Noel Carritt
Noel Carritt | |
---|---|
Born | 1910 Heath Barrows, Boars Hill, Oxfordshire, England |
Died | 1992 |
Education | Dragon School Sedbergh School Oriel College, Oxford |
Occupation(s) | Biology teacher, aeroplane engineer, ambulance driver, trade union organiser |
Organization | Founding member of the October Club (Oxford University) |
Known for | Communist revolutionary, anti-fascist, member of the International Brigades |
Political party | Communist Party of Great Britain |
Partner(s) | Liesel Carritt (1933–1941) Florence Simkins |
Children | 2 |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Anthony Carritt (brother) Michael Carritt (brother) Bill Carritt (brother) Brian Carritt (brother) |
Noel Carritt (1910–1992) was a British
In 1936, Noel Carritt, his wife Liesel, and his brother Anthony, all joined the
Childhood and background
Noel Carritt was born in Heath Barrows, Boars Hill, into the Oxfordshire-based Carritt family, notable for the family's large number of Marxist revolutionaries and academics. He was born one of seven children, the majority of whom became lifelong anti-fascist and socialist activists.
The Carritt family's home in
Early adult life
Noel Carritt was born in 1910, he was educated at the Dragon School,[8] before attending Sedbergh School in Cumbria.[9]
In 1928, Carritt was accepted into the University of Oxford and studied at Oriel College to study Zoology.[9][10] During this time, he became a founding member of the October Club, Oxford University's first ever communist society.[9][10]
During the early 1930s, Noel Carritt and the rest of the Carritt family welcomed and financially supported
Spanish Civil War
In 1936, the Spanish military under the leadership of fascist leader Francisco Franco, and with support from Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, started a war known as the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) in an attempt to overthrow the Spanish republican government. To help fight Franco, the International Brigades were created to recruit anti-fascist volunteers from across the world to fight against fascism and help defend the Spanish republican government.
In December 1936, Carritt left his teaching job without notice to join the International Brigades and caught a train to London.[12] While in Victoria station, he wrote a message to his parents written on the back of a cheque that explained his decision to travel to Spain to join the International Brigades.[12]
Carritt's wife Liesel and his brother Anthony Carritt, also decided to join the International Brigades, both of whom took part in battles against fascist forces during the war.[12] At some point during the war, he would befriend the Clem Beckett, known across Europe for his motorsport stunts.[14]
In February 1937, Carritt joined the rest of the
After the Battle of Brunete, Carritt was moved to Huete where British medical volunteers had established themselves in an old monastery. The administrator of these volunteers happened to be a man called Peter Harrisson who had been his friend when they both lived in Boars Hill. Carritt was appointed the role of political commissar in addition to his driving duties. He used his position as a political commissar to organise 'singsongs' and entertainment for anti-fascist troops.[12] He also served briefly as an assistant anaesthetist under a Dr Jolly, but soon found that he was not suited for this work.[15]
Return to England
The longer Carritt stayed in Spain following his brother's death, the greater the emotional strain on his parents.
Second World War
In 1939, following the outbreak of the
Carritt then contributed to the British war effort during World War II, he became an engineer with Fairey Aviation, helping to create military aircraft.[18]
Later life, death, and legacy
After WWII, Noel Carritt became the Head of Biology at Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.[15] He worked until retiring in 1981.[18]
Noel Carritt died in 1992, at Checkendon, Reading, Berkshire.[18]
Archival evidence concerning Noel Carritt is kept by the Marx Memorial Library.[19]
Noel Carritt's son Collin Carritt went on to lead the campaign to create the first-ever memorial to the International Brigades ever built in Oxford. The end result of this campaign was the 2017 unveiling of the Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial.[20]
References
- ^ Baxell, Richard (30 June 2015). "Oxfordshire symposium on the Spanish Civil War". Richard Bazell. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ISBN 9781847797902.
- ISBN 9781760460372.
- ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ^ "Brief biographies of each of the known volunteers with significant connections to Oxfordshire" (PDF). Oxfordshire International Memorial Brigades Committee. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ^ ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ^ ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ISBN 9781399098458.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
- ^ "First Person: Honouring the fight against fascism". Oxford Mail. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ^ ISBN 9781-910448-052.
- ^ "Noel Carritt". Marx Memorial Library. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Campbell, Georgina (11 June 2017). "GALLERY: Hundreds gather to celebrate unveiling of Spanish Civil War memorial". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 14 November 2022.