George Drever
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George Drever | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 March 1910 |
| Died | 1996 |
| Allegiance | Spanish Republicans |
| Service | International Brigades |
| Rank | Rifleman |
| Unit | British Bn, 15th International Bde in Spain |
| Battles / wars | Belchite |
George Drever (31 March 1910 – 1996) was a Scottish communist and volunteer with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War.[1]
Drever was born on 31 March 1910[2] in Leith, one of eleven children of an Orcadian couple, dock labourer George Drever and his wife Louisa née Balfour.[3] He lived at 41, Ferry Road, Leith was schooled at Leith Academy and passed Scottish Highers in English, Maths, Science (Chemistry & Physics)[2] and became Dux[4] in 1928.[5] Despite his poor home background he was admitted to study pure science[2] at the University of Edinburgh[3] and graduated with a B.Sc in chemistry with First Class Honours and completed a Ph.D.[6] Then he was working for Imperial Chemical Industries in Manchester as a research chemist, before being made redundant, which he claimed was due to his political activism as a communist in 1937.[1] On returning from Spain, he did obtain work as a metallurgist for the English Steel Corporation[7] in Sheffield.[1] He spent some time teaching in the National Council of Labour Colleges.[1]
When he first volunteered for overseas service in the cause of anti-fascism, he was declared as 'too important to lose' to the UK communists.[8]
Volunteering for the International Brigades
Drever was one of around 500 Scottish volunteers who went to Spain in 1937 to fight for the Republicans and the working class struggle against fascism.[1][3] Although Drever did recognise that a revolution to full communist governance at the same time as a war against the fascists would not be achievable (as proposed by POUM)[9]
He had been a working class communist/socialist and although unfit for normal military service was willing to fight for this cause.[1] He had originally volunteered for Abyssinia when invaded by Mussolini but his service was refused.[8] Through the local communist party Drever heard the call for 'our best comrades' to go to Spain, and felt he was one of these 'best' to go. He was given a rail ticket and did not tell his parents or friends. He was 27 years old. His purpose was not just to fight fascism in Spain but to be trained in weapons ready for 'revolution' back at home.[10][11] Drever was also one of those who were pragmatically aware that the Republican cause was unlikely to succeed, even before he left.[12]
He was considered it strange that fellow communist thought he would not need to carry his own pack as a volunteer soldier, as he was from the educated classes.[10]
The volunteers assembled at the London Communist Party HQ before arriving in Paris and sending his mother a postcard "don't worry'.[13]
The group entered Spain secretly on foot through the Pyrenees and were greeted at Figueras by some hungry Republican soldiers and local people before travelling on by train to Tarazona for basic training.[1]
In the battalion Drever was attached to first, the political attache was a Bob Cooney from Aberdeen. His first shock was the destruction of towns they marched through together such as Belchite, where he was posted with Jimmy Rutherford, a fellow Edinburgh volunteer from Newhaven whom he had known for couple of years through the Labour League of Youth and Communist Party at home and was a Spanish speaker. Their group got cut off for three days from the rest during a group tank attack and in the confusion came across the enemy and were taken prisoner with John Goldstein, another Spanish speaker from the battalion.
