International Brigade Banner
Sam Lesser
Jack Jones
Penny Feiwel
Paddy Cochrane
Lou Kenton
Bob Doyle
Jack Edwards
Volunteers came largely from working class areas across the country. Most were members of communist organisations or otherwise active in the trade unions and other socialist bodies, and their average age was 29.
Seventy years later there are relatively few still alive and active enough to attend the commemoration, but it was good to see seven there. They were Jack Jones who chaired the event, Sam Lesser who spoke and read, as well as Bob Doyle, Paddy Cochrane, Lou Kenton, Jack Edwards and a surprisingly spy Penny Feiwel. As usual there was a reading of the names of those known to have died since the previous year's meeting.
Rodney Bickerstaff's address raised the problem of keeping alive the memory of those who responded to the call to help the Spanish Republic, but attendances at this annual event seem to have increased over recent years. There was certainly more media interest than on previous occasions, in part because of the attendance of the Spanish Ambassador and his wife, reflecting the increasing interest from Spain; he also gave a brief speech. It was pointed out it would be nice to see a representative of the UK government present.
As usual, the event concluded with the singing of the 'Internationale'.
More pictures on my web site shortly. For more about the Spanish Civil War see the International Brigade Memorial Trust web site at
http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/
e-mail:
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
A Wider Base.
18.07.2006 22:20
You possibly saw the BBC program broadcast to put down the International Brigade. I know some of the things said were straight lies. Odd that they did not mention the most discreditable items, Does anyone know who Hemmingway was talking to when saying that the image was more important than the truth.
That most discreditable item may be hidden with a lie. A lie told to avoid heartbreak to an innocent is easily forgiven, and the teller rises in the estimation of that supposed innocent who is well informed.
There were Wobblies and Anarchists who went into the International Brigade.
In Harry Pollit's papers in a Manchester Museum of Labour History is a request from the Internaqtional Brigade for a song they called the Homeless Girl. The British Communist Party were unable to find it. Why did the Brigade ask for a non existent song? They must have heard someone singing a song about a homeless girl, who had not put the title to it. Then something stopped them hearing it anymore. Probably, the singer was shot. Anyone got a more probable explanation?
A song about a homeless girl is uploaded with this - if I have done it right it should be avilable to you in MP3 format as Alfred Esteban Cortez singing The White Slave.
Ilyan
A Wider Base.
18.07.2006 22:25
Download: Homeless Girl - White Slave - mp3 3.2M
You possibly saw the BBC program broadcast to put down the International Brigade. I know some of the things said were straight lies. Odd that they did not mention the most discreditable items, Does anyone know who Hemmingway was talking to when saying that the image was more important than the truth.
That most discreditable item may be hidden with a lie. A lie told to avoid heartbreak to an innocent is easily forgiven, and the teller rises in the estimation of that supposed innocent who is well informed.
There were Wobblies and Anarchists who went into the International Brigade.
In Harry Pollit's papers in a Manchester Museum of Labour History is a request from the Internaqtional Brigade for a song they called the Homeless Girl. The British Communist Party were unable to find it. Why did the Brigade ask for a non existent song? They must have heard someone singing a song about a homeless girl, who had not put the title to it. Then something stopped them hearing it anymore. Probably, the singer was shot. Anyone got a more probable explanation?
A song about a homeless girl is uploaded with this - if I have done it right it should be avilable to you in MP3 format as Alfred Esteban Cortez singing The White Slave.
Ilyan