From BenitoM: Gallery of Ancestors - Spanish Republican Fighter 1936-39 (25 points)

This is a somewhat emotional post, as it links directly with a personal situation but also the not so far away history of Spain. First, I must confess that I envy the tales that many of you have posted about your ancestors, fighting a war to liberate Europe from the yoke fascism: British, Americans, Canadians, Australians... voluntary or conscripted, at least they fought for the good cause, the good fight

Unfortunately I can't  tell the same tale. This is the story of my grandfather (abuelo) Paco or at least the little I know about him. Abuelo Paco was born in Peñarroya, a small village near Cordoba and worked in the mine that supplied coal to the local power plant.

In July 1936 a military uprising led by a group of army generals resulted in a 3 year bloody civil war. What I know is that abuelo Paco joined the loyalist army of the Republic, but voluntary or conscripted, it's a mystery to me. 

My grad mum, my father (then 6 years old) and my then two very young aunts (babies actually) left the village in haste and arrived after several weeks (or months?) to Valencia, the seat of the Republican government after leaving Madrid and many-many hundreds miles away from my father's birthplace... undoubtedly a terrifying experience.

Next thing I know, all the family is reunited in Valencia, where my two surviving aunts still live. Abuelo Paco started working in a local shipbuilding company where my father (a boy 10-11 years old) also worked. However around 1945, abuelo Paco died from silicosis, a frequent illness among miners and my father still a teenager had to become the earner for the family.

Where did he fight? In which units? How (or if!) he was able to avoid the detention camp that demobilized Republican army soldiers had to go for "re-education"? We have no idea. No papers from my grandfather were found when my grandmother died. And she never wanted to speak about the war... the pact of oblivion... I don't even have a photograph of him to show here.

This model presented is therefore an idealistic representation of my ancestor. A fighter for the doomed Spanish Republic, abandoned by the Western democracies, abused by the Soviets and against all the power of the professional African army supported by the fascist European powers.... and going through the ordeal of a dictatorship until the mid 70s because of Cold War international geopolitics convenience.

The model is from Empress superb Republican army range, expensive but worth every penny given the outstanding suclpting and poses.This from an unfinished project of 8 yeas ago, when we played a long and intense campaign with Chain of Comand SCW rules variant. I bought several blisters of Republican and Nationalists, but never completed the project as my gaming group shift thie sights into other period.

This post therefore adds 25 point to my Challenge scoring: 5 points for the 28mm model + 20 bonus points