Spaniards fighting for the Allies

We all know about the "Blue Division". But you don't hear much about Spaniards fighting for the Allies.

Guernica Battalion (Gernika Batalloa)
A battalion formed by the Basque Nationalist Party to fight for the Allies in France. It contained 200 men and was commanded by Kepa Ordoki. Ordoki and 60% of his men were veterans of the Spanish Civil War. The unit was part of the Foreign and Moroccan Mixed Regiment.

After the liberation of Paris (1944), the Guernica Battalion along with the FFI, the Spanish Nationalist Union, and a unit of Moroccan volunteers fought the last battles in France. Their task was to flush out the Germans garrisoning the south-western coast of France - some 25,000 troops. Although isolated from their homeland the Germans had no trouble with supplies - these came from Francoist Spain.

On 14 April 1945, three weeks before the end of the war, the Guernica Battalion, Spanish Nationalist Union, and the Moroccan volunteers attacked the last Germans in the Gironde, the Bordeaux wine region on the Atlantic coast. The Germans were entrenched in the Pointe-de-Grave, a point of land guarding the entrance to the mouth of the Gironde, the river that leads to Bordeaux. Fortress Gironde, as it was known, had a garrison of 4,000, significantly more than the attackers. 15 hours of combat through the budding vineyards lead to an allied success.

Liberated France offered the Croix de Guerre to the members of the Battalion, but they declined, preferring the medal go to their national flag (the ikurriña) instead.

(Note: The Basque Nationalist Party was based in New York after the Civil War. This suggests the Battalion might have been equipped by the Americans. This supposition is also supported by the fact the Battalion was operating in an American zone in south west France.)


and this,

Spanish fought with the Free French Troops and in the F.F.I. Mostly all the Spaniards that fought the Free French Army were in the 13eme Demi Brigade de la Legion Etrengere and they fought in Narvik, Ethiopia, Syria, North Africa (Bir Hakeim), Italy, France and Germany.

The Spaniards that joined the Regiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) fought in the Fezzan campaigns with General Leclerc and after in the Tunisian Campaign. After that, when the R.M.T. formed the Armoured Infantry Regiment of the 2eme. Division Blindee ("Leclerc's Division") they took part in the Normandy Campaign, they were the first allied troops to enter in Paris on August 24th (evening) and they fought in France and Germany ending the war in Berchtesgaden.

In particular ex-republicans formed the 9th company in the RMT (9ème compagnie de combat du RMT) - they called themselves "La Nueve". The First and Second Platoon were formed from moderate Socialists and Republicans, whereas Third Platoon comprised Anarchists. There were few Communists. This unit fought from Normandy to Germany. "La Nueve" wore standard USA Uniforms (M-41 Jacket, HBT Coveralls, OD wool shirts and trousers, service shoes, dismounted leggins, M-36 suspenders, etc. Usually they didn't use tanker and M-43 jackets but could). In combat they wore the M-1 US standard helmet but they used as a garrison cup the French Colonial Infantry "Bonet de police" or "calot" cup in the tradicional colours (Blue with red pipeing) and with a golden anchor in the left side. As well, they wore French insignia (normally they wore 3 french insignias : the "2nd Armoured Division" shield, the "Free France Army Moustique" and the "Regiment de Marche du Tchad" insignia) and grades. Veterans say that some Spanish soldiers wore a small Spanish Republican flag up in the left arm (where the G.I.'s wore the unit pacth). These practice was unauthorized by the French Army rules but Officers let men to wore it. Anyway, I've never seen this flag in any IIWW pictures from "La Nueve".

http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/iberia/1939/index.htm

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With the French, 1940

On the outbreak of WWII the French recruited heavily from Republican refugees of the recently ended Civil War. The choice for these men was remain in French internment camps, or join the French army. The French took between 5,000 and 8,000 Republicans into the French Foreign Legion, and 10,000 went to the Infantry. In addition 55,000 Republicans were drafted into labour battalions, and at least some of these saw combat during the Fall of France (1940); English officers saw one Spanish labour battalion attack the advancing Germans with weapons seized from a fleeing French unit. During the course of the war Republicans fought in most theatres, for example at Narvik, in the raid on Brest, with the Long Range Desert Group, Leclerc's 2nd Armoured Division, the British SAS, and the French resistance.
French Resistance (maquisards)

Basque units fought with the French resistance, in particular the FFI (Forces Français à l'Intérieur), and in small guerilla bands in the Pyrenees.
Free French and La Nueve (RMT)

Javier Gomez and Cristóbal López sent information about Spaniards fighting with the French. They are part of a reenactment group for "La Nueve": http://juanmario.rey.en.eresmas.net/indexnueve.htm
Spanish fought with the Free French Troops and in the F.F.I. Mostly all the Spaniards that fought the Free French Army were in the 13eme Demi Brigade de la Legion Etrengere and they fought in Narvik, Ethiopia, Syria, North Africa (Bir Hakeim), Italy, France and Germany.

