Commissar Dave Springhall

Among those who worked with Barthel in the first difficult days was

iDave Springhall of London.

On his arrival in Spain, he became the Political Commissar of the British Battalion during its training days at Madrigueras and afterwards became one of the Brigade Commissars.

On February 27, in one of the Jarama battles, he was wounded in the mouth, but fortunately, recovered.

He has now returned to England, but he has left behind him memo- ries of his great organising ability and courage.

Peter Kerrigan

, iElsewhere in this book the work of the Political Commissariat and of the Ctadres Service is dealt with. In the early Jarama days, these were being gradually built up under great difficulties. Prominent in the ‘work was Peter Kerrigan of Glasgow, Scots working-class leader. His organising talent was availed of in the onerous post of Commissar for all British Volunteers. His work took him to the Cordova and Ja- rama fronts, as well as to the training—camps and hospitals. Under his guidance an efficient Cadres organisation, subsequently directed by Alex Donaldson, was set up, and every need of every individual Volunteer catered for. When Peter Kerrigan was recalled to undertake other dut- ies at home his organising ability and his tireless work already had its results‘; an efficient and smoothly—working Commissariat of the Base was at last in existence.

Bill Lawrence

The service performed for the British Volunteers by Peter Kerrigan was done in the same unselfish and tireless way for the American com- rades by Commissar Bill Lawrence. Lawrence arrived in Spain in April 1937, with an already achieved record of organisational work in ‘America. Born in 1903, he was at the age of nineteen an active member- of the Young Workers’ League. Since then his life was been one con- tinuous fight, in jail andout of it, for the Working—«class. On one oc- casion he was sentenced to two to four years in jail for sedition, being released after months in solitary confinement, only as the result of a mass campaign on his behalf. After six month of unstinting and fruit— ful work in Spain he was recalled in October 1937 to give the same ex- cellent service in another sphere.

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