Commenting on the September opening of the Oldham exhibition, Graham Briggs said: ‘It shows what can be done through persistence and patient explanation of our case. What we are putting out there is the unvarnished truth, and our job is to see that it is never forgotten.’
