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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.
 
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James Campbell
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Place of birth: Londonderry?
Year of birth: 1903?
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Occupation: ???
Date of arrival: 27th January 1937
Brigade ID: 996
Date of departure: 12th August 1937
Date of death: ???
Where killed:
Comments: Address given as; 22,Tyrconnell Street, Londonderry. Arrested in Barcelona, July 1937. Expelled from Spain by police order, 20.06.1937. Arrived UK 12.08.1937."Insubordinate". Not to be confused with James Campbell 223.
Source: RGASPI 545/2/112/104 & 545/6/40/103 & 545/6/91/107 & 545/6/93/29 & 545/6/113/48. Londonderry Sentinel - 5 December 1922 p8. Irish Weekly and Ulster Examiner - 8 January 1938 p14. Londonderry Sentinel - 6 September 2000 p22.
Bruce Campbell
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Place of birth: ???
Year of birth: ???
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Date of arrival: 3rd October 1936
Brigade ID: Muerte es Maestro Centuria.
Date of departure: 18th November 1936
Date of death: ???
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Comments: Member of MM Centuria. With David Mackenzie he decided to leave Spain.
Source: IBA Box 50a File AI/3.
Archibald "Jock" Campbell
Other name:  Jack
Place of birth: Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Year of birth: 17th August 1919
Political organisation: NUS
Occupation: Seaman
Date of arrival: 17th July 1937
Brigade ID: Not issued
Date of departure: June 1938
Date of death: 11th October 1972 - Krung Thep, Krung Thep, Thailand
Where killed:
Comments: Address given as: 92, Maple Drive, Dalmuir, Glasgow. 153 Mx Brigade. Deserted whilst awaiting repatriation for being under age. Arrested Valencia. Repatriated.
Source: RGASPI 545/6/113/40-45.
James Campbell
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Place of birth: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Year of birth: 1st July 1904
Political organisation: AEU '30 & NUWM '33 & Co-op '30
Occupation: Brassfinisher
Date of arrival: 28th December 1936
Brigade ID: 223
Date of departure: 20th June 1937
Date of death: ???
Where killed:
Comments: Address given as; 5, Richard Street Glasgow. According to Barry McLoughlin, he was arrested in Barcelona and expelled from Spain by police order on 20 June 1937. 1939 charged and fined after a demonstration to prevent an eviction. Possibly emigrated to USA in 1947.
Source: IBA Box D-7 File A/2, RGASPI 545/6/40/102 & 545/6/91/58. NA KV5/119/DSCF2668-69. Daily Record - 22 September 1939 p11.
John Campbell
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Place of birth: County Antrim, N. Ireland
Year of birth: 1910?
Political organisation: Sheet metal workers '32-34.
Occupation: Sheet metal worker
Date of arrival: 14th January 1937
Brigade ID: 169
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Date of death: 27th February 1937
Where killed: Jarama
Comments: Address given as; 39, Woodstock Road, Belfast. Served with the Lincolns. Killed during the attack on Pingarron at Jarama,
Source: IBA Box D-7 File A/2 & IBA Box 21 File A, RGASPI 545/6/40/102 & 545/6/89/83 & 545/6/91/54 & 545/6/113/22.
William "Bill" Campbell
Other name:  Robert
Place of birth: Lumphinans, Fife, Scotland
Year of birth: 12th June 1907
Political organisation: CP '37 & Fife MU & NUWM
Occupation: Miner
Date of arrival: 14th February 1938
Brigade ID: 1686
Date of departure: 27th October 1938
Date of death: 1982 - Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland
Where killed:
Comments: 1935 charged and fined following a demonstration over the King's Jubilee. Address given as: 46, Mungall Street, Lumphinans, Fife. Responsible for Anglo-American Section. Missing Aragon March 1938. POW at San Pedro de Cardeña. Repatriated. Travelled to Spain with George Jackson. In 1940 he married Jackson's widow.
Source: IBA Box D-7 File A/1 & A/6, RGASPI 545/6/91/156 & 545/6/98/2 & 545/6/99/21 & 545/6/113/50-51. NA FO371 & KV5/119/DSCF2671. Dundee Courier - 14 June 1935 p6. Edinburgh Evening News - 1 July 1938 p11. Daily News (London) - 28 October 1938 p17. Information from great-niece, Anne O'Kane, in July 2024.
 
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 The life of AC Williams, the grandfather I'm so proud of

Activist and long-standing IBMT member Lisa Croft on her Brigader forebear… My grandfather was Archibald Campbell McCaskill Williams, “AC” for short. He was a lifelong socialist, believing in equality and freedom for the ordinary person, and an International Brigade comrade in Spain, becoming a prisoner during the Battle of Jarama. AC Williams, who was born […]

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Annual Glasgow commemoration

News from the annual Glasgow commemoration held on Saturday 21 September at La Pasionaria Statue, Custom House Quay … Neil Anderson presided at the commemoration on behalf of hosts Hope not Hate Glasgow. A large gathering heard speeches by Mike Arnott, IBMT Scotland Secretary, Africa Moreno, PCE Exterior, Nathan Hennerbry, MB Scotland Youth Committee, Jennifer […]

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The life of Bob Cooney

This tribute by nephew Neil Cooney was given on 15 August 2024 at a celebration held in Aberdeen on the 40th anniversary of Bob Cooney’s death. Bob Cooney was born in Sunderland on 12 November 1907, the seventh and last child of an ambitious Aberdeen family. His father, Sandy, a cooper, moved around the country […]

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Bob Cooney recites 'Hasta la Vista, Madrid!'

Thanks go to Tommy Campbell of the IBMT-affiliated Aberdeen XV International Brigade Commemoration Committee for coming up with this gem from Aberdonian Brigader Bob Cooney. Here is Cooney reciting his poem 'Hasta la vista, Madrid!' during a radio interview, which Tommy thinks probably took place just a few years before hid death in 1984. The […]

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Contact the IBMT

International Brigade Memorial Trust37a Clerkenwell GreenLondon EC1R 0DUadmin@international-brigades.org.uk+44 (0)7865 272 639Normal office hours are 8.30am–4pm, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. International Brigade memorial groups affiliated to the IBMT AberdeenXV International Brigade Commemoration CommitteeContact: Tommy Campbelltommy.campbell01@outlook.com  BelfastInternational Brigade Commemoration CommitteeContact: Ernest and Lynda Walkerlyndaernest@btinternet.com http://irelandscw.com/org-IBCCIndex.htm CardiffIB CymruContact: Mary Greeningibcymru1937@gmail.com www.facebook.com/groups/314892162181123 HullHull International Brigades Memorial GroupContact: Gary Hammondthehutpeople@gmail.comhttps://hibmg.org.uk/ Manchester / […]

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Aberdeen’s Tommy Campbell says it in verse

The 2019 Aberdeen Trades Union Council report contains this poem written by Tommy Campbell, Unite’s Regional Industrial Organiser. It was especially written for a forthcoming booklet on Aberdeen’s  International Brigaders.   Granite City Heroes   Working-class heroes, so strong; so proud  your  ideals keep us fighting, shouting aloud whilst we campaign for justice, your hopes see […]

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The life of AC Williams, the grandfather I'm so proud of

Annual Glasgow commemoration

The life of Bob Cooney

Bob Cooney recites 'Hasta la Vista, Madrid!'

James Campbell 996

Bruce Campbell

Archibald Campbell

James Campbell 223

John Campbell

William Campbell

Contact the IBMT

Aberdeen’s Tommy Campbell says it in verse

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