almost torn from our bodies. At one time the wind had grown so strong that we had to hug the ground foi' 15 minutes until it «had abated and our guide considered it safe enough to continue. We tramped across the peak and about one kilometer away was another smaller peak which We Were to cross before getting into Spain. With renewed hope and vigor we struggled on to our destination. T

We arrived at daybreak. Everything seemed beautiful! VVe could see for many kilometers ahead the land that lay before us. The sun rose slowly. A wonderful purple haze covered everything! VVe approa- ched a huge white house from which the Catalonian Border Patrol rushed out to greet us. Walking to the house, we sang with one mighty voice the International. The sun rose in all its glory!

ln Training for the Front

In villages in the vicinity of Albacete, the different units of the XV Brigade had varying periods of training. The Dimitrov and Franco- Belge volunteers came from gcountries whiere military service is com- pulsory. With them it was mainly a problem of organlisation to over- come language difficulties. The British were fortunate in that they had both experienced Bnitish Army veterans, and youthful veterans .of the Spanish lVar to direct their training. They were equally fortunate in being organised at Battalion strength early in January and thus having more than a month of training as a Battalion. The Irish too were mostly veterans with experience of warfare in their own country.

Most of the Americans had no previous military eaqlerience. They had to learn everything from thesbeginning, and there were few manuals and few instructors available. Grenade, rifle and ma'chine—gun hard to be mastered; scouting, street-fighting and campaigning had to be lea»r}n- ed and then taught to newcomers. In the middle of January the Lincoln Battalion was less than half—strength. As new groups arrived, new

organisational and training difficulties had to be surmounted. The Bat-

talion was still under strength when the tFascist armies launched their

big offensive on the Jarama Front, on February 6.

On February 7, the British Battalion broke camp and left for the

J arama Front. T The Lincoln Battalion followed them exactly nine days later, on

February 16,1937. 34