Under The Banner Of The Cross

[Milesian]

THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS WHO FOUGHT FOR A
NATIONALIST SPAIN

It has been sixty five years since the end of the Spanish civil war,
and since its end very little has been written about the Irish
volunteers who fought for a free and nationalist Spain.


They have been effectively robbed of their place in Irish and European
history, and if they are mentioned at all it is to be ridiculed and
their contribution dismissed as irrelevant.


Francos Irish brigade went to fight and die in defence of Christian
civilisation against the satanic hordes of Marxists, agnostics,
atheists, freemasons and Jews. Many groups of the European right were
united by the nationalist cause into the champions of the cross of
Christ.


Word reached Ireland about the anti-clerical violence, rape and
murder, by the end of which,12 bishops,4000 priests,2000 monks and 300
nuns, who were entirely innocent of any complicity in class
oppression, would lie dead and mutilated, inspired by what monsignor
sexton, dean of cork called "....a gang of murderous Jews in Moscow".
Irish Catholics where outraged.


August 1936 saw the formation of the Irish Christian front, one
meeting in cork in September was attended by 40,000 people, they
crossed their hands above their heads and pledged loyalty to the ICF
and Franco.


Their declared aims were to oppose communism, support Franco and raise
funds for the nationalist people of Spain. The ICF leadership composed
of catholic action supporters, anti-communist activists and fascist
sympathisers. It was proposed to Eoin o Duffy leader of the Army
Comrades Association, better known as the 'Blueshirts'(the ACA never
called themselves the blueshirts but that was the name of their
newspaper, they were avidly catholic,anti-communist and committed to
the reunification of Ireland)to form an Irish brigade to aid Spain in
her darkest hour. Within 2 weeks o Duffy claimed to have received
between 2000-7000 applications to join from all over Ireland, Britain
and the USA.


Plans were made for the transportation of the first batch of
volunteers to Spain. The newly formed brigade was confronted by
problems from the start and despite the fact that the vast majority of
Irish people supported Franco,Eamonn de valera signed up to the
'non-intervention agreement' which was the brain child of the French
prime minister 'Leon blum' who was himself a freemason ,a Jew and a
communist.


The first plan for embarkation to Spain was cancelled by Franco,
several small groups of volunteers made their way to Salamanca via
Liverpool. Another troopship was organised as soon as possible.
Fearing a threat to Irish neutrality de Valera banned Irish citizens
from going to Spain and it was only through the intervention of Irish
catholic bishop, dr Browne that the brigade was able to embark on
their voyage to Spain. On hearing that an Irish brigade was on its way
a capuchin in a monastery in the Pyrenees said many of the fathers
wept with joy on hearing that Ireland wished to help the cause of the
faith in Spain.


"....the very fact that a group of Irish men volunteered their
services to help Spain in her hour of peril against the forces of
darkness could not fail to have very favourable reactions all over the
world"


Eoin o Duffy.


In all about 1500 English, Irish, French, Belgian Catholics, White
Russians and Romanians went to Spain. All would become the wars
forgotten fighters. Between 650 - 700 of those being Irish and of the
dozen or so British citizens who fought for Franco, most were at least
half Irish. Not forgetting the 100,000 German, Italian and Portuguese
uniformed troops and military specialists sent by their Governments.
Some of the Foreign Volunteers had fought against the Bolsheviks in
the Russian civil war, others in the Italian invasion of Ethiopia,
later in the Russo - Finnish war and on the Eastern Front in the
Second World War.


The Irish Volunteers were devote Catholics and mostly from a rural
background. They had seen the war as a straight forward struggle
between Christ and Anti - Christ. Some had no military training, their
first weapon was the cross, and others had seen active service with or
against the British Army and in some cases both. O Duffy he was a
former I.R.A. Commander and former Chief of Police.


