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A SCOTTISH communist who died fighting for democracy in the Spanish civil war was honoured in his home town at the weekend.
John Smith was the only person from Irvine to volunteer for the International Brigades.
On September 8 1938 he was killed on the Ebro front.
Thousands of remarkable Britons left ordinary lives behind to join the struggle against Franco. Here is a snapshot of those who answered the call
![Richard Baxell speaking at the Marx Memorial Library in London [Pic: Karl Weiss]](https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/desktop/public/2026-07/RichardBaxell22Jul23.jpeg.webp?itok=HCh8iPRb)
Driven by anti-fascism and anger at Britain’s policy of non-intervention, thousands volunteered to fight in the Spanish civil war. Historian RICHARD BAXELL reflects on their sacrifices and enduring significance
![Harry Pollitt (right) with International Brigade volunteer David Guest, who was killed at the Ebro in July 1938 [Pic: Marx Memorial Library]](https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/desktop/public/2026-07/a-2_a_50b_Harry%20Pollitt_David_Guest.jpg.webp?itok=Ag0u-8n5)
ALEX GORDON applauds the leading role played by Harry Pollitt and the Communist Party in the fight against fascism in Spain and salutes the memory of the International Brigades
TONY FOX reports from a commemoration of the legendary Battle of Jarama in which four Stockton-on-Tees volunteers fell