List of surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War

The following is a list of known surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War (17 July 1936 – 1 April 1939). The total number of participating personnel is unknown, but an estimated 35,000 foreigners fought on the Republican side in what was known as the International Brigades. In addition, Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany sent as many as 20,000 soldiers (not all at the same time) and Benito Mussolini of Italy sent as many as 60,000 soldiers to fight alongside the soldiers of Spanish General Francisco Franco.

Veterans, for this purpose, are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of one of the combatant forces up to and including the date recognized as the end of the War, which was 1 April 1939.

Republican forces – 30 veterans

Nationality	Name	Date of Birth	Age	Residence	Force served	Notes
France	Almudéver, Vincent	6 July 1917	103	France	Unified Socialist Youth	Brother of Joseph. Joined in 1936. Fought at Majadahonda and Ebro.[1][2][3]
Spain	Astobiza, Juan José			Spain	Euzko Gudarostea	Joined the Martiartu battalion of the PNV.[4]
Spain	Belda, Maria "Rosariet" Rosario Llin	1922		Spain	Spanish Republican volunteers	Served in as a volunteer nurse at the Ontinyent military hospital.[5][6]
Spain	Borrellas, Ramon Barons	25 February 1920	100	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Served in the 224th Battalion. Fought at the Ebro. Lives in Cardona.[7][8]
Spain	Bruguera, Juan Mariné	31 December 1920	100	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	"La quinta del biberón" fighter. Called up in 1938. Served on the Segre. Became a film maker after the war.[9][10]
Spain	Canet Català, Andreu	30 November 1920	100	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Enlisted in 1938 and joined the 224th Brigade. Served at Balaguer and Ebro. Lives in Cardedeu.[11][12]
Spain	Colom, Tomàs Dalmau	6 June 1920	100	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Fought on the Segre Front. Lives in Manresa.[13][14][8]
Spain	Darbra, Miquel Morera	26 April 1922	98	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Joined in 1936 with his father. Served at Teruel, Ebro, and Valsequillo.[15][12]
Spain	Diaz, Alejandro del Amo	9 July 1920	100	Spain	Euzko Gudarostea	Joined the Meabe battalion of the JSU.[16][17]
Spain	Esparraguera, Santos Cortés	10 March 1921	99	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Joined the 70th Brigade in 1936. Fought at Madrid, Jarama, Guadalajara, Brunete, and Ebro.[18][19]
Spain	Ernabide, Ignacio	1 February 1917	104	Spain	Euzko Gudarostea	Joined the Loiola battalion of the PNV. Served as an instructor due prior weapon experience before the war. Fought at Villarreal.[4]
Spain	Gallart, Simó	1920		Spain	Spanish Republican Army	"La quinta del biberón" fighter. Joined at 18 years old. Fought at Segre and Ebro.[20]
Spain	Iglesias, Mateo Balbuena	21 September 1913	107	Spain	Euzko Gudarostea Spanish Republican Army	Participated in the Strike of 1934. Joined the Leandro Carro battalion of the PCE in 1936. Fought at Álava, Biscay, and Bilbao. Later made a lieutenant in the Republican Army. Became a writer after the war.[21][22][4][23]
Spain	Lapuente, Alfons Cànovas	4 November 1917	103	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Trained with his brother Antoni to participate in the People's Olympiad. Event was cancelled following the outbreak of the Civil War and the brothers enlisted in the Republican Army. Fought on the Aragon front. Later became president of the CN Atlètic-Barceloneta.[24][25][26]
Spain	Martikorena, Gabriel Nogues	1920			Euzko Gudarostea	[4]
France	Mateu, Joseph Eduard Almudéver	30 July 1919	101	France	International Brigades Spanish Republican Army	Brother of Vincent. Joined a militia in 1936. Entered the 129th Brigade in 1938. In 2016, declared embassador by Valencia's Government during the October 9 Awards.[27][1][28][29]
Spain	Mateu, Josep Herms	11 January 1920	101	Spain	Spanish Republican Forces Nationalist Army	Served as an assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured by Francoist troops in 1939 and pressed into service before the end of the war.[12][30][8]
Spain	Mercader, Artur Tomàs	18 August 1918	102	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Enlisted in 1937. Served as a spotter in an artillery unit. Fought at Ebro. Lives in Barcelona.[31][12]
Spain	de Miguel Montañés, Miguel	7 June 1921	99	Spain	Spanish Republican Air Force	Joined the FARE in 1936. Served in a bomber unit. Fought on the Aragon front.[32][33][34]
Spain	Mur, Martín Arnal	12 November 1921	99	Spain	CNT-FAI	Mobilized in 1938. Fought at Ebro.[35]
Spain	Oliveras, Salvador Farrés	4 September 1920	100	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Enlisted in 1938. Fought at the Ebro and the Catalonia Offensive.[36][14]
Spain	Peón, Ángeles Flórez	17 November 1918	102	Spain	Unified Socialist Youth	Joined in 1936. Served as a Cook and a Nurse. Arrested in 1937 following the capture of Asturias.[37][38][39]
Spain	Pérez, Julián	1919		Spain	Unified Socialist Youth Nationalist Army	Joined Republican forces in 1936. Captured in 1937 and joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Served as a stretcher bearer.[40]
Spain	Piñón, Vicens	17 January 1918	103	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Joined in 1936. Served as a medic at Belchite.[41]
Spain	Pons, Andrés	1917		Argentina	Spanish Republican Army	Fought at Guadalajara. Became a lieutenant and was captured by Nationalist forces. Spent three years in captivity.[42]
Spain	Pons, Joan/Juan			Spain	Spanish Republican Army	"La quinta del biberón" fighter.[24]
Spain	Riba, Josep Randé	7 November 1919	101	Spain	International Brigades	Joined the Rakosi Battalion in 1938. Taken prisoner at Corbera d'Ebre in September, 1938.[43][44]
Spain	Sala, Josep	1919		Spain	Spanish Republican Army	"La quinta del biberón" fighter. Called to service in March 1938.[45]
Spain	Toledo, Salvador	12 April 1919	101	Spain	Spanish Republican Assault Guard	Joined in 1936. Served for three years. Sent to Morocco after the war. Lives in Badajoz.[46]
Spain	Torras, Jaume Navarro	2 February 1920	101	Spain	Spanish Republican Army	Called to service in 1938. Served at Segre and Ebro.[47][12]

