John Vistuer sent through some photos of his grandfather, Augusto Perez Miranda, a Spaniard who fought for the allies during World War II. He started his military career in the Spanish Guardia Civil in North Africa. Then he fought for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. Being on the losing side, he found himself in the French Foreign Legion at the start of the World War II, but ended up in the No. 1 (Spanish) Company of the Pioneer Corps of the British Army. All words are John’s.
Grand Father’s UK Army Service Record in Spanish Company
My grandad:
- Full name was : Augusto Perez Miranda
- Born: 28 Apr 1907 La Concha, Santander, Spain
- Died: 07 Jun 1983 St Georges Hospital, Tooting, London
- Married: Carmen Duro Salamero
- Brothers (2): Juan Perez Miranda; Alberto Perez Miranda
The photos are of my Grandad. He’s marked by an X in many. You’ll see a couple from the French Foreign Legion and also from Guardia Civil.
My Grandfather served in the Guardia Civil in North Africa, Melilla. Franco started in North Africa and the Civil War kicked off. Subsequently Franco used his forces in Spain.
My Grandfather moved his family to Barcelona and deserted the Guardia Civil and fought against Franco. My mother/his daughter recalls visiting him on the front line with her mother with food. Whilst they were talking my mum was playing with a pineapple looking thing, grandad looked over and shouted to my mum…she was playing with a grenade. There are other stories of the poverty and ferocity of people steeling food from a Red Cross food store fighting for food.
They stayed in Barcelona for a few years whilst a bulk of the fight went on and only near the end flying to UK with help from relation. I have generations of family in Barcelona and Mallorca, and it was my mother’s uncle in Mallorca that paid to fly his family to the UK. The UK was shipping new Spanish arrivals to South America but stopped by the time his family arrived. Appalling times hence my mother’s uncle did not know but when he did he paid for tickets to fly them to UK.
My Grandfather stayed on in Barcelona to fight. Later he crossed the Pyrenees and as is well documented ended up in the French Foreign Legion (two photos are of Tunisia) and getting posted to Norway. However they were cut off and the British rescued them and brought them back to UK.
That was the beginning of his time in the Pioneer Corp [No. 1 (Spanish) Company of the Pioneer Corps], and of course back with his family – hopefully you can pick him out from the photos – his portrait is dated 1946.
I’ve attached my Grandfather Service Record from the UK Army.
I hope you can track more records and correlate him to his Company and other photos records of him in the UK.
Nanny
The lady is my nan, “Nanny”. Wonderful woman, made of steel. She was a formidable woman in desperate times. Another story when she came to England with her Children they were looked after by the Spanish Committee I think it was called and were helped to rent a large house in Alleyn Park Road in Dulwich from a Jewish gentleman. My Grandad worked as a Door Porter for a Hotel in London in the 70s and retired shortly after. My Nan was very under nourished and was I recall suffering from malnutrition following the years in Spain in Barcelona.
Great stuff ! Thanks to John, Augusto’s story along with many others in the book I am finishing off on Spaniards Continuing the Fight against Fascism in the British Army during the SecondWorldWar. Nearly there! More to follow! ¡Gracias a todos! Séan Scullion
Wonderful story and shows just how varied a life people can lead.
Another amazing story. Thank you John for posting.
A lot of ex republican spaniards served well in our Foreign Legion in 1939 1940.
Foreign Legion is my favorite unit in the FR army ( I was born in Algeria before independance).
Thanks for sharing.
Muchas gracias, John Vistuer, magníficas fotografias que te agradezco que nos las enseñes. El nombre de tu abuelo consta en mi libro Españoles en guerra ajena. En todos los frentes. Bajo todas las enseñas.
What a man Augusto was who lived a full and happy life, my own father Rafael Parra Cortes served in 361 (A) Coy Pioneer Corp from 29th April 1943 till 15th October 1946. I could never get him to talk about his military service fighting for the Spanish Republic against the Fascists or his service with the British army in North Africa, France and Belgium. I have my late fathers pay book his Soldiers Release Book, and a photo of him wearing the North Africa Star ribbon. But I know nothing of this climatic period of my fathers life.
Rosalind Cortes
Rosalind. I would be interested in talking to you about Rafael. My book is out this summer and will feature 361 Company a great deal. Let me know if this is of interest. My email is sfscullion12@gmail.com Gracias de antemano. Séan
Extremely interesting! Thanks for sharing.
