Homage to Orwell and co

PUBLISHED: June 17, 2009 at 2:52 pm  •  LAST EDITED: June 28, 2009 at 11:51 am
National News  •  2 Comments

• WAR: On the Aragon front at Huesca. Orwell is the tall figure standing in the centre, next to his wife

A NEW book retells the story of George Orwell´s involvement in the Spanish Civil War.

Not Just Orwell, by Christopher Hall, recalls the heroics of those who fought alongside England’s famous novelist between 1936 and 1938.

Fighting for the POUM – the anti-Stalinist Communist party militia – they were mostly thrown into battle against Franco’s Nationalist troops on the Aragon front.

At the official launch in Salford, near Manchester, over 60 people gathered to commemorate those British and Irish anti-Fascists, who fought with Orwell.

Many of the men were members of the Independent Labour Party (ILP).

Guest of honour was 95-year-old Roma Marquez Santo, from Barcelona, one of only two surviving members of the Lenin Column. Roma unveiled the commemorative plaque to the ILP volunteers by drawing aside a Catalan flag.

Roma served in the POUM militia and later in the Republican Army, where he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. After the Civil War he was imprisoned by the Franco regime.

Reader Comments »

Messages will be moderated or deleted if they:
• Are considered likely to disrupt, provoke, attack or offend others
• Are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable
• Contain swear words or other language likely to offend
• Break the law or condone or encourage unlawful activity. This includes breach of copyright, defamation and contempt of court
• Advertise products or services for profit or gain
• Are seen to impersonate someone else
• Include contact details such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses
• Describe or encourage activities which could endanger the safety or well-being of others