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BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS

The XV Brigade, fifth of the International Brigades, began as a hasty linking-up of a few Battalions on the eve of the Jarama battles. Like many other Brigades formed under similar circumstan-ces of stress in the critical days of the war, its composition has varied with circumstances. Today, it seems to be becoming static as an English—speaking Brigade, a ‘welcome change to those who remember the Staff meetings at which halféla--‘dozen languages was the minimum, and there was no maximum.

It has been our good fortune to be under the uninterrupted command of Lieutenant-Colonel Copic. For, it needed such leadership to forge out of the Volunteers of itwenty-six nationalities the well-organised and well-disciplined Brigade of today. It needed also infinite patience, ins- ight into character, and firm military discipline tempered with genuine comradeship. And how much it taxed all those qualities of his only Brigade-Commander Copic can tell!

In Brigade Headquarters, despite the fact that the personnel has changed more than once -—— due to administrative transfers, as well as to casualties -— the building up of organisation has consistently proceed- ed until the .-military machine now runs smoothly and efficiently. Mil- itarily, the Brigade is organised in departments cornes.ponding to those of other modern armies, and presided over by a Chief of Staff. The functions of the Commissariat of War —— more :_popularly known as the Political Commissariat — the distinguishing feature of a People’s Army, are the subject of a special aziticle in the following pages.

Ability and experience in the present war are necessarily the main tests for the youthful officers of the XV Brigade, m.ost of whom had lit- tle military experience previous to arrival in Spain. Practical exper- ience in the war has been supplemented by a course of trlaining in one of the Officers’ Schools which have been organised under the guidance of loyal Spanish and International officers. In addition, in the XV and other Brigades, classes are held for the training of Section and group leaders. Thus the disparity in numbers between Non—Commissioned Officers of the Republican Army and those of the Fascist Army is being ‘steadily reduced.

In the following pages are pen—pictures of some of the men who lead

I the XV Brigade today.

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