Scottish Volunteers
Man's dearest possession is life, and since it is given to him to live but once, he must live so as to feel no torturing regrets. so he can say, - 'All my life and all my strength were given to the finest cause in the world - the liberation of mankind'. Nikolai Ostrovsky
![]() John Leith "Hookey" Walker: born: 14/7/1894, Kingskettle, Fife. Enlistment Address; 18 Sommerfield Cottages, Glasgow. British Army (16 years) Occupation: Fitter and Engineer. Labour Party.Trade Union; T&GWU. Age: 44. Arrived in Spain: 6/8/1937. Infantry. Rank: Lieutenant. Kitchen quartermaster famous for his rissoles and ingenuity in supplying the kitchens with food. Actions present at: Quinto, Belchite, Mediana. Wounded in the left leg at Belchite on 14/3/1938. Treated at Tarazona 14/3/1938-17/4/1938. Repatriated 7/12/1938.
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![]() Alexander McDade: born 1905. 112 Ellesmere Street, Hamiltonhill, Possilpark, Glasgow. Age 32. CPGB. TGWU. Occupation: Labourer. Sailed Dover to Dunkirk on 27/12/1936, arriving in Spain on 1/1/1937. Company Political Commissar with the British Battalion. Wounded at Jarama on 16/2/1937? Not to be confused with William McDade from Dundee who was wounded on 17/2/1937. Alex famously wrote the lyrics to 'Jarama Valley' which was set to the tune of US folk song 'Red River Valley'. Reported killed at Villanueva de la Cañada on 6/7/1937.
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![]() James Maley: born: 19/2/1908, raised in Stevenson Street, Calton, Glasgow. Enlistment Address: 500 Old Shettleston Road, Glasgow, also formerly of Ellesmere Street. Territorial Army. CPGB (1932) Sailed from Dover to Dunkirk: 3/1/1937. Arrived in Spain sometime in January 1937. Member of Harold Fry's No. 2 Machine-Gun Company captured at Jarama on 13/2/1937. POW at Talavera de la Reina and Salamanca prisons. Sentenced to 20 years imprisonment but was repatriated under a prisoner exchange scheme, arriving back in the UK on 30/5/1937. Served in Burma and India during WW2. Lifelong Glasgow Celtic Supporter. Contributor to the STV Documentary 'The Scots who Fought Franco.' James Maley died on 9/4/2007.
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![]() Alexander Marcowich: born: 3/5/1914, Gorbals, Glasgow. Jewish. Enlistment Address: 415 Eglinton Street, Gorbals, Glasgow, C5. YCL. (1929) CPGB (1934) Committee of CP Branch at 64 Hospital Street, Glasgow. Workers Circle. Occupation: Tailors Cutter. NUTGW. Age: 24. Arrived in Spain 29/9/1937. Enlisted in the Battalion at Tarazona 2/10/1937. Rifle No. 41075. Member of No.1 Company. Member of a Machine-Gun crew. Assistant Commissar. Actions present at; Teruel, Seguera de los Banos, Belchite, Caspe. Hospitalised between 14/1/1938-30/1/1938. (injuries unclear) Placed on charges unknown (asleep on guard duty) Sent to an IB correction/re-education camp near Barcelona, (Camp Lukas?) 26/6/1938. Placed in a labour Battalion which was then sent behind fascist lines on numerous occasions to gain enemy intel (oral interview) Held in the IB prison at Castildefels (south of Barcelona) for six weeks. Eventually repatriated 14/2/1939. Picture Courtesy of Allan Marcowich and my personal thanks to Mark Gillespie
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![]() William Dieter Gilmour: born 10/10/1903, 71 Stewart Street, Milton, Glasgow. Enlistment Address: St Andrews Cottage, 21 James Street, Blairgowrie, Perth. also 25 Queen Street. CPGB. Age: 34. Occupation: Commercial Traveler/Salesman. Sailed Newhaven to Dieppe 23/1/1937. Arrived in Spain 27/1/1937. Enlisted in Battalion 30/1/1937. Member of No. 2 Company at Jarama. Machine-gun crew. Rank: Sergeant/Group leader. Treated at Benicasim Hospital to recover from fatigue (20 days) Demoted from Sergeant for refusing to carry out an order. Sent to a Labor Battalion 6/6/1937. Auto Park. (Transport). Actions present at: Jarama and Brunete. Awaiting repatriation on Health/Domestic grounds, arriving back at Newhaven 24/10/1937. Battalion No. 517. died 8/2/1972. Picture courtesy of Maria Perera. The above Information sourced from www.madeinperth.org, Mike Arnott and from my own research.
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![]() James Rae: 41 Commercial Road, Gorbals, Glasgow. Age: 28. YCL. (1934) Occupation: Labourer. T&GWU. Applied for Passport 16/12/1936. Arrived in Spain 28/12/1936. Killed on the first day of fighting at Jarama on 12/2/1937
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Scottish/Canadians
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Suggested reading:
'Voices from the Spanish Civil War: Personal Recollections of Scottish Volunteers in Republican Spain 1936-1939' Ian MacDougall
'Homage to Caledonia: Scotland and the Spanish Civil War' Daniel Gray
'Voices from the Spanish Civil War: Personal Recollections of Scottish Volunteers in Republican Spain 1936-1939' Ian MacDougall
'Homage to Caledonia: Scotland and the Spanish Civil War' Daniel Gray