British Battalion

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For information relating to the World War II British Army unit, see British Battalion (Malaya 1941).

Shapurji Saklatvala Battalion
British Battalion
ActiveJanuary 1937 – October 1938
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Allegiance Spain
Branch International Brigades
TypeBattalion – Infantry
SizeOne battalion
Part ofXV International Brigade
Garrison/HQAlbacete
Nickname(s)Batallón Británico
EngagementsSpanish Civil War

The British Battalion (1936–1938; officially the Saklatvala Battalion) was the 16th battalion of the XV International Brigade, one of the mixed brigades of the International Brigades, during the Spanish Civil War. It comprised British and Dominion volunteers.

History

Map showing British Battalion engagements

Early volunteers

A number of British volunteers, including

Majorca. Later they were joined by Bill Scott, becoming a rifle company in the German-speaking Thälmann Column. The Thälmann Battalion later formed part of XII International Brigade and fought in the Siege of Madrid, including the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria.[1][2]

Another group of British volunteers – among them Jock Cunningham and John Cornford – fought with the French-speaking Commune de Paris Battalion, in the XI International Brigade. It also fought in the Siege of Madrid, including the battles for University City and Casa de Campo.

In December 1936, 145 British volunteers formed No. 1 Company of the French-speaking

Córdoba front during December, and on the Madrid front during January 1937. Heavy fighting on 15 January at Las Rozas
reduced the active ranks to 67.

Formation

In January 1937, the survivors of No.1 Company joined with 450 new British,

Francoist
gaol until he was released in a prisoner exchange.

The battalion was numbered the 16th battalion of the International Brigades. It was formally named after

British Labour Party
, who visited the British volunteers in December 1937.

The British Battalion was attached to

Sixth February Battalion. In early February 1937 Macartney was recalled to the UK by his parole board. En route to the railway station at Albacete he was accidentally shot in the arm by the battalion commissar, necessitating transfer of command to Tom Wintringham.[7]

Jarama, 1937

In February 1937, the battalion fought at the

Army of Africa, the British Battalion suffered 275 casualties in No.1, No.3, and No.4 companies – leaving 125 riflemen fit for duty.[8] On the second day of fighting, the machine gun company was surrounded by Spanish Nationalist troops and many of its members were captured. Battalion commander Tom Wintringham was wounded, and Jock Cunningham took command of the battalion's 140 survivors. On the third day of the battle the battalion was temporarily routed, but under the leadership of Cunningham and brigade commissar Frank Ryan, staged a counter-attack, singing the Internationale, in what would become known as the “Great Rally”. The battalion remained in the trenches at Jarama until 17 June 1937.[9]

Brunete, 1937

Reinforced by new recruits and strengthened by returnees from hospital, the British Battalion mustered 331 brigaders at the

Valley of Jarama, commonly heard at Brigade meetings, was killed in action.) The following day the British were ordered to advance on Mosquito Ridge, a piece of high ground which overlooked the battalion's original objectives. As they left Villanueva de la Cañada they were bombed by Junkers aircraft from the Condor Legion
and shelled by Nationalist artillery. The two-hour barrage and devastating heat caused heavy casualties and prevented the battalion reaching Mosquito Ridge before Franco's army rushed reinforcements to defend the position. Only 42 members of the battalion were left fit for service, and the battalion was withdrawn into a reserve position.

Aragon, 1937

In mid-August, the Republican 35th Division, which included

Quinto, where Wintringham, now head of the Officer's School and attached to the American Lincoln and Canadian MacKenzie/Papineau battalions, was shot again, this time badly and injured out of the war. On 25 August the battalion attacked a strong Francoist position at Purburrel Hill
, and was repelled by intense rifle and machine gun fire. The following day another assault was made on the hill, supported by the XVth Brigade antitank artillery battery, and this time the attack succeeded. Heavy fighting had reduced the battalion to 100 men, and a number of Spanish Republican troops were drafted as reinforcements for the battalion.

Teruel, 1938

Main article: Battle of Teruel

Ebro, 1938

Main article: Battle of the Ebro

Disbandment

On 21 September 1938, Juan Negrín announced to the League of Nations that the Republican government would disband the International Brigades. The British battalion was withdrawn into reserve at the end of September 1938, and on 17 October, the battalion took part in the International Brigades' farewell parade through Barcelona. President Azaña and Prime Minister Negrín joined the crowds who took part in one of the last great Republican celebrations. On disbandment, 305 British volunteers left Spain. They arrived at Victoria Station on 7 December, to be met by a crowd of supporters including Clement Attlee, Stafford Cripps, Willie Gallacher, and Will Lawther.[10]

Composition

Welsh members

An estimated 300 people from Wales enlisted in the International Brigades, fighting Franco in Spain from 1936–39. Of the battalion’s 170 Welsh volunteers, 116 were miners, one in five was married and the average age was over 30. The South Wales miners provided the largest regional group in the British battalion.[11][12]

Scottish members

Spanish Civil War Memorial for Scottish volunteers, Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh

An estimated 500 volunteers went from Scotland to Spain to oppose fascism and support the Republican government there. A high proportion were working class members of the Communist party (which organised the mobilisation and transportation across France), many went in on foot over the Pyrenees.[13] A Scottish Ambulance Unit was also sent to Spain; it dispensed food donations but mainly provided first aid and treatment of the wounded from the front.[13]

Aberdeen Memorial to local members of the XV Brigade

Irish members

The battalion contained a cadre of Irish volunteers who had previously been organized as the "James Connolly Company" (unofficially, the "

Peter Daly.[15]

International Brigade Memorial Trust

The International Brigade Memorial Trust has been established by veterans and historians to preserve and catalog the history of the British Battalion.

Roll of Honour

A memorial to the British volunteers in the International Brigades in Lambeth, London

The IBMT has compiled a roll of honour, listing the members of the British battalion who fell in Spain.[16] The list is compiled primarily from documents held in the International Brigade Archive in the Marx Memorial Library, London and the International Brigade Archive in the Russian Centre for the Preservation and Study of Recent Historical Documents, Moscow.

Notable members

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ Sugarman, Martin. "Against Fascism – Jews who served in The International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War" (PDF). Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  2. ISBN 978-1845136970
    .
  3. ISBN 9781849088695
    .
  4. ^ Macartney, Wilfred (1936). Walls Have Mouths. Victor Gollancz.
  5. ^ "In the Spanish Legion". The Times. 20 November 1921. p. 10.
  6. ^ "Lt Wilfred Francis Remington Macartney, Royal Scots". The Auxiliaries.
  7. ^ Hughes, Ben. Ibid.
  8. ^ Hughes, Ben. Ibid.
  9. ^ Hughes, Ben. Ibid.
  10. ^ Arnott, Mike (24 November 2018). "The Return of the British Battalion of the International Brigade". The Morning Star.
  11. ^ Durham and South Wales Miners and the Spanish Civil War, Lewis Mates, Durham University, abstract, from: Twentieth Century British History, 2006,pp.373 [1]
  12. ^ INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE MEMORIAL TRUST Issue 15 / September 2006 Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^
    OCLC 18835004.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link
    )
  14. ^ O'Riordan p67-68
  15. ^ O'Riordan p91
  16. ^ "Roll of Honour". international-brigades.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012.
  17. ^ Levine, Allan E. "Bert "Yank" Levy". American National Biography on line. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  18. Levy, Bert "Yank"; Wintringham, Tom (Foreword) (1964) [1942]. Guerilla Warfare (PDF). Paladin Press. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.

External links
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