Holy Trinity Church Sunderland. Volunteers for Liberty Commemoration

For the past seven years men from the North East of England who volunteered to fight fascism and defended democracy in the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 have been remembered at commemorative events organised by the North East Volunteers for Liberty, these are held in Newcastle, Sunderland and on Teesside; see – https://www.sunderlandecho.com/retro/sunderland-tyneside-heroes-fascism-1930s-5334267

This year our Sunderland Volunteers for Liberty memorial event will be held with Seventeen Nineteen in The Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, starting at 2pm on Sunday 1st November when we are not only honouring the volunteers but all those who supported the Spanish Republic, with a special focus on the seafarers.

At our events we remember the thirty three volunteers from our region who lost their lives in Spain. In Sunderland we will focus on the twenty International Brigade volunteers from Sunderland and the four Sunderland Captains who defied Franco’s naval blockade. We will also share news on the campaign to erect two memorials: one to the victims of the 1832 North Sands massacre and one to the Four Sunderland Captains, which we plan to erect in the Holy Trinity Church. Dr David Scott (https://profiles.open.ac.uk/david-scott) will give an address on the 1832 North Sands Massacres; two victims were buried in the Holy Trinity churchyard.

We will hear from representatives from the North East Volunteers for Liberty, the Association of the UK Basque children, the Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d’Italia, Sister Mary Scholastica of the Sunderland Sailors’ mission and relatives of some of the volunteers: relatives of International Brigade volunteers and of ships captains. Special mention should be given to the family of Captain Andrews, who are working with us and Sister Scholastica on the memorial to the four captains.

The Mayor, Councillor Hutchinson, has provisionally agreed to attend and Lewis Atkinson MP has been approached.

Refreshments will be available from our hosts – https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/seventeen-nineteen

We will also have music and poetry from:
Francis David, Sara Dennis, Ron Brown and Harry Gallagher