Oral history interview by Mac Reynolds of the CBC, of Ron Liversedge, veteran of the Spanish Civil War, about his experiences and involvement in the Spanish Civil War from 1937 to 1939.~He speaks about: unemployment during the Depression, the 20-cents a day camps, the Canadian Labour Defence League and its efforts to protect workers, meetings featuring speakers from the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), the Communist Party, the Women’s Labour League and the League Against War and Fascism, the development of political consciousness among many workers, the lack of relief aid for single unemployed people, conflict and strife within the camps, the On to Ottawa Trek, the connection between the hardship faced by the unemployed men and the desire to fight against oppression in Spain, the relief camps in British Columbia as the source of half of the men who fought in Spain, the International Brigade, the journey to Spain, the closeness of the men who worked in the relief camps in Canada, the finding of comradeship in adversity, fights between the unemployed men in Canada and the police, the desire to fight Fascism as the most important motivation of the men who went to Spain, the desire for adventure as a small part of the motivation, activities in Canada to drum up support for going to fight in Spain, the role of the international trade union movement in developing support, the need for secrecy when making arrangements to go to Spain, the role of the Communist Party in Vancouver, the heads of various committees, travelling to Toronto on the way to Spain, arriving in Le Havre, arrangements to finding lodging of members of the group while on the journey, the various methods used to convey groups to their billets, the sinking of the ship City of Barcelona after being torpedoed, being sent to Albacente, background information on the International Brigade, the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, various battles, the Fifteenth Brigade, training, the domination of the officer corps by Americans, the Lincoln Brigade, the creation of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion as a distinct Canadian unit despite the opposition of the Americans, and the roles of A.A. Macleod and Robert Merriman.~Liversedge also speaks about the training period, Joe Dallet, various commanders, the battle of Fuentes de Ebro, the tank attack inspired by a Russian film, the aftermath of the attack, an ambulance hit by a bomb, efforts to identify the skills and strengths of the Canadians, work in Albacete, transfer to the artillery in January 1938, the Teruel front, efforts to defend Valencia, being transported to Catalonia, the retreat, demoralization and despair, the fear that the men would never get out of Spain, Colonel O’Kelly, André Marty, travelling through France in 1939 on the way back to Canada, men being treated like criminals while in England, the return to Canada, the problem of rehabilitating the sick and injured, the creation of an organization to fight for help for the veterans of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, the disbanding of the organization, and his belief that it had been worthwhile to fight against Fascism in Spain even though the men did not accomplish their goals.
