Mackenzie — Papineau Battalion

in Action

By l\(/l/filo , Makela J//u—-/W7 ’2""°“"“f""‘.

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Canadians have been fighting with the XV Brigade ever since Jara- ma.

ional Brigades in various parts of Spain. At Brunete they had their own “Mac.-Paps.” Section and the “Fighting Canucks” were always in the thick of action. a .

Had it not been for this constant drain for reinforcements they would have been in the field with their own Battalion long ago. Bob Kerr, Canadian Commissar, who had been with the Lincolns in J arama threw all his energies behind the project and by the time the Washingtons left the Training Base, the Canadian Battalion, the “Mackenzie—Papineau” was ready to take its place in training.

The Battalion had been trained by Major Merriman and a group of other officers who had all seen fighting at the front. Bob Thompson was Adjutant, Joe Dallet was Battalion Commissar, Bill Wheeler, Izzie Schrenzel (later killed at Fuentes), Joe Dougher, and the writer were Company Commanders. When Major Merriman was called to the Bri- gade to become its! Chief of Staff, Captain Rollin Dart continued the training.

4!

The “Mac.—Paps.” first went into action on October 13, at Fuentes de Ebro, under the command of Bob Thompson. We had a more exhaus- tive training than any of the previous Battalions and everyone of us was eager and enthusiastic to prove that he had profited by it.

We received our first taste of fire at dawn, while entering a shallow communication trench leading us to our position. The enemy machine

. gunners spotted our movements, and in the fire one man was killed and

a few Wounded, including comrade Hitchcock, our Battalion Secretary.

He was hit in the leg while cutting a strand of barbed wire at the Ihouth of the communication trench.

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There were Canadians in the Lincoln-Washington and Dimitrov Battalions and a large number of them were fighting with other Internat-