Annual gathering to remember Fife volunteers who joined International Brigade

Organised by Fife Trades Union Council, it takes place at 11:00am on Saturday, September 30 at the memorial stone in Forth Avenue, Kirkcaldy. A reception will take place afterwards with refreshments, speakers and music.

The speaker will be Tam Watters from Prestonpans talking about his book “Our Fathers Fought Franco”, to which he contributed a piece about his father, George “Geordie” Watters who formed a close friendship with Tommy Bloomfield from Kirkcaldy through serving together in the International Brigade.

Ian Waddell of Fife TUC said, “In July 1936 General Franco started a rebellion against the democratically elected Republican government of Spain. Straightaway volunteers from across the world started going to help the defence of that Republic. Among them were over 40 men from Fife who joined the International Brigade. Their names are preserved on the memorial stone in Kirkcaldy. Many returned to Fife but others died in Spain.

“These volunteers recognised the importance of defending the Spanish Republic. Franco was backed by Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. The British Government pursued a policy of non intervention, but people realised that fascism had to be confronted and the Republic defended.”