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Spanish Civil War Veteran(s)

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Roughly 3,000 Americans served in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade of volunteers during the Spanish Civil War; Delmer Berg (b.1915) is believed to be the last of them - he lives in California.

 

Delmer Berg dies: http://www.uniondemocrat.com/obituaries/4052247-151/death-notices-for-march-1-2016

 

The NY Times obit for Mr. Berg is at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/delmer-berg-last-survivor-of-abraham-lincoln-brigade-dies-at-100.html?

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Report of the death of Stanley Hilton, the last UK member of the International Brigade. https://twitter.com/IBMT_SCW/status/789478295599509505

 

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_veterans_of_the_Spanish_Civil_War

 

So he did pasaran.

 

 

 

Yes. Here's a story on him from around three years ago: http://www.richardbaxell.info/stan-hilton/

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He was in Spain at the Front for less time than your average BT engineer :lol:

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http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Communist-Poet-Longest-Serving-Prisoner-of-Franco-Dies-at-96-20161125-0001.html

 

Marcos Ana, a lifelong Communist and anti-fascist, and the longest serving prisoner of the Franco regime died on Thursday in Madrid at age 96.

Marcos Ana, born Fernando Macarro Castillo, was a celebrated poet, lifelong Communist, and perhaps best known as the man who spent the most time imprisoned by the fascist regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco regime. Jailed by Franco at the age of 19, he was released 23 years later, in 1961, thanks to an international solidarity campaign led by the likes of Pablo Neruda.

 

"I am a child of solidarity. It’s not just a beautiful word; it’s an attitude towards injustice, which is still necessary. I owe it my liberty and my life," said Ana.

 

ANALYSIS:

Second Spanish Republic Holds Valuable Lessons

 

Born to a humble family in Salamanca, Spain in 1920, he left school at 13 to work to support his family and soon joined the young Socialists of Spain rising to become a regional secretary just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. During the war, he joined the Communist Party of Spain and played a key role in the opposition to Franco.

 

Captured by Franco's forces in 1939, he would spend the next 23 years in jail, surviving two death sentences, torture, and multiple beatings. While in prison, Ana continued his political work. Along with fellow Communists, anarchists and artists he created a clandestine newspaper and offered tutorials to fellow inmates.

 

It was in prison that he also began writing poems under the pseudonym Marcos Ana, named after his father who was killed by Franco's forces in 1937 as well as his mother who died while he was in prison. The poems, smuggled out by prison guards and comrades who had memorized the lines before being released, were eventually compiled and sent to a printer in Brazil. The publication in Brazil of his first volume of poetry, "Poems From Prison," brought him to the attention of Pablo Neruda, who would go on to spearhead the international campaign for Ana´s release, along with the newly-formed Amnesty International.

 

RELATED:

40 Years After Franco, People Demand Truth and Justice in Spain

 

After his release in 1961, Ana continued his activism in exile in France as head of the Center for Information and Solidarity with Spain which included Pablo Picasso as an honorary president. From France as a member of the central committee of Spain's Communist Party, Ana toured the world organizing aid and solidarity campaigns for fellow exiles and opponents of Franco.

 

In a speech in London in 1962, Ana said, "The only revenge to which I aspire is to see the triumph of the noble ideals of freedom and social justice, for which we have fought and for which thousands of Spanish democrats lost their freedom or their lives."

 

He returned to Spain in 1976 after the death of Franco and ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Community Party in the 1977 elections.

 

During his birthdays, he would subtract the 23 years he spent in jail from his age and often remarked that he felt he had been born twice, first on the day of his birth and later when he was finally released from prison on Nov. 17, 1961. In 2007 he published his memoirs "Tell Me What a Tree Looks Like: Memories of Prison and Life," with a foreword by Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, and to which Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar acquired the film rights in 2008.

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Bad day for commies.

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Marcos Ana is another hit for the Italian Deathlist. Two hits in two days after two different daily doubles during the year.

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On 08/21/2017 at 16:58, gcreptile said:

After the death of Yisrael Kristal, oldest man alive is now Francisco Nunez Oliveira, a Spanish Civil War veteran, aged 112:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_supercentenarians#Francisco_N.C3.BA.C3.B1ez_Olivera

 

He had his kidney removed at 90.

 

 

And as we now know from the Oldest folk thread, now dead.

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Marcelino Camachos widow, Josefina Sampar at 90.

 

  Big cheese in the Communist Party of Spain after the Civil War, especially on the Cumman na mBan styleee side. Married a bigger cheese, so couldve gone in widows/communist threads, but even tho she was 12, she was involved in the Civil War.

 

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On ‎21‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 21:09, CoffinLodger said:

Looks like Stan Hilton wasn't the last British survivor after all.

 

Geoffrey Servante Obit: http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/content/farewell-geoffrey-servante-our-last-man-standing

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According to Wikipedia there are still 39 of them alive, however two are listed twice (changed sides), so actually there are 37 of them.