The Catholic community of Ulster and in particular West Belfast sent a
strong contingent. Bill Geraghty who had opposed the Blue Shirts and
was a supporter of De Valeras Fianna Fail joined. John Conway from
Dublin a young man of socialist inclinations joined the Brigade
because of the outrage he felt at the Religious persecution in Spain.
Denis Reynolds from Carlow who volunteered was later to become a Fine
Gael Councillor. One teenager wrote to his mother from Spain "what I
have done is for Our Lord and if I die it will only be for the best".
The fact is that the majority of Irish Volunteers were genuinely
motivated by the belief that they were in a crusade against Satan and
Communism and the Talmudic blood letting that was the Spanish Civil
War.


Ex - I.R.A. man Frank Ryan led the Irish in the International Brigade,
he was opposed by the then I.R.A. Chief of Staff Tom Barry. Barry was
a hero of the Irish War of Independence, who was against sending
I.R.A. members to aid the Spanish Republic and any members who wanted
to aid the Communist had to resign from the I.R.A. Barry later showed
support for Germany and Ryan was later to travel to Ireland a German U
- Boat with the then Chief of Staff Sean Russell who sadly died en -
route. A former British Army Officer and member of the International
Brigade was the Jewish Captain Nathan who as a member of the murderous
Black and Tans, the most hated force of British Military presence in
Ireland and personally responsible for the murder of two prominent
Limerick Sinn Feiners in 1920. He did not deny his misdemeanours
during the 'Tan War'. He volunteered for Spain as a Jew but also
because he said Fascism was the common enemy of mankind Jew or
Gentile. Obviously he didn?t care if the Catholics he killed were
Irish or Spanish.


When the Irish Volunteers ship finally pulled into the Spanish dock
their voices rang out over the harbour singing the Hymn 'Faith of Our
Fathers' and once travelling through Spain by train one reporter
observed "lads bunched at every window, with arms stretched in the
Fascist salute". No further ships were permitted to leave Ireland for
Spain, leaving another zoo behind.


Later on in the war St. Marys pro - Cathedral sent a 20 strong Irish
Pipe Band to fight and build morale. The full name of the Band was
'Saint Marys Anti - Communist Pipe Band'. The male parishioners of
St. Marys were active in street warfare against Communists and
Socialists.


Most of the Volunteers were Anti - Muslim on both Religious and Racial
grounds and saw Francos Moroccan troops as obedient servants of a
Christian Ruler.


The Irish Brigade was integrated into the Spanish Foreign Legion as
the 'XV Bandera Irlandesa Del Terco' and it was to have its first
casualties in an unfortunate and tragic blunder in what is known today
as 'Friendly Fire'. The XV Bandera was in attack formation near
Ciempozvelos when they came upon a Battalion of Flangists from the
Canary Islands. Three of the Bandera advanced with two Spanish
interpreters. They saluted with a statement which included the words
'Bandera Irlandesa Del Tercio' without reply the other Commander drew
his revolver and opened fire, mistaking them for Red International
Brigadiers. Both sides opened fire and both of the Spanish
interpreters were killed. Dan Chute died as did Tom Hyde a former
I.R.A. member from Middletown County Cork. Another man called O
Sullivan also died as a result of injures.


It is believed 13 Falangist died in the incident. Between the shelling
and sniping the XV Bandera tried to settle into the normal mundane
activities of Army life. It was during this time that Tom Mc Mullen
was hit by a snipers bullet shattering his leg which was later
amputated.


Later during the Battle of Jarma Valley during an advance the XV
Bandera came under heavy shellfire, one man was killed outright with
nine others injured. Three of which died the following week. Two of
the dead Mac Sweeney and Horan were childhood friends from the same
street in Tralee. In all four men from Tralee would die fighting with
the XV Bandera. Franco expressed 'Deep Sympathy for the Irish losses'
on the Jarma Front.


