Motherwell soldiers that volunteered to fight fascism in Spanish Civil War to be honoured in ceremony

A committee set up to memorialise the brave fighters from Motherwell who volunteered to lay down their lives to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War will set up a special memorial for the tenth year in a row.

The No Pasaran Memorial Committee, who take their name from the Spanish phrase ‘No Pasaran’, meaning ‘they shall not pass’ in English - it was a popular phrase used by the Republicans who fought against General Franco’s fascists in the mid to late 1930’s.

It’s the tenth time that such an event has been held in the Duchess of Hamilton Park just off Airbles Road in Motherwell, which holds a special memorial to those

The No Pasaran Memorial Committee who have taken their name from the ‘they shall not pass’ slogan of the Republican Faction will in fact be commemorating the tenth year of the special memorial created in Duchess of Hamilton Park.

It was dedicated to the 40 local volunteers of the International Brigades that travelled to Spain to fight - including the famous Anarchist journalist from Bellshill, Ethel MacDonald.

A total of 11 men from Lanarkshire died in the conflict and members of the committee are determined that they should never be forgotten.

Co-ordinator Andy Jones confirmed: “The memorial service will commence at 1pm close to the park’s Avon Street entrance.

“As in previous years, the agenda will be, opening comments, invited guests speaking, the roll of honour, a minute’s silence and laying of wreaths.

“At 2pm, we plan to go to The Railway Tavern Motherwell for a social event with drinks, food and music entertainment.”

The memorial hit headlines two years ago in 2021 after vandals, thought to be right-wing extremists, defaced the stone with graffiti.

A total of 549 Scots volunteered to fight in Spain for the brigades, accounting for 23 per cent who travelled from Britain and more Scots proportionally volunteered than from any other country.

It’s estimated that a quarter of them in total never made it home.