The Spaniards that joined the Regiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) fought in the Fezzan campaigns with General Leclerc and after in the Tunisian Campaign. After that, when the R.M.T. formed the Armoured Infantry Regiment of the 2eme. Division Blindee ("Leclerc's Division") they took part in the Normandy Campaign, they were the first allied troops to enter in Paris on August 24th (evening) and they fought in France and Germany ending the war in Berchtesgaden.
In particular ex-republicans formed the 9th company in the RMT (9ème compagnie de combat du RMT) - they called themselves "La Nueve". The First and Second Platoon were formed from moderate Socialists and Republicans, whereas Third Platoon comprised Anarchists. There were few Communists. This unit fought from Normandy to Germany. "La Nueve" wore standard USA Uniforms (M-41 Jacket, HBT Coveralls, OD wool shirts and trousers, service shoes, dismounted leggins, M-36 suspenders, etc. Usually they didn't use tanker and M-43 jackets but could). In combat they wore the M-1 US standard helmet but they used as a garrison cup the French Colonial Infantry "Bonet de police" or "calot" cup in the tradicional colours (Blue with red pipeing) and with a golden anchor in the left side. As well, they wore French insignia (normally they wore 3 french insignias : the "2nd Armoured Division" shield, the "Free France Army Moustique" and the "Regiment de Marche du Tchad" insignia) and grades. Veterans say that some Spanish soldiers wore a small Spanish Republican flag up in the left arm (where the G.I.'s wore the unit pacth). These practice was unauthorized by the French Army rules but Officers let men to wore it. Anyway, I've never seen this flag in any IIWW pictures from "La Nueve".
Basques at Normandy

Basque units - probably sailors - saw service alongside Allied units at the Normandy landings on D-Day.

 

The spanish contribution is actually well known in France and evenemore after 1941 than 1940. Until 1941 the refugees (many of whom were communists) were hiding but embarassed to take part to attacks because of the attitude of the Soviet Union. After Barbarossa things changed and they immediatlely volunteered and joined the Maquis. There were Spaniash recruits everywhere. They were very brave because they had nothing to lose. Many of these were send to camps when captured (Nacht und Nebel deportations)

 

Spanish Nationalist Union

A Communist Republican Unit fighting for the allies. Involved in taking Fortress Gironde (see above) in conjunction with the Guernica Battalion.

4th Special Service Company

Spanish communist partisans who harassed the German rear near Moscow.

 

Have you heard of the Azul Legion? These guys chose the other side, joined the Axis and fought in Russia

 

Yes I have Skipper. They seem to be alot more well known then the ones fighting for the Allies. There was The Blue Division (Division Azul) was designated the 250th (“Blue”) Infantry Division of the Wehrmachtand the Blue Squadron (Esquadrilla Azul). The Blue Legion (Legion Azul) who on the repatriation of the Blue Division in December 1943, became the the Blue Legion and was formed from men who decided to stay and continue the fight against communism. And the Waffen-SS 'Unit Ezquerra'.

 

After reading this at the site I would like to hear more about the "Basque Code-Talkers".

"Besides all the units you mention there were also Basques fighting the Japanese in the Pacific Theatre along with the Philippines guerrillas and the US Army. Among several actions they did the same the Navajo (and other Indians) transmission units: code talkers. They also acted as Coast Watchers. As for the ETO, Spain also sent navy men to the Kriegsmarine. It wasn't a fighting unit although they were forced to see some action. Different expeditions of officers and crew were sent to learn naval warfare and the manning of E-boats since Spain was going to buy a batch of those boats. There were also a good number of individuals (ex-Republican Army) fighting in the Red Army and Soviet Air Force. There were other individuals working with the British Intelligence, especially from Catalonia.

 

Any Spanish-based units in the Red Army? Quite alot escaped to the USSR in 1939 after the civil war was lost.

 

4th Special Service Company
Spanish communist partisans who harassed the German rear near Moscow.

