| Stoneham Camp |
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| ...differences? |
| Here we see three young Spanish women who assisted in caring for the children. |
The camp at North Stoneham at Eastleigh, a few miles from southampton, had been improvised in less than three weeks. On open land surrounded by woods, it had been donated by a local resident for the three or so months the reception area was expected to be in use... Trust within the expedition of children was strong, however, and the solidarity among family groups impressive. Again, slightly older siblings acted as parents to three- and four-year-olds, often assuming full responsibility for their care. At first, political differences among the children were ignored, but the strong cleavages in the Basque country were soon apparent among the children. There was considerable internal Basque political heterogeneity reflected in the camp population. The children had to be strictly segregated shortly after arrival, depending on the affiliation of their parents in registering them for evacuation. The PNV children, about half of those registered, received preferential treatment, in part because this party's leaders included the Basque president, finance minister, mininster of justice and culture, and the minister of the interior. Their bourgeois family background also made them particularly accetable to their British hosts. Extract taken from 'The Guernica Generation' by Dorothy Legarreta |
| A group of Basque girls washing clothes using bench's as scrubbing tables. |
| Seven Basque children, at the camp, showing that their sympathies lie with democratic elected Republican Spain. |
| A group of young children posing with elder Basque children, on what appears to be 'washing day' -- the boys must be hiding! |
| Medical problems were surprisingly minor. The children, though semi-staved for several months in spain, were not in poor health on arrival. As children gained weight in the camp, the only medical problem surfacing was a small outbreak of five cases of typhoid. In preventing the spread of this disease, the hygienic measure imposed...they were told to dip their hands in disinfectant before eating. |
| Spanish teacher Milagros is standing on the extreme left next to three Spanish assistants with Basque children. |
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| A general view of Stoneham Camp showing some of the 500 bell tents which covered a field known as Swaythling Farm. |
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| Dr Ellis; Medical Officer at the camp. |
| The above map shows Eastleigh. (click here for larger picture of map) |
| In the above picture stands, from the left, H.W.H. Sams, camp organiser; Capt. J.R.J. Macnamara MP and Wilfrid Roberts MP, joint secretaries of Basque Children's Committee. Mr Binton, a young journalist also worked along-side Mr Sams in preparing the camp for the arrival of the children, teachers, assistants from Spain. Regretably, the picture is not very clear, but a slight better view can be seen if you 'click' on the photo. |
| A group of girls at Stoneham Camp. |
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| Basques at Stoneham |
| The offer of a well-drained 30 acre site adjoining the then main Southampton-London road was snapped up. Lent by Mr. G. H. Brown of Swaythling Lane Farm, the field was a scene of beaverish activity until the arrival of the first children on May 23rd. Drains were installed, water piped in and 400 bell tents and five marquees were put up by volunteers under the guidance of the Scouts and TMCA. Soon help came from all directions... ...Politics pervaded all aspects of camp life. Though children, their political commitment was forged by the civil war and the passion that the Spanish bring to their politics. "Their smoking |
| and interesd in politics were the most noticeable things about them," said Mr Albert Arthur remembering his days as a young volunteer at the camp. On one occasion a group of children went without supper rather than wear the yellow armband - to differentiate them from those who had already eaten - because it was the colours of Franco's Moroccan troops. The main purpose of the camp was to give time for the Basque Children's Committee to find homes for the children's stay in England; have them medically checked and record all details for their eventual return to Spain. While they were at the camp they had to be occupied and organised. After the early heady days the camp took on a more streamlined appearance. Basque teachers accompanying the children gave lessons as well as those volunteers who spoke Spanish. The occasional trip outside the camp was continued on the bottom right hand-side |
BASQUES AT STONEHAM continued organised. the most popular being to Eastleigh airport where the children peered closely at the planes that had so frightened them when they first arrived in the country. Entertainments were put on, with a cinema and shows from outside performers. A few Basques sat for Augustus John the artists, who had his own tent at the camp. However nothing laid on for the children equalled the delight with which they greeted white bread, which was hoarded and bartered with great gusto. Discipline was a problem at the camp. To induce a more responsible attitude in in the older boys and in recognition of the adult duties they had of necessity carried out back home, they were given their own area of the camp to administer. This followed a fairly seriou incident that reached the columns of The Times... Article from 'Basques at Stoneham' by Mark Phillimore and printed in the Hampshire December 1978. |
| "Three days after they arrived...the first group were on the move again..." |
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