Helen Oclee-Brown reviews ‘A Gypsy and a Rebel: Lillian Urmston in the Spanish Civil War’ by Linda Palfreeman and Alicia García López (The Clapton Press, 2024).

Lillian Urmston was only 19 when she volunteered as a nurse in the Spanish Civil War. Driven by a strong sense of social justice, she went to Spain because it was 'the right thing to do', a motto that underscored much of what Urmston did throughout her life. 

In this new work, authors Linda Palfreeman and Alicia García López shine a light on Urmston's remarkable journey from Stalybridge schoolgirl to her work as a front-line nurse in Spain, France, Egypt and Italy. The authors skillfully capture the essence of Urmston's character – her unwavering determination and willingness to challenge societal and personal boundaries. 

‘A Gypsy and a Rebel’ is an evocative and meticulously researched biography. It does an excellent job of situating Urmston within the wider context of the civil war, illustrating how her experiences reflect the broader struggles and ideologies that defined the period. 

Palfreeman and García López's writing is both engaging and informative. They seek throughout to meld detailed historical analysis with the more personal, emotional aspects of Urmston's life. 

Do not be deceived by the slenderness of this tome – it is brimming with detail and has a healthy notes section. At times, this may induce information overload in readers less familiar with the complexities of the Spanish Civil War. However, those with some background knowledge are unlikely to be affected. 

Primary sources, including letters and photographs, enrich the narrative by providing readers with an intimate glimpse into Urmston's thoughts and feelings. These first-hand accounts provide a vivid and personal dimension to the historical events, grounding the reader in the day-to-day misery of those who lived through the war. 

One of the book's strengths is its exploration of the complications and contradictions of Urmston's life. The authors do not shy away from examining the difficulties she faced, including the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated environment and economic hardship thwarting her ambition (she had wanted to be a doctor, which was financially impossible). They also stress the emotional toll of witnessing the horrors of war. 

This nuanced approach allows for a more rounded and human portrayal of Urmston, making her story all the more powerful. 

And yet there is no time for sentiment, a stance I suspect Urmston would have approved of. She realised she had what it took to go to Spain because she could give ‘the right kind of sympathy without too much sugar attached’. 

But how did a teenager from Tameside end up in Spain? By answering a call from the Spanish Medical Aid Committee (SMAC) – the authors' background on SMAC is especially compelling. They highlight the generosity of the British public, even in poorer areas. Many also volunteered, including Urmston and surgeon Douglas Jolly, alongside whom Urmston worked and of whom Alexander Tudor-Hart said: ‘He was the best surgeon we had.’ 

Urmston had an inauspicious start to her time in Spain. After travelling the length of France, she and Australian nurse Dorothy Law were detained in Port Bou. On arriving in Barcelona, they were given a cool reception by Rosita Davson. (Davson ran the SMAC flat in the city and ‘never had much time for nurses’, according to Urmston.) 

While ‘A Gypsy and a Rebel’ describes Urmston’s time in Spain in full, the standout – and stomach-churning – moments come in the descriptions of front-line treatment. Techniques learnt in Spain (many from Jolly), particularly in treating abdominal and pulmonary wounds, would go on to form procedures used during the Second World War. Urmston herself would give training talks to other front-line medical professionals. 

She did not hold back: a news report on one of Urmston’s teaching sessions said ‘the audience were made to feel the horror of the war, and the sufferings of the Spanish people.’ 

Although not politically affiliated, Urmston was politically aware, especially when it came to her sex. Palfreeman and García López emphasise her independent spirit and ambition to forge her own career that ‘neither boyfriends nor husbands were going to hamper’. She was joined in her dismissal of ‘traditionally feminine characteristics’ by, among others, Nan Green, who refuted the idea that she herself had gone to Spain ‘to join her husband’, Brigader George Green. 

The book describes Urmston’s feelings of political marginalisation. She had little time for the commissars who didn’t take up arms, although she was keen on their cars, which she occasionally ‘borrowed’. Yet she always acted according to her conscience and was unfailing in her allegiance to the most vulnerable. As an example, the passages describing her leaving Republican refugees in concentration camps in France – and her inability to return to help them – are heartbreaking. 

'A Gypsy and a Rebel' is a valuable addition to the literature on the Spanish Civil War and women's history. This book is a must-read for those interested in wartime medical care and the power of individual conviction.