If the British Government had had its wits about it back in 1936 it would be fair to say that they could of saved millions of lives let alone avoided mass suffering around much of the world as a result of the 1939-1945 world war. There are accounts of how the British Government actually went out of its way to prevent volunteers from signing up!

A very interesting programme on the efforts that the more clued up working class men and women made back then inorder to give their support in the fight against the advances of fascism. It can be heard here (unfortunately you only have two days left to hear this important story from those that lived it) :

The Last of the International Brigaders:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yw5tv

Further dates regarding the International Brigade:

1-27 March 2011: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibition at Southampton Solent University, Sir James Matthews Building, 157-187 Above Bar Street,Southampton SO147NN; 9am-5pm
Mon-Fri (4.30pmonFri).

4 March 2011: Fundraisingevent for International Brigademusical “GoodbyeBarcelona”
at EuropeHouse, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P3EU; 4pm-6:30pm: to apply for
tickets: [ contact@goodbyebarcelona.com].

5 March 2011: IBMT’s annual Len Crome Memorial Lecture, “¡Salud! The British Contribution to the Republican Medical Services during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939” by Linda Palfreeman; 2:30pm, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE16HZ; earlier, from
11am, a tribute inwords, music and film to former IBMT Chair Sam Lesser and Brigaders who
have died in the past 12months.Contact IBMT
Secretary

9-12March2011: “ACrimeofCompassion”by Steve Aspinall, a play about International Brigaders; Actors’ Studio, 36 Seal Street, Liverpool L14BE; 7:30pm; boxoffice: 0151-709
9034

28 March-16April: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibition at the Great Hall, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO238PJ; 10am-5pm; [www3.hants.gov.uk/greathall].

22-24 April2011: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibitionat the Leaf Hall Community Arts Centre,
51 Seaside, Eastbourne BN227NB as part of Eastbourne Festival of Arts and Culture; Good
Friday: 12pm-5pm; Easter Saturday: 10am-5pm; Easter Sunday 10am-4pm; [www.leafhall.co.uk].

26April-13May2011: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibition at University of Portsmouth Library,
Cambridge Road, Portsmouth PO12ST; 8am-6:30pm; more information: [www.port.ac.uk/
library/essentials/open].

16-28May2011: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibition at the Irish Labour History Society
Museum, Beggars Bush Barracks, Haddington Road, Dublin 4; 10:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri;
[ http://ilhm.tripod.com/museum.html]; tel: (+353) 1-6681071.

21May2011: Lecture: “Irish Volunteers in the British Battalion”byRichardBaxell; 4pm; Irish
Labour History Society Museum, Dublin(see details above).

2-25 June 2011: IBMT’s “Antifascistas” exhibition in the Library, Market Street, Kidderminster,
Worcs DY101AB; 9am-5:30pm (8pm on Tues and 7pm on Weds/Thurs); [www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/community-and-living/librariesand-
learning/local-library-details].