Bob
Peters: International Brigader and honoury member of La Columna
Bob Peters
1914 - 2007
Bob a Welsh
emigre to Canada returned to Europe as volunteers to fight fascism in
Spain in February 1937. There he became a member of the British Battalion
of the International Brigade.
He received
a bullet wound in his lower back at Brunete on the 7th july 1937 (as he
bent over to help a comrade). He spent some time in hospital and recovered
to become a motorcycle courier before leaving Spain in December 1938 following
the withdrawal of the International Brigades.
Bob Peters and La
Columna
Bob Peters first became a
friend La Columna when his two sons came to visit us at an event near
Litchfield in 2003. They explained to us who their father was and told
us how much he would love to come and see us. Bob lived in North Kent
and, if we didn't mind, would like to come and see us at our event in
the Kent County Show ground later that year. Needless to say we definitely
did not mind - in fact in we said would be our honour to meet him.
So Bob came
to see us on a glorious sunny day in late August 2003. I can remember
we were all quite nervous as this was the first International Brigader
who had come to see us and we were not too sure how he would react to
us - we have always said that it was to honour the memory of such men
(and women) that we started La Columna and if we caused them any offence
then we were failing in our mission...
We need not
have worried Bob arrived, in his Mac-Pap T-shirt, and was our instant
friend; Bob made it very clear he thought what we were doing was great
and that we were doing it well... he even pointed at our reproduction
bombacho trousers and said our 'ski-pants' (his words) were just
like the ones he remembers.
He spent some
time with us that day and shared a few stories of his time in Spain; including
how at the Battle of Brunete the British Battalion captured fascist stores
at Villanueva only to find boxes of brand new British army socks complete
with arrow stamps on. Needless to say he and his comrades helped themselves
to a pair or two. Bob ended the story with a smile saying, '...so much
for British non-intervention'!
It was on
this day that Bob excepted honoury life membership of La Columna - of
course the honour was all ours having Bob 'in our ranks'.
Bob
(right) and La Columnistas, Detling 2003
Bob promised
to come back and see us the following year at Detling, something we all
looked forward too very much.
Detling
2004 was not the hot and sunny affair that it had been the year before
but Bob insisted on spending even more time with us despite his ninety
odd years and the distinctly cold weather. Bob brought along some of the
mementos he had from his time in Spain, including Salvo Conductos
(Safe Conduct passes), photos and other Paperwork. He also very generously
lent us these items for us to copy and use in our displays.
James
examining Bob's paperwork and photographs.
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Bob's
International Brigade courier pass
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An interesting
discovery was also made
that day: Bob showed us an X-ray of a bullet in his arm that had been
taken in November 1937 - amazingly this bullet had been shot into his
lower back four months previously! The bullet had travel through his body
into his arm - Bob was sure that riding his courier's motorcycle on rough
Spanish roads had loosened the bullet. Once La Columna's armourer, Colin
'Digger' Digby, saw the picture he recognised it as an Italian Carno
round; Digger happened to have one of these rounds with him and was able
to show it to Bob. Until that day Bob had not known what type of bullet
had shot him.
Digger
explains the type of bullet that Bob's X-ray shows...
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... so
after sixty-seven years Bob finally knew the type of bullet that
had shot him on that hot eventful day in July 1937
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This was a
wonderful day and we all felt Bob's presence had made this event one of
the most memorable and worthwhile that we had ever done.
Bob
makes new friends in Canada...
Around the
end of 2004 La Columna made contact with fellow Spanish Civil War re-enactors
in Canada who portray members of the predominately Canadian Mackenzie-Papineau
Battalion (As mentioned above Bob originally came to Spain from Canada
with a Canadian friend who became a member of the Mac Paps).
We mentioned
to them that we had an original Canadian (well Welsh Emigre) volunteer
as an honoury member and completely without prompting one of the Canadian
group, David webb, very generously sent over a video and book about the
Mac-Paps for Bob.
We forwarded
these onto Bob and received a letter from him saying he had not seen the
video (called ‘Los Canadienses – The Mac Pap Battalion 1937-38’)
or the book before and was very grateful for them.
We at La Columna
were happy to have re kindled - in a small way - Bob's connection with
Canada. Thank you again to David for this wonderful gesture of international
friendship.
David
Webb (right) who very generously sent Bob, from Canada, a video and book
about the Mac-Paps.
(David
also made the wonderful reproduction banner he is holding)
So it
is with fond memories that we, at La Columna, remember Bob Peters.
Gracias, Camarada,
for all your support and encouragement. Though we knew you only briefly
we all feel we have lost a true friend.
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