CAERLEON


On the 26th April 1937, the "Condor Legion" bombers from the nazi army serving the francoist troops completely destroyed the town of Guernica. It became the first carpet bombing attack in history against civilians. The tragedy of Guernica led to the urgent evacuation of around four thousand children from the Basque Country to the United Kingdom. Fifty of these children were cared for in Caerleon, in the South of Wales. Many of these children never returned to their homeland, becoming part of the Caerleon local community. Today, the building that was their home is an excellent guesthouse where you can still sense the spirit of the playing children and where in October 2004 the following memorial plaque was erected:




Plaque dedicated to the Basque refugee children from the Spanish Civil War

CAERLEON AND DISTRICT CIVIC SOCIETY

CROESO

PENDRAGON HOUSE

18 Cross Street

From November 1939 this building was home to 30 Basque refugee children from the Spanish Civil War who were cared by local organisations and volunteers. From 1937 to 1939 they stayed at Cambria House, Mill Street

EUZKADI

Basque Children of '37 Association: UK


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  • Images of the Basque town of Guernica after the bombing:

    http://www.sbhac.net/Republica/Imagenes/Guernica/EspecialGuernica.htm



  • More information about the refugee Basque children can be found in this web page about Caerleon:

    http://www.caerleon.net/cambria/basque



  • Those children, who are now elderly are living proof of the horrors of fascism. Get to know them on their association's site:

    http://www.spanishrefugees-basquechildren.org



  • The old home of the refugee children is nowadays a guesthouse where their memory is still alive:

    http://www.pendragonhouse.co.uk




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