The Sandbag Times Issue No: 49

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HISTORICAL TOMMY ATKINS Welsh Miners to the Rescue By Peter Macey The Manic Street Preachers in 1998 released their album ‘This Is Our Truth, Tell Me Yours’ which featured a track called, ‘If you tolerate this, then your children will be next’ . The song was inspired by the Spanish Civil War that took place between 1936 and 1939 which involved volunteers from all over Europe but a large contingent from Wales. When unemployed Rhondda miner Harry Dobson was released from Swansea Prison in 1936 the first question he asked was, “How do I get to Spain?” Dobson had been serving a sentence for leading an anti-fascist disturbance in Tonypandy in June 1936. Around two hundred Welsh volunteers, mainly miners joined the left wing international brigade and fought for the Spanish Republic against General Franco’s fascist militia. Welsh miners were primarily Labour on communist at that time, largely from the central valleys. In truth the fight against fascism in Spain, between 1936 and 1939, drew young men and women from all over Europe to form something of a rag-tag army in defence of the democratically elected Spanish Republican Government. Dobson was one of just over thirty Welsh men to be killed serving with the International Brigades which fought to save the doomed democratically elected Spanish Republic Government. This Welsh solidarity was referred to as taking the form of an anti-fascist barricade. One of the first siege’s in the war was at Gijón. The army in support of the Republicans attacked the small garrison between July and August 1936. They laid siege to the Simancas barracks in the city of which was defended by nearly two hundred soldiers and Spanish Police who had signed up to support Franco’s movement. The battle was remarkable for its viciousness and the stubbornness of the besieged. A Nationalist uprising of July 1936 fared poorly in Asturias due to the province being overwhelmingly hostile to Franco. The area was controlled by an effective council of state officials which including technicians and miners. The numbers involved and in support of the Republic were in the region of seventy thousand. The military governor of Gijón, Colonel Pinilla did not to declare loyalty to Franco but was in the Communist leader’s pocket. This was known to all and by late July the outpost was surrounded and cut off. The battle for Gijón was marked by Pinilla's resistance to give in knowing that the attackers had virtually no weapons to speak of other than dynamite. But until they secured Gijón's fall the Republicans could not concentrate their full numbers on their siege against the nationalists on Oviedo. The defenders soon ran out of water but still Pinilla refused to give in. He believed that relief was imminent. As the same time the siege of Alcázar in Toledo was taking place at which the Anarchists abducted Pinilla's son and threatened to slay him if the defenders refused to surrender. Pinilla ignored the threat and continued his defence of the city. By mid-August the miners had stormed the barracks, hurling dynamite as they charged. The barracks burned and the defence crumbled but rather than surrender, Pinilla sent a message to the Almirante Cervera, ordering it to open fire on his position. The order was obeyed and the last defenders of Simancas barracks died in the flames. In October the following year Franco’s troops retook Gijón. Were any of your relatives involved in the Spanish Civil War? If so we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at SBT or Forgotten Veterans UK (FVUK) and tell us all about it. | 12 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
BRAND NEW Patron to The Tommy Atkins Centre
Page 1 and 2: The Veterans’ Magazine Issue 49 |
Page 3 and 4: Off The Grid A look back at the MSA
Page 5 and 6: NEWS THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE SBT N
Page 7 and 8: NEWS Lincoln veteran wins double go
Page 9 and 10: ASK KERRY Ask Kerry... Let her help
Page 11: OFF THE GRID Anyway, enough about u
Page 15 and 16: TOMMY ATKINS CENTRE Tommy Atkins Ce
Page 17 and 18: BRITISH TECH STARTUP SET TO REVOLUT
Page 19 and 20: I felt like a glass bottle of fizzy
Page 21 and 22: THE D-DAY DARLINGS www.sandbagtimes
Page 23 and 24: THE D-DAY DARLINGS You, Land of Hop
Page 26 and 27: KEVIN LLOYD-THOMAS Kevin Lloyd-Thom
Page 28 and 29: Pegasus Overland Expedition Celebra
Page 32 and 33: WWTW the walk of their choice, wear
Page 34 and 35: Veterans Raffle Help us support our
Page 36 and 37: Bristol Armed Forces and Veterans B
Page 38 and 39: Information A word from the Ed Ways
Page 40 and 41: MRS FOX GOES TO WAR Mrs Fox Goes To
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The Sandbag Times Issue No: 49

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