Homage to Caledonia by Daniel Gray sampler
The Spanish civil war was a call to arms for 2,300 British volunteers, of which over 500 were from Scotland. The first book of its kind, Homage to Caledonia examines Scotland's role in the conflict, detailing exactly why Scottish involvement was so profound. The book moves chronologically through events and places, firstly surveying the landscape in contemporary Scotland before describing volunteers' journeys to Spain, and then tracing their every involvement from arrival to homecoming (or not). There is also an account of the non-combative role, from fundraising for Spain and medical aid, to political manoeuvrings within the volatile Scottish left. Using a wealth of previously-unpublished letters sent back from the front as well as other archival items, Daniel Gray is able to tell little known stories of courage in conflict, and to call into question accepted versions of events such as the 'murder' of Bob Smillie, or the heroism of 'The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel'. Homage to Caledonia offers a very human take on events in Spain: for every tale of abject distress in a time of war, there is a tale of a Scottish volunteer urinating in his general's boots, knocking back a dram with Errol Flynn or appalling Spanish comrades with his pipe playing. For the first time, read the fascinating story of Caledonia's role in this seminal conflict.
The Spanish civil war was a call to arms for 2,300 British volunteers, of which over 500 were from Scotland. The first book of its kind, Homage to Caledonia examines Scotland's role in the conflict, detailing exactly why Scottish involvement was so profound. The book moves chronologically through events and places, firstly surveying the landscape in contemporary Scotland before describing volunteers' journeys to Spain, and then tracing their every involvement from arrival to homecoming (or not). There is also an account of the non-combative role, from fundraising for Spain and medical aid, to political manoeuvrings within the volatile Scottish left. Using a wealth of previously-unpublished letters sent back from the front as well as other archival items, Daniel Gray is able to tell little known stories of courage in conflict, and to call into question accepted versions of events such as the 'murder' of Bob Smillie, or the heroism of 'The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel'. Homage to Caledonia offers a very human take on events in Spain: for every tale of abject distress in a time of war, there is a tale of a Scottish volunteer urinating in his general's boots, knocking back a dram with Errol Flynn or appalling Spanish comrades with his pipe playing. For the first time, read the fascinating story of Caledonia's role in this seminal conflict.
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Contents<br />
Preface <strong>to</strong> This Edition 11<br />
Foreword <strong>by</strong> Tony Benn 13<br />
Map 14<br />
Chronology 15<br />
Introduction 17<br />
Acknowledgements 20<br />
Part i:<br />
From One Struggle <strong>to</strong> Another<br />
Chapter 1 Connecting the Fight: Scotland in the 1930s 23<br />
Chapter 2 Bonny Voyage: Leaving Scotland, Arriving in Spain 37<br />
Chapter 3 Early Action: Brunete and Jarama 47<br />
Chapter 4 ‘Esta noche <strong>to</strong>dos muer<strong>to</strong>s’: Prisoners of Franco 57<br />
Chapter 5 Eating Onions as Apples: Life as a Volunteer 69<br />
Chapter 6 With the Best of Intentions: The Scottish Ambulance Unit 85<br />
Chapter 7 Red Nightingales: Nursing Volunteers 93<br />
Part ii:<br />
Scotland’s War<br />
Chapter 8 The Home Front: Scottish Aid for Republican Spain 103<br />
Chapter 9 A Home Guard: the Reaction of Relatives 119<br />
Chapter 10 Scots for Franco: The Friends of National Spain 125<br />
Chapter 11 The Red, Red Heart of the World: Scotland’s ‘Other’ Left 141<br />
Part iii:<br />
Spanish S<strong>to</strong>ries, and Endings<br />
Chapter 12 Murder or Circumstance? The Bob Smillie S<strong>to</strong>ry 155<br />
Chapter 13 The Scots Scarlet Pimpernel: Ethel MacDonald 167<br />
Chapter 14 Last Heroic Acts: Aragon and the Ebro 177<br />
Chapter 15 Far from Perfect? Criticism and Dissent 191<br />
Chapter 16 The Unbitter End: Going Home and Being Home 199<br />
Chapter 17 ‘Something <strong>to</strong> be proud of’: Conclusions 209<br />
Interviews and Printed Material Quoted 212<br />
Archival Sources 213<br />
Bibliography 215<br />
Index 216<br />
9
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