ALUN MENAI WILLIAMS

International Brigades: "I remember it as a fine body of men - a fine body of volunteers who traveled from all over the world with the one idea to prevent fascism from gaining half of the free world at the time. A lots of them died in the event." On Communist accusations concerning the International Brigades: "I was a volunteer and I wasn't a member of any particular political party. I was a plain, straight-forward anti-fascist. So were the majority of brigadiers I knew. We were ordinary fellows."

Advannced dressing station at Brunete, July 1937 (IMBT)

Spanish Civil War and On: "I served in the American Battalion in the Battle of Brunete in the civil war. I was paramedic for the Washington Battalion. After that I was with the Americans for a while then I was transferred to the British Battalion."    Billy Davies, William's best friend, was killed near Christmas 1937. Williams was shot in the leg and was made a citizen of the Spanish Republic before leaving the country in 1938. Alun Williams went on to serve in the Royal Air Force shortly after returning from the Spanish Civil War until he was demobilised in September 1945 as a corporal. Williams was very modest in his description of this time period:       "My service in World War II itwas very mundane and routine.  I was in the Provost branch of the RAF.  In other words part of my duties  was` security escort to various VIP's when flying to war zones or front lines and political conferences."

He failed to mention two WWII stories, which I learned of, after his passing: One involved a close brush with death (once again) when the Liberator bomber he was a passenger on crashed landed at Talbenny in Pembrokeshire.    When German bombers attacked the docks of Barry, everyone on the beach ran except Williams who stayed behind and told a woman it was safer on the sand (learned from Spain). The two watched the air raid together and eventually married.

Williams stayed with friend, Ana Marti, while in Catalonia from May to  June 2006. He returned home burnt as a peanut and roughly 20 pounds heavier.  (A. Marti)

In 2004, Warren and Pell Publishing released his autobiography, From the Rhondda to the Ebro, which tells about William's life from the days of growing up in a coal mining community to serving in the International Brigades. Alun Williams passed away on July 2, 2006 at the age of  93. He was the second last surviving Welsh member of the International Brigades.     In May and June, just a month before, he was in Spain visiting: "I am still here in sunny Catalonia,and having one hell of a time signing the Spanish translation of my book as well as attending various question and answer sessions. I also enjoy the company of the young people who are curious about me as a veteran who fought on the Republican side in their civil war."

TO ORDER A COPY OF "FROM THE RHONDDA TO THE EBRO", CLICK HERE. I HAVE A COPY OF IT AND IT IS A GREAT AND INTERESTING AUTOBIOGRAPHY! WILLIAMS WAS ALSO A  WONDERFUL WRITER AND A KIND SOUL  WHO SHALL BE REMEMBERED!!!