Robert Hale Merriman

Robert Hale Merriman (1908 – 1938) was an American professor of economics at the University of California. He joined the Republican forces in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and commanded the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigades.

Early life and education

Merriman was of poor origin and worked various odd jobs in order to make his way to the University of Nevada. To earn some extra dollars while at school, he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps ("ROTC") where he received basic training with arms. A member of left-wing American groups at the University of California and friend of Robert Oppenheimer, he was chosen to lead the volunteers in SpainFact|date=April 2007.

Military career

Merriman moved to Spain together with his wife early in 1937 and joined the International Brigades at their training camp in Albacete. As few volunteers had any military experience, Merriman's ROTC experience meant he took over the training of the 428-man strong [Coleman, "Some Men Put In Their Lives" p 41] Lincoln Battalion and, in late January, he became battalion commander. [Coleman, "Some Men Put In Their Lives" p. 42] He held the rank of Captain of the Spanish Republic Fact|date=April 2007.

The Lincoln Battalion first saw action at the Battle of Jarama (6-27 February). They were one of the four battalions comprising the XV International Brigade. [15th Bn Sixth February (Franco-Belgian); 16th Bn British; 17th Bn Lincoln (mostly American); 18th Bn (a US Army veteran).

The depleted Lincolns next went into action at the Battle of Brunete. Together with the depleted British Battalion, and a understrength second American battalion (the George Washington Battalion, commanded by African-American Oliver Law), they formed one regiment [The second regiment was remnants of the Dimitrov Battalion and Sixth February Battalion and a Spanish battalion ("Volontario 24") Source: Hugh Thomas, "The Spanish Civil War", pp 460-461.] of the XV International Brigade. Of the 2,500 men of the XV International Brigade who went into battle, only 1,000 effectives remained. [Coleman, "Some Men Put In Their Lives" p. 88]

Merriman led the battalion again during the Battle of Teruel in Aragon. Under heavy attack by Nationalist tanks and aircraft, the battalion was forced to retreat in the only available direction, Catalonia and its boundary, the river Ebro. On April 2 1938, around the vineyards of the key city of Gandesa, twenty kilometers before the river, Merriman and his lieutenant, Edgar James Cody, were killed in action.

William Herrick, a Lincoln Brigade member, states that Merriman - like Oliver Law - was an incompetent officer, promoted for political reasons, and whose mistakes had caused unnecessary deaths. Herrick also states that Merriman was called 'Captain Murderman' by some of the soldiers. Source: William Herrick, 'Jumping the Line', AK Press 2001,; University of Wisconsin Press, 1998.

The battalion, now commanded by Milton Wolff, returned to the same ground during the Battle of the Ebro on 27 June of the same year, while trying to recapture Gandesa.

References

Books, sources, external links

*cite book
last = Merriman
first = Marion
authorlink =
coauthors = Lerude, Warren
title = American Commander in Spain: Robert Hale Merriman and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
publisher = University of Nevada Press
date = 1986
location = Nevada
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-87417-106-7
* [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wmerriman.htm Merriman in Spain]
* [http://wais.stanford.edu/Spain/spain_civilwarlincolnbrigade21603.html The Lincoln Brigade in Spain]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEEDD153FF93BA35755C0A960948260&sec=&pagewanted=print The book on Merriman]
* [http://www.guerracivil.org/PERSONATGES/merriman.html Merriman in the Spanish Civil War] (Spanish)
* [http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/tam/alba_collections2.html The photo archives of the American Volunteers in Spain - ALBA]
* [http://www.unc.edu/~chaos1/intlbrigade.pdf Eric Blaine Coleman, "Some Men Put In Their Lives: Americans in the International Brigades, Spain 1936-1939", (2001)]
* Anthony Beevor, "Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939" (2006) ISBN 978-0297848325
* Hugh Thomas, "The Spanish Civil War". (Revised edition 2003) ISBN 978-0141011615

Footnotes