La
Columna is a UK based re-enactment group commemorating and celebrating
the international volunteers who went to fight alongside the Spanish people
in their defence against Fascism during the Spanish Civil War.La Columna is a non-party political organisation but with
strong sympathies for the Spanish Republican cause of the late 1930s.
We
use living history techniques to primarily represent life in Spain for
the men and women of The International Brigades and The anti-Fascist
revolutionary militias during the Spanish Civil War.
Over
recent years we have expanded our displays to include events that had
direct link to the ideals and people who were involved with the creation
and defence of the Second Republic 1931-39, These include:
We believe this is
a period of British and Spanish history which does not receive the attention
it deserves, and it is our aim to both inform and educate visitors through
our events about the struggle in Spain immediately preceding the Second
World War.
We
are highly conscious of the sacrifice made by men and women from around
the world in the cause of anti-fascism in Spain. We enjoy close links
with veteran organisations and have made contact with a number of surviving
veterans; in fact any anti-fascist veteran of the Spanish Civil War
has automatic right to life membership of La Columna if they so desire.
See contacts links for details.
We
also have links with our Spanish sister living history group- ¡Ay,Carmela¡ - who we linked up in July 2008 at the 70th anniversary of the Crossing
of the Ebro in Móra d'Ebre (see clip below).
We
have also more recently made contact with a new French Spanish Civil War
group La Masellesa and Northern Spanish group Sancho de Beurko.
Short film
of showing members of La Columna along side our Spanish Comrades, Móra
d'Ebre, July 2008
La Columna has various
roles to suit everyone: You can become a member of the British Battalion
of the XVth International Brigade, or a militiaman or woman from an international
section of one of the revolutionary militias. Or take on a non military
civilian or medical persona.
There
are also roles for children, for example, at a 'Aid for Spain' rally or
a Basque children refugee event- remembering the 5000 refugee Basque children
who were evacuated to Great Britain. See our links page for more information about Spanish refugees.
We
are constantly looking for volunteers to join our ranks in a military,
civilian or support role. See our contacts page for details.
We
determined to set a very high standard of accuracy in our representations
from the outset; all our clothing and equipment are either original items
or accurate copies. We assist new members with kit from our pooled supply
of spare items until they can gather their own kit together.
