I
13 Months of Fascist Prisons in Spain.
Captured by Spanish Cavalry on March 
12/38 near Belchite with 6 other Canadians 
and many other Spaniards. Held in various 
towns for a few days + finally taken to 
Bilbao, after being sentenced to death by 
army officials and then reprieved. In a 
train for 3 days with 48 men in a car
and a foot of pig manure on the floor. 
We were not let out of the car once for 
sanitary arrangements. Paraded through 
Bilbao to Campo de concentracion. No grins[?] 
from the civilians but quite a few 
half-hid clenched fist Saluds. After 3 
weeks, taken to Burgos and a camp, 14 
kilometers out of town. We were taken 
to the 1st floor of a very old building 
which used to be a convent. 
Here were 400 other Internationals all sleeping 
on a stone floor with no mattresses 
nor blankets. Some of us were like 
this quite a while. The food was 
bad all the nine months we were there. 
The sergeants in charge of us, carried 
very heavy riding crops, 3 1/2 to 4 feet long.