Identified more than 500 missing soldiers from international brigades during the Spanish Civil War

Five different published studies have allowed the Catalan government to identify 522 soldiers international brigades disappeared during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

These soldiers were part of the Republican army fighting against the army of Francisco Franco and had come from UNITED STATESCanada, the United KingdomAnd Ireland. 48 soldiers of different nationalities were also identified.

The different reports examine each country individuallyand the fifth focuses on the fighters missing during the Battle of the Ebro, one for each country and an additional one on the missing. fighters of the Battle of the Ebrothe longest, largest and bloodiest confrontation of the Spanish Civil War.

The battle took place in early 1938 and, according to new reports, 286 American soldiers96 Canadians and 6 Irish disappeared during the events.

A considerable number of these names were already registered in the Catalan government database on the “Human Cost” of the Civil War or in the database of “Civil War mass graves and the Franco dictatorship”, but there was a lack of information on some fighters and some errors in the names.

Additionally, the new reports reveal new information about where they fought or disappeared.

The investigations are part of the Catalan government's “Alvah Bessie” program, which aims to promote research into international brigadiers who disappeared in Catalonia. Last year it published reports on German, Austrian and Dutch fighters.

So far, the Catalan government has identified 800 international fighters.

The Spanish Civil War began in July 1936 and completed in April 1939. It is estimated that more than 35,000 international brigaders participated.