British Battalion (International Brigade)

THIS IS MY TRIBUTE TO THE BRITISH BATTALION To the English,Scottish,Welsh,Irish and Commonwealth men and women who went to Spain. Link below to The International Brigade Memorial Trust aims include: "To foster good citizenship by remembering those who have fallen in the Spanish Civil War by preserving, maintaining and assisting in the construction of war memorials." The International Brigade Memorial TrustThe British Battalion (1936-1938), The International Brigades ,Spanish Civil War. . Around 2,000 volunteers fought in the British Battalion during the Spanish Civil War. The unit was incorporated into the 15th International Brigades in January 1937. . The first British volunteer to be killed was Felicia Browne who died in Aragón on 25th August 1936, during an attempt to blow up a rebel munition train. . Men from Britain who fought with the Republican Army included George Orwell, Christopher Caudwell, Jack Jones, Len Crome, Tom Winteringham, Fred Copeman, Tom Murray, Joe Garber, Lou Kenton, Bill Alexander, David Marshall, Alfred Sherman, Ralph Fox, Sam Wild and John Cornford. . After failing to take Madrid by frontal assault General Francisco Franco gave orders for the road that linked the city to the rest of Republican Spain to be cut. A Nationalist force of 40,000 men, including men from the Army of Africa, crossed the Jarama River on 11th February. . General José Miaja sent three International Brigades including the Dimitrov Battalion and the British Battalion to the Jarama Valley to block the advance. On 12th February, at what became known as Suicide Hill, the Republicans suffered heavy casualties. Tom Winteringham, the British commander, was forced to order a retreat back to the next ridge. The Nationalist then advanced up Suicide Hill and were then routed by Republican machine-gun fire. . However, on the right flank, the Nationalists forced the Dimitrov Battalion to retreat. This enabled the Nationalists to virtually surround the British Battalion. Coming under heavy fire the British, now only 160 out of the original 600, had to establish defensive positions along a sunken road. Unwilling to attack again, the Nationalist Army retreated. . On 6th July 1937, the Popular Front government launched a major offensive in an attempt to relieve the threat to Madrid. General Vicente Rojo sent the International Brigades, including the British Battalion, to Brunete, challenging Nationalist control of the western approaches to the capital. The 80,000 Republican soldiers made good early progress but they were brought to a halt when General Francisco Franco brought up his reserves. . On 25th September 1938, Juan Negrin, head of the Republican government, announced for diplomatic reasons that the International Brigades would be unilaterally withdrawn from Spain. However, General Francisco Franco failed to reciprocate and German and Italian forces remained to continue the struggle. . Before leaving for home Sam Wild, commander of the British Battalion, was quoted as saying: "The British Battalion is prepared to carry on the work begun here to see to it that our 500 comrades who sleep for ever beneath Spanish soil shall serve as an example to the entire British people in the struggle against fascism." . Fighting in hot summer weather, the Internationals suffered heavy losses. Three hundred were captured and they were later found dead with their legs cut off. All told, the Republic lost 25,000 men. This included 260 men of the British Battalion. . The British Battalion were responsible for capturing Purburell Hill at Quinto (August 1937). They also suffered high casualties defending Teruel in 1938 and Ebro (July/August 1938). It is estimated that of the 2,000 soldiers in the British Battalion, 500 were killed and 1,200 were seriously wounded..The British Battalion in Spain ..