Oldham Parish Church hosts Spanish civil war film with local speakers

Oldham Parish Church, Manchester's Methodist Central Hall and Salford's Working Class Movement Library were venues for a film and talks about local men and others who fought for democracy during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. 

In Oldham, speakers Rob Hargreaves, Graham Briggs, Dolores Long and Hilary Jones met Canon Daniel Burton, Vicar of St Mary St Peter, for a screening of a new film called The Brigaders' Return.

It contains archive 1930s film footage about the International Brigade volunteers' return home to Britain after fighting in Spain. 

Oldham Parish Church is home to an International Brigade memorial for local men who fought in Spain.

And Canon Burton was presented with a copy of Rob Hargreaves' book about Oldham's Clem Beckett at the event. 

Ten men from the Oldham area travelled to Spain and just four returned home.

The six who died were Harry Roland Heap, Clem Beckett, Joseph Maynard Lees, Kenneth Bradbury, Clifford Wolstencroft and William Jackson. 

The four survivors were Albert Charlesworth, Charles Armitage, Joseph Buckley and Charles Hanson.

Today, Graham Briggs and Rob Hargreaves are involved in International Brigade projects in Oldham, Saddleworth and Rochdale.

They have hosted previous Spanish Civil War talks including about Clem Beckett, who was a dare-devil motorcyclist before going to Spain.

Rob said: "Over 40 people attended the Oldham Parish Church event.

"It was very emotional and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"New life has been breathed into the old film footage, with new sound, narrations, graphics and other content."

Volunteers from around the world joined the International Brigade and travelled to Spain between 1936-38 to defend its democratically-elected government against a coup by General Francisco Franco, who was supported by Hitler's Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy.

Because of the countries and issues involved, the Spanish Civil War is often seen as the 'first battle' of the Second World War.

Rob and Graham have given talks at Oldham Library, in Saddleworth and in Waterstones bookshops in Oldham and Manchester. 

Graham has also worked with Touchstones Museum in Rochdale.

The other speakers were Dolores Long, from Manchester, and Hilary Jones, from Wilmslow.

They are the daughters of Manchester's Sam Wild, who was Commander of the British Battalion of the International Brigade.

Dolores,who now lives in Whalley Range but grew up in Longsight, Manchester, said: "My father, like other men and women from the north-west, was prepared to leave home and fight for democracy in Spain.

"The very moving film we showed captured the emotional return of the brigaders to Britain at the end of their brave fight."

In the 1980s, Manchester City Council put up a blue history plaque at the council house where Dolores grew up in Birchall Lane, Longsight, highlighting Sam Wild and the International Brigade.

Today, Manchester Central Library houses the city's International Brigade memorial.

Dolores and Hilary also spoke at a film showing at Manchester's Methodist Central Hall while Stuart Walsh hosted a screening at Salford's Working Class Movement Library.

They are all in the International Brigade Memorial Trust.

It is a charity which promotes Spanish Civil War awareness, looks after graves and memorials of volunteers, and campaigns for the civil war to be part of UK school history lessons.

The trust also considers how past events from the Franco era effect Spain today, such as the debate over independence for Catalonia.  

Franco remained in power until 1975 and many people fled Spain over his decades of dictatorship to settle elsewhere including Greater Manchester. 

Books have also been published about other north-west individuals including Manchester nurse Madge Addy.

She helped injured volunteer fighters in Spain and later became a spy for Britain and its Allies during the Second World War.

In addition to the British men and women who volunteered with the International Brigade, the Aid Spain movement and other 1930s activity, Spanish refugees including children came to Britain, staying across the north-west including Watermillock near Bolton.

So there are many connections with the Spanish Civil War.

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