And this from Wiki so far,
On the Eastern Front, Spanish, formerly pro-Republican, Communist leaders and child evacuees from Communist families were received by the Soviet Union. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, many joined the Red Army, such as General Enrique Líster.

Spain in World War II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

ah but do all know about the Fw 190A-5 pilots in JG 51 on the Ost front ? some of the Spainish were decorated aces in service with the LW unit.

 

As far as I can find there were individuals who fought with the Soviets but no larger units that were made up of Spaniards except the 4th company.

 

Perhaps someone else may have some additional info. Ill keep looking though .

 

In my search for information on this topic, I have only found the well known units like the Blue Division and the Esquadrilla Azul. My grandfather was a Spanish volunteer but from the very get go. He went to Germany to study and become a part of the 'New Order'. He was the youngest of the family and normally would join the Spanish military but his father sent him to become a part of the futher. After his studies, with the outbreak of war, he and some friends joined the Waffen SS which was making a huge recruitment effort. He initiation into battle was the invasion of France in 40'. So I suppose there were some individuals who may have done the same. I have run across examples of inidividuals from other countries doing the same thing. Even of Mexican, Argentina, Dutch etc. Nationals from other countries but with German backgrounds who went to Germany to fight.

 

Of course the Spaniards that served with the Germans have been very well known. Unfortunately the infomation on the Spaniards serving with the Allies seems to be alot more sparse. Especially when serving with the Soviets.

 

Not a Spaniard but a Spaniphone, ( if such a word exisits).
An Argentinian volunteer in the Somerset Light Infantry.
Lieutenant P.N.L. Priani MC.

He was commissioned into Royal Fusiliers but served with 4 SLI from Normandy to Germany winning the MC in the process.
Known as "Pedro" or " South American Joe" he was badly wounded in the arm , April 1945.
I wonder if anyone knows what became of him, did he stay in the UK or return to Argentina?

Just looking at London Gazette I see his full name is Pedro Norberto Luis Priani
This is from the Gazette of his MC.

Gazette Website: PDF Navigator=



Gazette Website: PDF Navigator=


I think this is the date of his commission.

Gazette Website: PDF Navigator=

MC Citation from Bn History.

 

Sorry I can't find any info other then what you have .

 

I found this little quote on anothe forum about Spaniards serving with the Soviets.

"Spanish soldiers are not only in german side.few spanish officers are translators(sp.) in polish Independent assault battalion(SF unit) in Soviet Russia."

and this too,

Although Spain didn´t fight in the IIWW, actually thousands of spanish fought in that war that was a continuation of Spanish Civil War(1936-39). The most known commintment of spanish in IIWW is that of 250InfantryDivision in the Wehrmarcht(45.000 to 50.000 spanish served there), and this is due to the fact that Franco won the spanish war and so the history of that time was written by the winners, and so the fight of spanish republicans in IIWW simply is unwritten until the most recent years, when the most of them are died, and due to the fact too of that many spanish republicans fought in France in the so called "french resistance", foreing fighters fit badly the official history of France who mostly accepted peacefully the defeat and supported the regime of Vichy.

Actually, many more spanish fought with the allies than with the germans. A number of 20.000 spanish died in the IIWW, not a small number for a country that didn´t joined to that war, and only 4.000 of them died wearing the german uniform. As an example, it´s widely known the experience of spanish pilots who fought in the Blue Squadron, an air unit who fought in the central sector of russian front, they got about 170 victories in their time of service, but many spanish flew russian planes and only the ones flying fighters planes got more than 200 victories over the germans, and there were many of them too flying the so called "jabos"(air-to-ground attack planes), some of this spanish pilots arrived to Soviet Union in 1937-38 when they only were evacuated children.

