Stockton’s Jarama Commemoration 2023

On 12th February the British Battalion were to face Franco’s ‘moors’ of the Army of Africa who were spearheading the Nationalist advance. The XV Brigade were told to take up positions facing the Jarama River. Positioned on the far left was the Spanish XXI Battalion, then the British, the French-Belgian Battalion and finally the Dimitrov Battalion on the far right of the defensive line; the Lincoln Battalion was stationed behind the Dimitrov’s in reserve.

The 15th Brigade ran straight into Moroccan troops of the Rebel 2nd Brigade under Colonel Sáenz de Buruaga, which had crossed the Pindoque bridge after Barrón and moved rapidly south. Attempting to defend a series of rolling hills and knolls, the British battalion was outflanked and utterly decimated by the advancing Moroccan Regulares, with the French and Balkan units also soon retreating desperately for Hill 700 to the northeast, where they linked up with the 11th Brigade. For the British, attempting to hold ‘Suicide Hill’, this first day of combat was the very definition of a baptism of fire.
Fighting for Spain – Alexander Clifford.

[Extract from I sing of my comrades: remembering Stockton’s International Brigaders]

At 11am on 12th February 2023 we assembed to commemorate the British Battalion and the men from Teesside we lost their lives at Jarama.

On the 12th February 1937 the British Battalion of the XV International Brigade faced it’s first battle, by the evening of the first day the 600 strong Battalion had been reduced to 250 men. In the Afternoon of 13th February Bert Overton of Stockton took command of the British Battalion and led them until reinforcements arrived on the morning of the 14th February.

Four Teesside volunteers lost their lives at Jarama; George Bright and David Halloran were killed in battle, whilst Thomas Carter and John Unthank died as a result of wounds sustained in the Battle.

George Brown was the Communist Party District secretary for Lancashire, like George Short he approved the volunteers for Spain, one such was Sam Wild, who would later Command the British Battalion. The words of Sam’s son, Mike; “Our open eyes could see no other way” accompanies our memorial.

George Brown, who was killed in the Battle of Brunette in July 1937 wrote a report of the British Battalion’s commemoration of the Jarama fallen.

This report was read out to those assembled to commemorate the volunteers for liberty. George Brown reports on the memorial service held by the members of the British Battalion in Apri 1937. four of the Stockton volunteers will have taken part in the memorial service, with a fifth, George Bright being commemorated.

On the afternoon of 29th April only a few of the comrades of the Battalion are in the trenches keeping guard. The rest are a few yards behind the trenches, lined up in military formation. They are holding a memorial service to their comrades who have fallen in this sector and whose rough made graves are all around. George Brown April 1937

George Brown goes on to quote from George Aitken who had recently been promoted to XV International Brigade Commissar from the British Battalion Commissar.

“They were our Friends” he says, “We had come to know then intimately. They shared our joys and sorrows in the days of training. They fought side by side with us in fierce battles. They lived with us day and night in the trenches, shared the same dug-outs, stood on guard by our side, shivered with us in the cold nights and huddled close to us when on many a night the rain poured down in torrents. How could we help growing fond of them and sorrowing at their passing. They lie here now sleeping their long last sleep.” George Brown April 1937

After flowers were lain at the memorial a minutes silence was held.

Bob Beagrie has been a constant at our Volunteers for liberty events, and once again he graciously agreed to read the poetry at Stockton’s Jarama commemoration.

Dr Bob read – To England from the English Dead, written by Miles Tomalin

  • We, who were English once had eyes and saw
  • The savage greed of those who made this war
  • Tear up from earth, like a hog loose in flowers
  • So many lives as young and strong as ours,
  • You, England, stood apart from Spain’s affair,
  • You said you were secure in sea and cliff
  • While others sank in filthy war, as if
  • You kept some old virginity in there.
  • While the black armies marched and the dead fell,
  • You told your English people all was well,
  • And shutting eyes to war was finding peace.
  • You told them once, all slavery must cease.
  • Dishonourable England!
  • We in Spain who died, died proudly, but not in your name;
  • Our friends will keep the love we felt for you
  • Among your most green landscapes and smooth hills,
  • Talk of it over honest window sills
  • And teach our children we were not untrue.
  • Not for those others, more like alien men
  • Who, quick to please our slayers, let them pass,
  • Not for them
  • We English lie beneath the Spanish grass.

Miles Tomalin served in the XV International Brigade anti-tank battery alongside Teesside volunteers Tommy Chilvers and Otto Estensen, famously Miles can be seen playing his recorder in the iconic anti-tank picture which also shows Otto playing his Mandolin.

Then Bob read his own composition Vagabonds, which begins with a quote from Laurie Lee, who served in the British Battalion.

‘We were an uneven lot, large and small, mostly young, hollow-cheeked, ragged, pale, the sons of depressed and uneasy Europe’ Laurie Lee – A Moment of War

  • Inconvenient on home turf with your unsavoury beliefs
  • but far from unloved. Invisible only
  • to those with titles and a seat at the table.
  • Unexpected, you came to lend a hand. Smuggled
  • over borders that turned a blind eye, drawn
  • to so much rawness in vineyards and olive groves
  • torn from the soft hands of gentlemen.
  • You composed anthems
  • for your blacklisted histories,
  • I recognise those tunes.
  • Snows melt on the Sierra. Battle lines
  • scribbled on archaic maps. The evenings full
  • of flambéed voices on radio broadcasts
  • from underground bunkers.
  • You lived afterwards and always
  • as Christ in the winepress
  • under a corpse-soiled shawl of suspicion.
Dr Bob has just released his latest publication – The Last Almanac, which can be found at https://www.waterstones.com/author/bob-beagrie/314895 along with his previous works.
The commemoration finale was a rousing rendition of  the Peter Seegar version of Jarama Valley. This was performed by a group of The Golden Smog  regulars who were performing together for the first time.
Tom – Drums
Alan – Harmonics/vocals
Craig – Guitar
Chris – Mandolin
Jo – Vocals
Kaz – Vocals
They go by various names: the Smog singers, Roc Co Co, Smogtasia and some best left unmentioned, but one thing not in doubt was their superb performance. It can be seen on The Golden Smog Basketball team Facebook page here – https://www.facebook.com/goldensmogbasketball/videos/582025230472443/
Martin Beall and John Christie of the Golden Smog Warriors have made a huge contribution to the Stockton IB memorial, in fact without them it would not be here. Martin spoke of the Golden Smog Warriors, how they had been inspired by the Volunteers, saying:
We are very proud of the part we’ve played in remembering these remarkable local people.

Martin then explained that at Stockton Sixth Form College the GSW Gold team were to face Stockton Shadows in the Durham league. The tip was at 1:15pm. The team were proud to wear the Spanish (Gold) kit and were to have a moment of applause for George, David, Thomas and John before tip.

As always entrance was free and there was free tea and coffee, and especially for the occassion free cake.
We now look forward to the dedication of our memorial on Sunday 23rd April 2023 –https://fb.me/e/1VYSvzwu3

 

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