The Brigade and its Commander 

The XV Brigade was the fifth International Brigade to be organised 
in almost the same number of weeks, when the fate of Madrid, nerve- 
centre of anti-Fascist Spain, was still in the balance. 

The XV Brigade may today be described as an English-speaking 
Brigade in the sense that in its administration only the English language 
need be used in addition to Spanish. It is now composed of a British 
Battalion, an American Lincoln-Washington Battalion, a Canadian 
Mac Kenzie-Papineau Battalion and a Spanish Battalion. In the follow- 
ing pages also feature two other Battalions which, for several months 
were attached to the XV Brigade. They are the Franco-Belge Battalion 
named the “Sixth of February” in commemoration of the formation of 
the People’s Front in France, and the renowned Dimitrov Battalion. The 
latter comprising Czecho-Slovaks, Croats, Germans, Italians, Hungarians, 
Austrians, Yugo-Slavs, maintains today in another Brigade the proud 
tradition it established for itself in the XV Brigade. 

The Brigade has been commanded, almost since its inception, by 
Lieut.-Colonel V. Copic, quondam officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. 
When after a few weeks — in the case of some units, a few days — of 
hurried training the Brigade left for the Jarama front in the beginning 
of February, General Gall was in command. A few weeks later, he 
was promoted to command of a Division. Thenceforward, Lieutenant- 
Colonel Copic has been in command of the XV Brigade, throughout its 
four major campaigns, and one year of almost continuous front—line 
service. To his uninterrupted command is due to a great extent the 
welding of the various Brigade units into a capable fighting force which 
has won for itself a foremost reputation in the Spanish Republican Army. 

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