By the time the XV Bandera left Spain it had been plagued by military
incompetence official blunders and episodes of farce. It was clear
that the Irish Brigade was poorly led. O Duffy was rarely with his men
spending most of his time at the Spanish HQ or driving from post to
post. When the Irish Brigade / XV Bandera finally left Caceres to sail
for home over twenty Bandera Volunteers lay in graves on Sacred
Spanish soil. Twenty more were not fit to travel, some of which died.
Over a dozen elected to stay and fight until the end of the fight. Ex
- Priest and strong Anti - Semite Tom Grunning stayed, he later ended
up in Germany working for the Ministry of Propaganda in Berlin and was
believed to be friends with British Frei Corps leader John Amery, who
was hanged by the British for treason after the war.


Nagle, Fitzpatrick and Peter Lawler stayed. Sergeant Major Michael
Weyners (who went to Spain with two of his brothers), Sergeants Tom
Jones and Michael Cadwell (an ex - Protestant who had converted to
Catholicism at the front) joined the Spanish Foreign Legion. Michael
Weyners later died during the fiercely contested Battle of Brunete. At
least six Privates stayed Jeremiah Mc Carty, James Madden, Denis O
Dea, Andrew O Toole. Daith Higgins and Austin O Reilly died within one
month of each other in the last major campaign of the war in the
desperate struggle on the Ebro, October 1938. O Reilly was a member of
the Spanish elite 'Primera Bandera' when he died. Gabriel Lee was killed
by shellfire during the titalica attack. Peter Kavanagh joined the
Nationalist Air Force as he had spent time in the British Royal Air
Force. In the 1938 Foreign Legion muster of Foreign Volunteers in
Spain there are five Legionnaires identified as Irish, three of them
from the XV Bandera.


The Irish Brigade / XV Bandera are ridiculed and criticised for their
lack of action during the Spanish Civil War and that they 'never fired
a shot in anger and came back with more men than they left with'.


Both these statements are untrue. How many useless deaths are enough
to secure the prestige of a fighting unit? Tight censorship has muted
the impact they had in Spain and it has suited all Irish Political
Parties since to forget their sacrifice.


+ + + + + + + + + +


"The Spaniards were filled with admiration for the bravery and courage
of the Irish troops. Indeed the quality of the men was superb. They
were truly inspired with the ideal of fighting for their faith....
with better officers could have made a fine Battalion... but they had
no chance with the leadership O Duffy gave them".


Peter Kemp, British Volunteer in Spain.


The minstrel boy to the war is gone,
In the ranks of death you'll find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;
"Land of Song!" cried the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy right shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's steel
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery!


Thomas Moore.

[Menydh]

"The Spaniards were filled with admiration for the bravery and courage of the Irish troops. Indeed the quality of the men was superb. They were truly inspired with the ideal of fighting for their faith....
with better officers could have made a fine Battalion... but they had
no chance with the leadership O Duffy gave them".

That shouldn't come as surprise.

The Spanish Tercios in Europe were composed of many foreigners. Of all, only Irish companies were granted the honour of fighting in first line mixed with the Old Tercios of only Spanish.


¡Honor y Gloria a los Héroes Irlandeses Caídos por Dios y por España!

¡PRESENTES!

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Quasigodo Garcia

That shouldn't come as surprise.

The Spanish Tercios in Europe were composed of many foreigners. Of all, only Irish companies were granted the honour of fighting in first line mixed with the Old Tercios of only Spanish.


¡Honor y Gloria a los Héroes Irlandeses Caídos por Dios y por España!

¡PRESENTES!

Both peoples had given their blood on each others soil in defense of the other
The joint history of both lands is a long and glorious one of affection, loyalty and honour.

Perhaps those days may yet beckon once again. The way all of our nations are going, it looks far from impossible.

Spainn abu! Eiré abu!



PS. I still don't forgive you lot for ending the Armada in failure.
I still haven't recovered from the disappointment

[Menydh]

One other thing that both the Spanish and the Irish have in common and which gives me much hope is that both nations have stood against the invasions for as long as it has taken, with army or only with the people, like no other nations have. Perhaps with the exception of the Russians.

Originally Posted by Milesian

PS. I still don't forgive you lot for ending the Armada in failure.
I still haven't recovered from the disappointment

The English haven't recovered from the fright yet.