They Shall Not Pass: The British Battalion at Jarama - The Spanish Civil War (General Military)

Chapter 6 -'The bodies were rolling down the hill' Chapter 7 -Retreat! Chapter 8 -'The Moors were mowed down in scores' Chapter 9 -The Dark Chapter 10 -Dawn Chapter 11 -The Feint © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Chapter 12 -Capture! Chapter 13 -The Second Night Chapter 14 -Tank Attack! Chapter 15 -The Great Rally PART THREE CONCLUSIONS Chapter 16 -From Jarama to Brunete Chapter 17 -The Nationalist Breakthrough Chapter 18 -The Ebro Offensive and the Farewell Parade Epilogue -Back to Britain Appendix 1 -The Battlefield Today © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 12. Sam Wild. Wild was wounded whilst retreating from the Conical Hill on the first day at Jarama. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 13. The British Battalion on parade behind the front line at Jarama. (Topfoto) 14. Moorish Infantry, Spain 1937. The British feared and demonized the dreaded Moors they faced at Jarama. (Keystone Images) 15. T26 tank. The Russian-built T26 was the most advanced tracked vehicle operating on either side during the Spanish Civil War. (Keystone Images) 16. The Sunken Road. (Author's Collection) 17. A view from the Sunken Road looking west towards the ridgeline. (Author's Collection) Between pages 192 and 193 18. William Ball. At twenty years old, Ball was one of the youngest volunteers to join the British Battalion. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 19. Walter Gregory recovering from the wound he suffered at Jarama. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 20. George Nathan, a veteran of the Great War. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 21. John 'Bosco' Jones. Before travelling to Spain, Jones had fought Oswald Mosley's Black Shirts at the battle of Cable Street, the British Union of Fascists' biggest defeat. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 22. Donald Renton. The political commissar of the 2nd Company, Renton was wounded then captured on the second day. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 23. A well-earned break. Members of the British Battalion resting behind the lines at Jarama, 1937. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 24. Wounded from Jarama. Walter Gregory, the 3rd Company's runner, is second from the right in the bottom row. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 25. Members of the 2nd Company captured at Jarama on 13 February 1937. James Maley is second on the right, partially obscured next to him is Jimmy Rutherford. George Leeson is fifth from the right. Harry Fry, the company commander, stands two places to Leeson's right. Bert 'Yank' Levy is standing alone on the left wearing a cap. Two places to Levy's right is Tommy Bloomfield and beside him is Donald Renton. (Image courtesy of the Marx Memorial Library) 26. Burial of a British soldier amongst the olive groves. (IWM HU 34695

In 1937 a group of idealistic British volunteers sailed from England to fight thedark threat of dictatorship in Spain. In the olive groves of Jarama they achieved the first victory against Franco’s army. It was Fascism’s first defeat. Hardly remembered today, it was possibly the crucial military turning point of the 20th century. For the first time, Ben Hughes reconstructs the battle in a vivid blow-by-blow account, and considers its fascinating aftermath. This near forgotten struggle, which took place in February 1937 south of Madrid, proved for the firsttime that fascism and its ilk, which up until then had steamrollered all opposition from the Rhineland to Addis Ababa, could in fact be stopped.
 
Although the Spanish Republicans would eventually lose the Civil War, their efforts, and those of the International Brigades who fought alongside them, paved the way for the more celebrated victories that followed. Without them, 20th century history would have followed a very different course. This lively account fromthe author of Conquer or Die! is sure to interest any reader wishing to learn more about this tumultuous period in world history.

In 1937 a group of idealistic British volunteers sailed from England to fight thedark threat of dictatorship in Spain. In the olive groves of Jarama they achieved the first victory against Franco's army. It was Fascism's first defeat. Hardly remembered today, it was possibly the crucial military turning point of the 20th century. For the first time, Ben Hughes reconstructs the battle in a vivid blow-by-blow account, and considers its fascinating aftermath. This near forgotten struggle, which took place in February 1937 south of Madrid, proved for the firsttime that fascism and its ilk, which up until then had steamrollered all opposition from the Rhineland to Addis Ababa, could in fact be stopped. Although the Spanish Republicans would eventually lose the Civil War, their efforts, and those of the International Brigades who fought alongside them, paved the way for the more celebrated victories that followed. Without them, 20th century history would have followed a very different course. This lively account fromthe author of Conquer or Die! is sure to interest any reader wishing to learn more about this tumultuous period in world history. From the Hardcover edition The story of a group of idealistic British volunteers who achieved the first victory against Fascism – the greatest unknown turning point of the 20th century.In 1937 a group of idealistic British volunteers sailed from England to fight the dark threat of dictatorship in Spain. In the olive groves of Jarama, near Madrid, they achieved the first victory against Franco's army. It was Fascism's first defeat. Hardly remembered today, it proved a crucial military turning point in the fight against Fascism.For the first time, Ben Hughes reconstructs the battle in a vivid blow-by-blow account, and considers its fascinating aftermath. Author’s Note List of Illustrations list of Maps Preface Introduction Dramatis Personae PART ONE: ‘A crowd of boy scouts’ First Blood Departures Training The Advance White House Hill PART TWO: Death Stalked the Olive Groves ‘The bodies were rollingdown the hill’ Retreat! ‘The Moors were mowed down in scores’ The Dark Dawn The Feint Capture! The Second Night Tank Attack! The Great Rally PART THREE: Conclusions From Jarama to Brunete The Nationalist Breakthrough The Ebro Offensive and the Farewell Parade Back to Britain Appendix 1: The Battlefield Today Appendix 2: Order of Battle Notes Index Bibliography Cover; Title; Dedication; Contents; Author's Note; List of Illustrations; List of Maps; Preface; Introduction; Dramatis Personae; Part One: 'A crowd of boy scouts'; First Blood; Departures; Training; The Advance; White House Hill; Part Two: Death Stalked the Olive Groves; 'The bodies were rolling down the hill'; Retreat!; 'The Moors were mowed down in scores'; The Dark; Dawn; The Feint; Capture!; The Second Night; Tank Attack!; The Great Rally; Part Three: Conclusions; From Jarama to Brunete; The Nationalist Breakthrough; The Ebro Offensive and the Farewell Parade; Back to Britain In 1937 a group of idealistic British volunteers sailed from England to fight the dark threat of dictatorship in Spain. In the olive groves of Jarama, near Madrid, they achieved the first victory against Franco's army. It was Fascism's first defeat. Hardly remembered today, it proved a crucial military turning point in the fight against Fascism. For the first time, Ben Hughes reconstructs the battle in a vivid blow-by-blow account, and considers its fascinating aftermath.