Solidarity Park

Arthur McNally

On 29th October 1915 Arthur McNally was born to Arthur and Martha McNally of 11 Fenton Terrace, New Herrington. Arthur was the last of their four children. Arthur Sr was working as a shifter for Lambton and Hetton Collieries Ltd at the New Herrington colliery; a shifter repaired the horse-ways and passages in the mine and kept them free from obstruction.

Arthur Jr did not follow his father and grandfather down the pit, he passed his eleven plus and was educated at Houghton Le Spring Grammar School. Arthur moved to Birmingham where he was a bricklayer and joined The Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers Union (AUBTW). He was living in Rubery in Birmingham and working at the Bournville factory less than five miles away. In 1936 Arthur joined the Communist Party and was on the Kings Norton Branch committee when he volunteered for Spain.

Arthur sailed for Dunkirk on 18th January 1938 as a Suspected recruit for Spain, he was enlisted into the British Battalion on 21st January 1938, he gives his trade as bricklayer and gives his father’s address of 15 New Road, Philadelphia, Durham.

On 7th March 1938 Franco launched a massive and well-prepared attack on the Republican forces in Aragon, which created a series of break-throughs, this forced the Republicans to retreat which in turn saw the Republican resistance collapse. The British Battalion was forced to make a fighting retreat through, Belchite, Lecera, Vinaceite and finally Caspe, which was surrendered on the 15th March. When the British Battalion reached Batea Republican reinforcements were brought up and the Fascist advance was checked. A report dated 17th March 1938 lists Arthur McNally as killed at Caspe. .

On 1st May 1939 the Birmingham Daily Gazette reported that a two-minute silence was observed in the Birmingham Town Hall in remembrance of four Birmingham men who fell in the Spanish Civil War

Arthur McNally is commemorated on the Houghton Le Spring Grammar School memorial plaque “In honoured memory of the old boys of this school who fell in the World War 1939 -1945”, beneath 32 names McNally A is listed separately with (in Spain 1938) after his name. This plaque is now held by Kepier School in Houghton le Spring.

Compiled by Tony Fox