The Oxford Memorial
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May Day at the Oxford Memorial
Save the Date
4th May 11:30 am
At the Oxford International Brigade Memorial (junc Morrel Ave/St Clements, Oxford)
in solidarity with the Oxford District TUC
Wreath laying and speeches at the Memorial at
12:00 followed by March to Bonn Square and further speeches
more details here
"Today the Struggle"
An
Evening of Poetry and Music Celebrating the International Brigades of
the Spanish Civil War held on 18 April 2023 at the Holywell Music Room,
Oxford
see the pictures
here
Across
the world, 50,000 men and women from all walks of life responded to the
call from the Popular Front government of Spain and joined the
International Brigades and its partner organisations to defend democracy
against the 1936 fascist insurgency of General Franco. 2500
were from the British Isles and of these, 526 paid the ultimate price
and were killed in action against a far better equipped and resourced
enemy.
Although there are over 100 IBMT memorials across the British Isles, the absence of an Oxford memorial has long been a sad omission. This was finally put right on June 10 2017 when the Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford, Cllr Christine Simm, unveiled the Oxford memorial to the 31 volunteers from the City and the county.
The memorial was planned on behalf of
the International Brigade Memorial Trust
http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/ by a local committee of
IBMT members who wanted to make the memorial part of Oxford’s heritage
and not to be just “names on a piece of stone”. To that
end three local historians carefully researched the biographies of all
those known to have connections with Oxford and Oxfordshire at the time
they went to Spain. 31 volunteers were identified and the
results published in a 120 page book, “No Other Way : Oxfordshire and
the Spanish Civil War 1936-39”, available from IBMT (and some bookshops)
priced £10 plus £3 p&p (ISBN 978 1 910448 05 2).
Several of the volunteers were from
the city’s world famous university. Others were from the
burgeoning Morris motor works at Cowley on the edge of the city. Others
were agricultural workers from the rural hinterland. Some
were politically active as anti-fascists, others had pacifist leanings
or were from religious backgrounds and many of these volunteered in
non-combat roles as medics, ambulance drivers and stretcher bearers. All
came together in common cause to defend democracy. And
many others in Oxford, too numerous to mention, gave time and effort and
money. They raised funds for the Dependants' Aid Committee;
they campaigned for a reversal to the British government's iniquitous non-intervention
policy; and they sheltered some of the 4000 refugee children who had
fled the carpet bombing of Guernica and the Basque region in the Spring
of 1937.
The University was particularly active
and following the well-reported delegation by Eleanor Rathbone MP and
the Duchess of Atholl MP in 1937, a group of students similarly set out
for Spain in July 1938 in support of Spanish students. The
group included Edward Heath, later Prime Minster of the United Kingdom.
In October 2014 a preliminary planning application was submitted to Oxford City Council for a memorial in Bonn Square in the City Centre. The Council’s planning committee greeted the project with unanimous support but wanted a more ambitious design and they had reservations regarding the chosen location.
As a result a design competition was commissioned and the successful sculptor/designer was Charlie Carter Artworks Ltd. http://www.charliecarter.co.uk/index.htm . The front face of Charlie's design shows an image of a clenched fist gripping a scorpion, symbolising the struggle for freedom and democracy against the tyranny of fascism, and lists the names of the six fallen volunteers. On the reverse side is a bronze resin plaque identifying the conflict and memorialising the volunteers.
Several
other sites were investigated. The committee wanted a City Centre
location with high visibility but one that represented both "Town and
Gown" in the City. The final approved location is at the bottom of
Headington Hill at its junction with Morrell Avenue and planning
approval was granted in March 2017.
As well as commissioning the sculptor and sourcing and procuring
the stone the Committee sought professional advice for the foundation
design. The City Council's direct labour team offered a
competitive price for the installation, and the Council has agreed to
include the memorial on their asset register meaning that it will be
insured and managed by them on a day to day basis. The
International Brigade Memorial Trust retains ownership and financial
liability for any significant costs that may be incurred. All of
this ensures that the memorial will be in safe and professional hands.
The project costs totalled about £30,000. Funds were raised through social events and concerts, book sales and donations from trade unions, individuals, and other organisations.
The Oxford International Brigade
Memorial Committee (OxIBMComm) believe the memorial will add
significantly to Oxford’s already rich history. It will fill a gap in
the general knowledge and understanding of the Spanish Civil War and the
part played by local people. It will include a small QR
code on the side that will allow visitors to access the IBMT's website
where further details will be available. (This QR code is yet to be
added).
The Oxford Committee are:-
Colin Carritt - Chair - email
John Haywood - email
Chris Davies
David Chanter -
email
Gary Lock -
email
Tracy Walsh -
email
Ciaran Walsh -
email
Daniel Poole
Secretary IBMT - email