30 from the Republican (Government before war, supported by the Soviet Union, France and Mexico) side, 9 from the Nationalist (Military and monarchists, supported by the nazis and Italy) side.

 

Republicans:

Vincent Almudéver (1917-2022) One of the two French veterans alive. Served in Unified Socialist Youth.

Juan José Astobiza (birth date unknown-?) Served in the Basque army.

Maria "Rosariet" Rosario Llin Belda (born 1922) Spanish Republican army volunteer nurse.

Ramon Barons Borellas (1920-2021) Spanish Republican army, 224th Battalion.

Juan Mariné Bruguera (born 1920) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón. Became a filmmaker after the war.

Andreu Canet Català (1920-2022) Spanish Republican army, 224th Brigade.

Tomàs Dalmau Colom (1920-2022) Spanish Republican army.

Miquel Morera Darbra (born 1922) Spanish Republican army.

Alejandro del Amo Diaz (1920-2022) Unified Socialist Youth Meabe Battalion, served in the Basque Army.

Santos Cortés Esparraguera (born 1921) Spanish Republican army, 70th Brigade.

Ignacio Ernabide (1917-2023) Basque Army, PNV Loiola Battalion. Also served as an instructor.

Simó Gallart (1920-2023) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón.

Mateo Balbuena Iglesias (born 1913) Spanish Republican army and Basque army. Leandro Carro Battalion of PCE, lieutenant in the Spanish Republican army. Became a writer after the war.

Alfons Cànovas Lapuente (1917-2021) Spanish Republican army.

Gabriel Nogues Martikorena (1920-2022) Basque army.

Josep Edurard Almudéver Mateu (1919-2021) The other of the two French veterans alive. Intenational Brigades 129th Brigade, Spanish Republican army.

Josep Herms Mateu (1920-2023) Spanish Republican Forces, Nationalist army. Assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured and pressured into joining the Nationalist army.

Artur Tomàs Mercader (1918-2023) Spanish Republican army. Spotter in an artillery unit.

Miguel de Miguel Montañés (1921-2023) Spanish Republican Air Force, served in a bomber unit.

Martín Arnal Mur (1921-2021) CNT-FAI, last CNT-FAI veteran.

Salvador Farrés Oliveras (born 1920) Spanish Republican army.

Ángeles Flórez Peón (born 1918) Unified Socialist Youth cook and a nurse.

Julián Pérez (born 1919) Unified Socialist Youth, Nationalist army. Joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Stretcher bearer.

Vincens Piñón (born 1918) Spanish Republican army, medic.

Andrés Pons (born 1917) Spanish Republican army, lieutenant.

Joan/Juan Pons (birth date unknown, 1921/1922) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón

Josep Randé Riba (1919-2018?) International Brigades, Rakosi Battalion.

Josep Sala (1919-2021) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón.

Salvador Toledo (born 1919) Spanish Republican Assault Guard, last alive veteran of the Guard.

Jaume Navarro Torras (1920-2022) Spanish Republican army.

 

Nationalists:

Pedro Placeres Alpuin (1920-2023) Nationalist army.

José Pérez Casalderrey (born 1919) Nationalist army.

Andrés Díaz de Rábago (1917-2022) Nationalist army, now a Jesuit priest in Taiwan.

José López López (born 1916) Nationalist army, later joined the Blue Division.

Domenico Maiorano (1916-2022) Italian Royal Navy. Last Italian veteran.

Josep Herms Mateu (1920-2023) Mentioned above: Spanish Republican Forces, Nationalist army. Assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured and pressured into joining the Nationalist army.

José Fernández Olmo (born 1919) Nationalist army.

Julián Pérez (born 1919) Mentioned above: Unified Socialist Youth, Nationalist army. Joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Stretcher bearer.

Jesús Revesado (born 1918) Nationalist army, 13th Battalion.

 

 

   
   
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14 minutes ago, arghton said:

According to Wikipedia there are still 39 of them alive, however two are listed twice (changed sides), so actually there are 37 of them.

30 from the Republican (Government before war, supported by the Soviet Union, France and Mexico) side, 9 from the Nationalist (Military and monarchists, supported by the nazis and Italy) side.


That's a weird page – I used to contribute to it years ago as the International Bridge names started falling off, then it quickly became clear that there were many many more out there than first thought. New names are often added to that list periodically, BUT they are just the ones who have been mentioned by sites online somewhere. In reality there will be many more people who fought in the Spanish Civil War still alive. Still a few years left to go before we'll realistically be down to the "last" bunch from that conflict.

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On 08/03/2021 at 13:06, arghton said:

According to Wikipedia there are still 39 of them alive, however two are listed twice (changed sides), so actually there are 37 of them.

30 from the Republican (Government before war, supported by the Soviet Union, France and Mexico) side, 9 from the Nationalist (Military and monarchists, supported by the nazis and Italy) side.

