Mine Were Of Trouble
Spain, 1936. Political divisions on the right and left are becoming more violent as tensions rise. Military officers overthrow a democratically elected, supported by the Soviet Union, government. As long-buried passions resurface, the nation is plunged into anarchy. Spanish citizens choose sides and take part in the bloodiest fighting since the First World War. The struggle is perceived by Republic supporters as a battle for equality and their vision of advancement. For the rebels, the conflict represents a traditional preemptive attack against a communist takeover effort.
Numerous foreigners also participate in the conflict. Most fight alongside other militias allied with the obedient "Republicans" or the International Brigades, which are supported by the Soviet Union. Few people support the "Nationalists" in rebellion. Peter Kemp, a young British law student, was one of these uncommon Nationalist volunteers. Kemp was inspired by the Nationalist war against global Communism despite having little formal background or linguistic proficiency in Spanish.
He snuck into Spain using fraudulent credentials and joined the Requetés, a traditionalist militia with which he experienced fierce combat. Later, he offered to enlist in the infamous and brutal Spanish Foreign Legion, where he made a name for himself through valor. He was one of the few foreign volunteers who received a special audience with Generalissimo Francisco Franco as a result of his gallantry.
After a distinguished military career with the British Special Operations Executive during the Second World Conflict, Kemp wrote his story in 1957, one of the few English chronicles of the war from the perspective of the Nationalists.
