THIS year’s annual Teesside Volunteers for Liberty commemoration was held for the first time in Hartlepool’s marvellous Heugh Battery Museum on Sunday October 27. 

We were very lucky in that the rain held off and we were blessed with fine weather, thus it was beneath cold but clear blue skies that visitors, supporters and relatives of volunteers heard from Cllr Carole Thompson, the mayor of Hartlepool, who began the day by welcoming everyone to the town and the wonderful Heugh Battery Museum.

Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool’s sitting MP, followed her by speaking about how the example of the International Brigades inspires us to take action to right wrongs today. Doc Ritchie, representing the Communist Party of Britain, related the struggle in Spain to more local and contemporary struggles. 

We were honoured to have members of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) joining us for the day; Julio Romano-Johnson told us of the reforms begun by the Republican government which were halted by the civil war and Franco’s victory, and he related these to the reforms which are needed in contemporary Spain.

Messages of support were read out from the KFSR — the German Friends of the International Brigade — and the Basque Children of ’37 Association UK. Alan Short, the grandson of George Short, was unable to attend. He sent a message which included: “My grandfather who organised many of those from Teesside who went to fight fascism and defend democracy in Spain had the Tommy Chilvers Plaque on his office wall in Middlesbrough to remind him of those brave men who died in Spain.”

Relatives of volunteers who also could not make it sent messages: Maureen Miller, the niece of David Holloran sent her love. Elizabeth Estensen, daughter of Otto Esensen, told us: “Please be aware that I shall be with you in spirit — if not in the flesh!” Maggie Lee-Gray also sent an emotional message addressing her father, the Hartlepool volunteer Herbert Riding: “I have told your great-grandson of your actions, so that your story goes on. He will take the story forward so you see you will never die.” 

Both the BBC and ITV local news reporters filmed the commemorative service and interviewed relatives Elaine Spybey and John Sutherland. 

Diane Stephens, the manager of the Heugh Battery Museum, who was also interviewed, told reporters: “It was a really well attended event to remember the volunteers from Teesside who volunteered to go to Spain to fight fascism. It was sobering to hear the stories that had been passed down through the families of these men, about the hardships they suffered and how their contribution has been largely forgotten over time.”

We were very lucky that Rob Macdonald of Solidarity Park had agreed to include us in his British tour; he gave a talk on the Solidarity Park project, which combines art and commemoration. The Solidarity Park memorial is at Malgrat de Mar, outside Barcelona; it commemorates the International Brigadistas who died when the SS Ciudad de Barcelona was sunk by an Italian submarine.

Rob invited people to assist in the carving of a stone plaque which will be part of the memorial. One person who contributed to the carved was Anne McShane, who is the daughter of Juan Diaz from Cordoba, who served in the Spanish Republican Army, briefly in the French Foreign Legion and then as a corporal in the British army, serving in 50 (ME) Commando during the second world war.

After the war, unable to return to Spain, he settled in Stockton. Juan is one of over 1,000 men Sean Scullion has written about in his latest book Churchill’s Spaniards: Continuing the Fight in the British Army 1939-46.

Anne was central to another poignant and emotional moment: a reunion of classmates. It was the first time since they were at school together that Anne and Phil Saint had spoken. As children they lived in Stockton and were classmates throughout primary and secondary school.

Phil told me later: “I’m still reeling from the coincidence of Anne Diaz being in my class all through school and neither of us knowing anything about the connection to her dad’s homeland.” 

Phil’s uncle was the International Brigade volunteer Myles Harding, who arrived in Spain in January 1937 and was killed on September 23 1938 in the last action of the British Battalion.

Guitarist Mark Boden began the commemorative performances, his magnificent performance of flamenco pieces was especially appreciated by representatives of the Communist Party of Spain, who joyfully joined him by singing along.

Our guests from the PCE also assisted Bob Beagrie with some Spanish dialogue which was part of a poem he performed from his published anthology Romanceroes — Poems Inspired by the Spanish Civil War.

Bob read his poetry accompanied by the soundscape performed by Stewart Forth. This gave us a further poignant moment — Bob wrote a poem for the first Volunteers for Liberty commemoration in 2020. Five years later it is part of his anthology of 40 poems which was published this year on the anniversary of Guernica.

An emotional finale came from poets Kirsten Luckins, of Tees Women Poets, and Sara Dennis. Sara’s selection of songs was hugely relevant and her rendition of La Pasionaria’s speech, originally given to the International Brigade in Barcelona at their farewell parade on October 28 1938, reduces everyone to tears. I tearfully hugged Phil Saint as he told me: “That was the speech that Uncle Myles never got to hear.”

We are grateful to Diane and the staff of the Heugh Battery Museum for being so supportive, for allowing us to commemorate the men from Teesside, for allowing us to renew and establish friendships and bonds of partnership and to honour the volunteers for Liberty. 

As La Pasionaria proclaimed: “All, all will have the affection and gratitude of the Spanish people who today and tomorrow will shout with enthusiasm. Long live the heroes of the International Brigades!”