ABSTRACT
Many thousands more would have surely died without the help of those who worked in refugee centres, where displaced women and children could receive the basic necessities of life.
However, the purpose of this chapter is not the compilation of a guide indicating which British women did what, where and when in Spain.3 The principal aim here is to reach a greater understanding of the experience of the Spanish Civil War for the British women who remained in Spain for some time during the conflict. Many of the themes have been suggested by the words of the women themselves, selected for their significance in the life of a particular individual, or because a common theme has arisen in several different narratives. Inevitably therefore, this chapter primarily reflects the perspectives of the women whose memories have entered the public sphere for a variety of reasons. Sadly, there are many others who appear as no more than names in the records, perhaps only remembered in private family legends.4 The experience of some British women who were in Spain during the war included the work of conveying the urgency of the situation to the public at home. The ways in which they expressed their views are discussed in Chapter 5.
