With the British Battalion,

'Y.‘,(/ / Zr!‘ )4 /V‘/V L1 - pr,»-La ‘ ,. " J i r " From narratives ofgnemb rs 0‘f"thexBatt'alioJn Sfafff . ‘.'A‘-—~" “OL/_,..»~ . KO iv‘ ‘ .1 I) / iv * .» ' ,: --W’ “' " / V V/ /0 ‘ "‘,pZ' “A A I ~”f A /1” ’ ‘ I .»~‘ ’ " ‘J K/I ) /

\ L ,.I‘ Early in the morning of February 12, we started out in lorries from

Chinchon. ,We knew the front was near. All the previous day, as we awaited orders, we could hear the thunder of artillery and the rattle of machine-guns. Our plan-es as well as those of the enemy had been seen at intervals throughout the day. It was 5-30 a.m. when we dismounted near the point where the road from Morata to San Martin de la Vega crosses the road from Chinchon to Madrid. Our cooks had already occupied a house near the cross-roads, thenceforward to be known as “the Cook House”. Hot coffee was welcome that raw February morning.

Captain Tom Wintringham commanded the Battalion. George Ait- ken was Commissar. We had no maps, little knowledge of what was happening. We knew that the Fascists had advanced during the previ- ous six days, that they had crossed the river Jarama, and that they were attempting to cut the Valencia—Madrid road. We believed there was a front somewhere ahead; we were reserve troops, We understood. Ac- tually, as we discovered a few hours later, troops that had been in front of us had been br11sl1ed aside. The Fascist br=eak—through was in reality

a big push.

At 10 a.m. a runner came to tell us “the Fascists are coming”. The Battalion which had been sheltering in the olive groves promptly fell in, and proceeded in divided artillery formation in the direction of San Martin de la Vega. We -climbed gentle slopes c~over'ed with gorse, wild thyme and sage, with occasional olive groves and vineyards. As we traversed a valley there was a cry of “Avions”. Faces to earth we awaited the Fascist planes. Our luck was in; they passed over without observing us.

It Was a day of broiling heat, and the upward climb was tiring. A halt was made to dump packs where they could later be collected. Resumilrg the advance, the Battalion had almost reached the crest of the range of hills, when again the warning cry of “Avions” was given.

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