Nationalist forces – 9 veterans

Nationality	Name	Date of Birth	Age	Residence	Force served	Notes
Spain	Alpuin, Pedro Placeres	29 June 1920	100	Spain	Nationalist Army	Enlisted in 1936. Served at Aragon. Left service in 1941. Lives on the Canary Islands.[48]
Spain	Casalderrey, José Pérez	1 August 1919	101	Spain	Nationalist Army	Enlisted in 1936. Fought at Asturias, Teruel, Aragon, and Cartagena.[49]
Spain	de Rábago, Andrés Díaz	17 October 1917	103	Taiwan	Nationalist Army
Spain	López, José López	1916		Spain	Nationalist Army	Joined in 1936. Fought at the Ebro. Joined the Blue Division in 1942 and later served in Russia.[50]
Italy	Maiorano, Domenico	11 July 1916	104	Italy	Italian Royal Navy	Enlisted as a volunteer in 1937.[51][52]
Spain	Mateu, Josep Herms	11 January 1920	101	Spain	Spanish Republican Forces Nationalist Army	Served as an assistant to his father who was a Republican doctor. Captured by Francoist troops in 1939 and pressed into service before the end of the war.[12][53][8]
Spain	Olmo, José Fernández	11 March 1919	101	Spain	Nationalist Army	Mobilized at 18 years old. Had two brothers in Republican forces. Fought at Madrid and Catalonia.[8]
Spain	Pérez, Julián	1919		Spain	Unified Socialist Youth Nationalist Army	Joined Republican forces in 1936. Captured in 1937 and joined Francoist forces to escape staying at a labor camp. Served as a stretcher bearer.[40]
Spain	Revesado, Jesús	1918		Spain	Nationalist Army	Joined at 18 years old. Served in the 13th Battalion. Lives in Salamanca.[54]

See also

• List of last surviving veterans of military insurgencies and wars

References

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11. Navarro, Xavier (8 March 2017). "Andreu Canet Català, un "biberó" a Cardedeu" (in Catalan). El NAS de Cardedeu. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
12. "81 años de la Batalla del Ebre: cuatro supervivientes y las lecciones del diálogo y la unidad pendientes". Agència Catalana de Notícies. Diari Més. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
13. Mañé, Pepa. ""Un tinent ens va rebre un a un: 'Bienvenidos a la España de Franco'"" (in Spanish). Regio7date=30 November 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
14. "Manresa and the Bages make a sense and emotional tribute to the Camí del Biberó" (in Spanish). Nació Digital. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
15. Terol, Alan Ruiz (20 July 2017). "'Some students don't even know who Franco was' says 97-year-old Civil War veteran". Catalan News. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
16. "Reclaman en Artxanda "más implicación institucional" con la memoria histórica" (in Spanish). Mugalari Kultura. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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24. Survivors of the Spanish civil war 80 years on – in pictures
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43. Nerín, Gustau (26 October 2018). "La UB recorda les Brigades Internacionals, a 80 anys de la seva retirada" (in Spanish). El Nacional.
44. "RANDÉ RIBA, Josep" (in Spanish). University of Barcelona. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
45. Pareja, Pol (14 June 2019). "Josep Sala, superviviente de los campos de concentración franquistas: "No éramos ni siquiera un número, no éramos nada"" (in Spanish). El Diario. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
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51. Laganella, Giuseppe (16 July 2019). "Domenico Maiorano compie 103 anni e cerca ancora moglie" (in Italian). Quotidiano di Foggia. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
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54. "La Salamanca del siglo XX narrada por dos centenarios" (in Spanish). DGratis Salamanca. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.

External links

• Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives
• International Brigade Memorial Trust
• Ireland and the Spanish Civil War
• Last surviving Spanish Civil War Anarchist veteran
• Last surviving Spanish Civil War veteran from Wales
• Surviving Spanish Civil War veterans meet again
• The Front Lines of Social Change: Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade