Hear about the fascinating life of Oxfordshire soldier, Charlie Hutchison (1918-1993) a life-long anti-fascist and trade unionist. He is most notable for being the only known Black British person to fight in the Spanish Civil War.
Having probably lied about his age when travelling to Spain, he was among the youngest foreign volunteers, one of the longest-serving, and one of the first to arrive from Britain. After narrowly surviving a bloody defeat which wiped out many of his fellow volunteers, he switched from fighter to ambulance driver, saving countless lives during the war.
Come the start of the Second World War, Charlie joined the British Army and was serving on the coast during the Dunkirk Evacuation, before later serving overseas in Iraq and Iran. He would serve in Normandy and North West Europe shortly after D-Day, before helping with the relief of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, delivering life-saving supplies for survivors.
Having barely survived his ten-year crusade against fascism and having witnessed the very worst of humanity, Charlie laid down his weapons to begin a new life - occasionally returning to politics in support of peace campaigns and trade unions.
Speaker Dan Poole is the writer of 'Charlie Hutchison: Biography of a Black-British Anti-Fascist from Oxfordshire' and is a regular guide for Uncomfortable Oxford walking tours.
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