 

Republicans:

 

Josep Randé Riba (born 1919) International Brigades, Rakosi Battalion.

Note that Rande Riba seems to have battled his last in 2018: 

 

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On 08/03/2021 at 13:06, arghton said:

According to Wikipedia there are still 39 of them alive, however two are listed twice (changed sides), so actually there are 37 of them.

30 from the Republican (Government before war, supported by the Soviet Union, France and Mexico) side, 9 from the Nationalist (Military and monarchists, supported by the nazis and Italy) side.

 

Republicans:

Vincent Almudéver (born 1917) One of the two French veterans alive. Served in Unified Socialist Youth.

Juan José Astobiza (birth date unknown) Served in the Basque army.

Maria "Rosariet" Rosario Llin Belda (born 1922) Spanish Republican army volunteer nurse.

Ramon Barons Borellas (born 1920) Spanish Republican army, 224th Battalion.

Juan Mariné Bruguera (born 1920) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón. Became a filmmaker after the war.

Andreu Canet Català (born 1920) Spanish Republican army, 224th Brigade.

Tomàs Dalmau Colom (born 1920) Spanish Republican army.

Miquel Morera Darbra (born 1922) Spanish Republican army.

Alejandro del Amo Diaz (born 1920) Unified Socialist Youth Meabe Battalion, served in the Basque Army.

Santos Cortés Esparraguera (born 1921) Spanish Republican army, 70th Brigade.

Ignacio Ernabide (born 1917) Basque Army, PNV Loiola Battalion. Also served as an instructor.

Simó Gallart (born 1920) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón.

Mateo Balbuena Iglesias (born 1913) Spanish Republican army and Basque army. Leandro Carro Battalion of PCE, lieutenant in the Spanish Republican army. Became a writer after the war.

Alfons Cànovas Lapuente (born 1917) Spanish Republican army.

Gabriel Nogues Martikorena (born 1920) Basque army.

Josep Edurard Almudéver Mateu (born 1919) The other of the two French veterans alive. Intenational Brigades 129th Brigade, Spanish Republican army.

Josep Herms Mateu (born 1920) Spanish Republican Forces, Nationalist army. Assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured and pressured into joining the Nationalist army.

Artur Tomàs Mercader (born 1918) Spanish Republican army. Spotter in an artillery unit.

Miguel de Miguel Montañés (born 1921) Spanish Republican Air Force, served in a bomber unit.

Martín Arnal Mur (born 1921) CNT-FAI, last CNT-FAI veteran.

Salvador Farrés Oliveras (born 1920) Spanish Republican army.

Ángeles Flórez Peón (born 1918) Unified Socialist Youth cook and a nurse.

Julián Pérez (born 1919) Unified Socialist Youth, Nationalist army. Joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Stretcher bearer.

Vincens Piñón (born 1918) Spanish Republican army, medic.

Andrés Pons (born 1917) Spanish Republican army, lieutenant.

Joan/Juan Pons (birth date unknown, 1921-1922) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón

Josep Randé Riba (born 1919) International Brigades, Rakosi Battalion.

Josep Sala (born 1919) Spanish Republican army, La quinta del biberón.

Salvador Toledo (born 1919) Spanish Republican Assault Guard, last alive veteran of the Guard.

Jaume Navarro Torras (born 1920) Spanish Republican army.

 

Nationalists:

Pedro Placeres Alpuin (born 1920) Nationalist army.

José Pérez Casalderrey (born 1919) Nationalist army.

Andrés Díaz de Rábago (born 1917) Nationalist army, now a Jesuit priest in Taiwan.

José López López (born 1916) Nationalist army, later joined the Blue Division.

Domenico Maiorano (born 1916) Italian Royal Navy. Last Italian veteran.

Josep Herms Mateu (born 1920) Mentioned above: Spanish Republican Forces, Nationalist army. Assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured and pressured into joining the Nationalist army.

José Fernández Olmo (born 1919) Nationalist army.

Julián Pérez (born 1919) Mentioned above: Unified Socialist Youth, Nationalist army. Joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Stretcher bearer.

Jesús Revesado (born 1918) Nationalist army, 13th Battalion.

 


Alfons Cànovas Lapuente died in March aged 103.

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On 08/03/2021 at 10:06, arghton said:

According to Wikipedia there are still 39 of them alive, however two are listed twice (changed sides), so actually there are 37 of them.

30 from the Republican (Government before war, supported by the Soviet Union, France and Mexico) side, 9 from the Nationalist (Military and monarchists, supported by the nazis and Italy) side.

 

Republicans:

 

Martín Arnal Mur (born 1921) CNT-FAI, last CNT-FAI veteran.

Dead

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Recent video on Luis Torras Martinez (Galician wiki), Spanish civil war vet and painter. He's 109, seems to have been deaf/nearly deaf since the war but in a pretty good condition for someone his age.

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