- George Nathan
:"For articles about the American drama critic, see:
George Jean Nathan George Montague Nathan (1895-1937) was a British volunteer in the
International Brigades in Spain. He initially commanded the British Company of the otherwise FrenchMarseillaise Battalion ["Thomas (2003) p475] but was appointed battalion commander in early 1937 following the execution of his predecessor (Major Gaston Delasalle) for espionage. ["Thomas (2003) p477]He later became Chief of Staff of
XV International Brigade and was killed on 16 July 1937 [Beevor, p 280] at theBattle of Brunete . Even though he had been turned down for Communist Party membership - either because of his "sexual orientation" [Eby, p 202] or because of his unwillingness to "pretend great political enthusiasm" ["Gurney", 1974 (p 132] -Comintern observers admired him for his "cool arrogance under fire". [Eby, p 202]During the
First World War , he fought in the British Army on theWestern Front . He rose from private to company sergeant major and "after three years and 334 days in the service, he was commissioned in the field on 9 April 1917" [Monks] to become "the only Jewish officer in the Brigade of Guards". ["Thomas" (1961), p 347] Little is known about his activities between 1918 and 1936, though there have been suggestions [Richard Bennett, "Portrait of a Killer", "New Statesman", 24 March 1961, pp.471-472] that he was responsible for the "Limerick Curfew Murders", whilst working undercover for British Intelligence with theBlack and Tans in Limerick. ["Thomas" (2003), p 476] He is said to have discussed this with Irish International Brigade volunteers in Spain in February 1937, saying "We have all grown up politically. We are Socialists together now". Apparently, "the meeting responded to the spirit of his speech and clapped him". [Monks]ources and footnotes
*
Hugh Thomas , "The Spanish Civil War", 1961. 1st ed.
*Hugh Thomas , "The Spanish Civil War", 2003. 4th Rev. Ed
*Antony Beevor , "Battle for Spain", 2007.
*Joe Monks, "With the Reds in Andalusia", 1985
*Cecil Eby , "Comrades and Commissars", 2007
*Jason Gurney , "Crusade in Spain", 1974
*Fred Copeman , Reason in Revolt, 1948
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