A select group of spanish soldiers who fought in the first moment in the Moscow front the winter of 1941 were trained the next spring and parachuted behind the german lines as a partisan unit in Ucraine, and they got many achievements unknown in the west, not in Russia. The core of this spanish guerrilla were guerrilleros graduated in the Guerrilla School set up by Spanish Republic back in 1936-37, perhaps the first training center of this kind in west europe, and they followed their fight against fascism in Russia. Some of this spanish commandos fought too in NAfrica both with frenchs and english, and some of them even trained the firsts groups of the Long Range Patrols. Perhaps the most notorious action guerrilleros did in the East Front was the assault to a german airfield with the purpouse of capturing a german craft and flying it to russian lines, and that´s what they did.
In the western side, thousands of spanish were detained by frenchs as forced labour workers when the Wehrmach invaded France, and they usually grabbed the weapons left by the frenchs to fight agaisnt germans, and after the defeat they formed the first resistance groups, in part because they were anti-fascists and in part because they had to fight for their lives since they were persecuted both by germans and gendarmerie by the only fact of being republicans, being communists or not. Prior to that, a great group of republicans were oblied to join the french legion, and many of them fought and died in the expedition to Norwege and are buried in Narvik. Another great group of spanish were detained in the french North Africa, some of them could join the forces of De Gaulle since the first moment and fought in all the combats of frenchs free forces in Africa, namely in the battle of Bir Hakeim, where the spanish reps were outstanding.
When the allied invaded french north africa, all the french legion joined to the allied fight and the spanish with them, but many spanish deserted of the french legion to joining the french II Armoured Division of Leclerq, that was being set up with american equipment. The republicans of IIDivision were usually the spearhead, about 500 landed in France and only about 15 of them survived to the end of the fight in Bertchesgaden. As an added note, many of this republicans of the IIADivision were from the CNT, the anarchists trade union, and after the fall of Paris, they restablished their links with their spanish fellows in France, and a group of spanish resistants attached unofficially to the IIADivision in their way to Germany border, fighting with them and gathering all the weapons they could for fighting in Spain after the defeat of Germany. Btw, the spanish role in french resistance was even bigger than many frenchs like to recognize. Spanish resistants fought in all the big open battles of maquis, which usually resulted in defeats btw, since they hadn´t enough fire power against the germans. In some areas of France the only "french" resistance was "spanish" resistance, like the area of Toulouse, which was liberated by spanish republicans by the way the same that Foix. The same in the region of Bordeaux, where the role played by the basques units was great. More over, 7.000 spanish died in Mathaussen concentration camp, in Austria.
As an anecdote, a spanish republican soldier was exiliated in USA. He was a former asturiano(from Asturias) miner member of communist party and he was far from any help from his camarades. So when Hitler invaded Soviet Union he asked to travel there for fighting, by they said to him the travel was difficult and expensive, so it was better he waited in USA for a better chance, so when japanese attacked Pearl Harbour he asked to their camarades what to do, and they said him to join the american army, since the "capitalists" were alllied now, so he thought a unit called "marines" were enough good for him, and so he fought all the Pacific campaing, he was injured twice in Okinawe and finished the war as a sargeant of Marines and with some medals hanging of his chest. That man could remain living comfortably in USA as a war heroe after being fighting 10 years and so enjoying the richest country of the world, but he prefered going back to Spain in 1946 as a guerrillero against Franco´s regime, and for sure the Spain of that time was the hell compared with USA. The former miner was captured and sentenced to death. Luckily he was indulted and spent about 15 years in prision. I talk of this case because is the only I know of a spanish republican fighting with americans, but like him there were thousands fighting in europe. Btw, I´m proud too of the behaviour of spanish who fought in the 250IDivision, they didn´t nothing shameful.
I don´t share communists nor anarchist ideology of course, but I admire the most I can those men, who were probably among the best fighters of their time, second to nobody, but most important is that they fought for their beliefes even in the worst moments, they had chances for having a better life but they chose the hardest way, many soldiers of IIWW only served few months in the front, but this men began their war in 1936 without any stop to 1939. And when the IIWW they fougth since the first moment to the last shot in 1945.

The Ghost Battalion: Spaniards in the Waffen-SS, 1944-1945 [Archive] - Military Photos

 

my name is Martin Priani and I am Pedro Priani son.
My father died on june l983,he allways lived here in Argentine,were he participated many years in politic.He participated during the 1955 revolution. He became governor of two diferent states.during the 50s and 60s.
I would like to know if you knew him during the war .
I will be waiting for your news.
Sincerely,
Martin Priani.

 

There were many Spanish citizens in the French colonies, especially Morocco and some of these joined the French colonial troops. Others joined the Resistance. I know one family who had a sun who returend to Spain in 1936 and died during the Civil war and the daughter went to occupied France in 1942 and helped allied airmen to escape.

 

Welcome aboard Martin!

This is a surprise! Per what we read in the post above (March 2nd), your father lead a distinguished career in the British Army, being awarded the Military Cross for distinguished conduct under fire. How did he ever come about to the United Kingdom to fight? It must have been a brave decision. I suggest you contact Wessex Wyvern, as he seems to be well placed to know whatever is available.