My great uncle was a Pole who served in the International Brigades. After the war was lost, he escaped to the Soviet Union were he ended up serving in the Red Army (where, and doing what exactly, I do not know). He survived the war but passed away before I was born.
My dad collected some info on him, including photographs, but my dad is a private person and doesn’t want me sharing this online.
One of life’s greatest tragedies is that the Spanish Civil War was lost. I recently read the memoirs of fighter ace Francisco Tarazona, “Yo Fui Un Piloto de Caza Rojo” (“I was a fighter pilot for the Reds”) and it all felt so hopeless. And like he admitted, fighter pilots had it easy — the ground troops did most of the suffering. It’s also infuriating how badly they were treated by France: when all was lost and they escaped Spain, crossing into France, they were interned — understandably — but French gendarmes treated them really badly, mocking and rifle butts to the face and all. No wonder a huge chunk of France later turned to Nazi collaborationism…
Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to Sean. I was at the Spanish Embassy last week 12th Sept 2024 in London for the Launch of his book ‘Churchills Spaniards’, and it was amazing to hear the stories from Sean through his presentation. It was a great night and one I know my Mother would have wanted to hear herself. But what topped it for me was page 256 in Seans book and the photo of my Nanny and Grandad. It was such a moment for me when Sean thumbed his way to this page and everytime I see it, it reminds me of the times as a young boy in their flat in Streatham, London growing up with them. Little thought is given to those older than us growing up and I was no different as a kid and when they died in my early teens it was so shocking. Regretfully I never asked more/right questions when they were alive and I never learnt to speak Spanish. But I take great comfort from Seans book and the story it tells for so many.
For the record I just thought I would note a few other bits but I’m sure you can guess there was far more than I can note here, probably another book!
My mother Carmen had always wanted to publish something about her experienced growing up with her older brother Albert. They were born in Al Hoceima in North Africa with her father, Augusto Perez Miranda in the ‘Guadia de Asalto’ a forrunner of the Guadia Civil. They then moved to Barcelona when the Civil War started in 1936. Most of my extended family live in Barcelona and my mother always regarded Barcelona her home as she was only 5 when she left Al Hoceima. In 1984 I was very luck to meet my mother’s Cousins and some elderly Uncles who had played their part and in particular paying for them to travel by plane to England in 1945 once the war finished. Given Augusto had fought in the Republic in Barcelona it was not long before he headed north with many to France and joined the French Foreign Legion ending up in Norway only to be rescued and taken eventually into the British Army. Interestingly my parents moved in 1979 to a place called Bideford only 5 miles away from Westward Ho! and my Grandfather visited us twice along with his children/3 of my Uncles. At no time could I every remember my Grandfather, Uncles or Mother mentioning about having been based during the war in Westward Ho! In fact it only came to me when I obtained in around 2010 his British Army Service Records and noticed his deployment to Westward Ho! Strange how life goes. When my Mother arrived in England in 1946 it was the first time in 8 years since she had seen her father Augusto. Her Mother my Grandmother was terribly undernorished having to look after 5 children and needed specialist medial care. My Mother met my Father in South London through her older Brother Albert and settled in the UK. My Mother always maintained her Spanish passport to the end, she was without doubt thankful to the UK for having taken them in at such a desparate time and to be able to build a life here in the UK for 3 more generations. Something my mother was always grateful for all her life.
More recently I decided albeit reluctantly to scan the 000’s of negatives that were in with my Grandmother and Grandfathers photos and surprisingly I discovered even more photos of my Grandfather in the Army and many many other family photos of my Mother and even my Father showing them when they were young in their teens and 20’s. It seems that whilst everyone who browsed the photo collection removed a photo here and there, di not take the negative thankfully and they remained. And so now I have almost twice as many photos than before and showing pictures I’ve never seen before myself. So take another look at those old negatives and see what you too can find.
I’m still reading and rereading Seans books as I delve into the details, and I know I’ll have a ton of questions for Sean at the end to followup with.
Finally thank you for the comments. I know there were many men who fought in this terrible war and on occassion in the same family which my Mother recounted when telling her stories. I hope other family’s are able to find details and search for answers to save the history of their family stories.