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Negative comments
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.

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George Nathan

Other name: Samuel, Montague

Place of birth: Hackney, London.

Year of birth: 20th January 1895

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Occupation: Soldier

Date of arrival: 30th November 1936

Brigade ID: Not issued

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Date of death: 26th July 1937

Where killed: Brunete

Comments: A first rate soldier.' TW p.66. Promoted to 15th IB Brigade Staff, but returned to command Ralph Fox Battalion in the 14th IB after differences with General Gal. Killed by a shell on the last day of the Brunete battle.

Source: IBA Box 21 File A, BA p.36, & TW p.66. RGASPI 545/6/177/6-12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nathan https://spartacus-educational.com/SPnathanG.htm

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Memorials search results

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Vignettes of those who went to Spain

Alan Lloyd, IBMT Trustee, reviews ‘Brigadistes: Lives for Liberty’ by Jordi Martí-Rueda (Pluto Press, 2022). This review was originally published in ¡No Pasarán! 2-2022. This book first appeared two years ago in Catalan and Pluto Press have now published an English version. The author, Jordi Martí-Rueda, is a Catalan historian specialising in the Spanish Civil […]

George Nathan

A fan, a photo and the International Brigades

Emily Moore and Elizabeth Washburn, who are part of a student research team at the Martin-Springer Institute of Northern Arizona University, explain what two historical objects can tell us about the International Brigades.

Interviews

Biographies of and interviews with British and Irish volunteers On specific volunteers: Bennett, Richard. ‘Portrait of a Killer’, New Statesman, 24 March 1961, pp.471-472 (Article on George Nathan). Cronin, Seán. Frank Ryan: The Search for the Republic. Dublin: Repsol, 1979. Fernbach, David. ‘Tom Wintringham and Socialist Defence Strategy’, History Workshop Journal, 14, Autumn 1982, pp.63-91. […]

A superb International Brigades history, sadly gift wrapped in anti-communism

IBMT Ireland Secretary Manus O’Riordan reviews ‘The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War’ by Giles Tremlett (October 2020). He takes issue with the portrayal of International Brigaders Frank Ryan and Jack Jones in the book's final chapter.

Minutes of our 2019 Annual General Meeting

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 5 October 2019 in the Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU

Appeal launched for memorial in Oxford to Spanish Civil War volunteers

A fundraising appeal has been launched to raise a memorial to the International Brigade volunteers associated with Oxford who fought in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. The initiative has the support of Oxford City Council and the Oxford & District Trades Union Council. The city council and the trades union council are working […]

Save the Madrid memorial to the International Brigades

A motion in the House of Commons is calling on the British government to intervene with the Spanish government about the threat to the International Brigade memorial in Madrid (pictured). The motion has 56 signatures: 45 Labour MPs, five Liberal Democrats, three Plaid Cymru and one Conservative, Respect and SNP apiece. A similar-worded motion […]