FALL OF LERIDA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19601, 5 April 1938, Page 7

FALL OF LERIDA

ENTRY BY REBELS

DRIVE FOR THE SEA

COLUMN 18 MILES AWAY

BRITISH PRISONERS

INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE

(Elec. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) (.Reed. April 4, 3 p.m.) LONDON, April 3

A mesaige from Saragossa says it is officially stated that the Spanish rebels, entering Lerida by three routes, captured it at 7 p.m. Forty thousand rebel troops attacked Lerida. The defenders numbered 20,000 The Saragossa correspondent of The Times says that the rebel divisions captured Batea and vanquished four international brigades, killing 501) men and taking 2500 prisoners. An additional detachment ot" English -volunteers surrendered to the Italians. General Franco's advance column is now 18 miles from the seaboard. Ninety-six British .prisoners, part of a battalion of an International Brigade were captured during the Catalonia advance and arrived at Saragossa to-day. They appeared a motlev crowd with cropped heads, unsha'nven faces and nondescript clothing. A Londoner, John Myers, said that they were supposed to be advancing to a new position east of Alcaniz. They were ordered to fall out and were told that a mechanised column was coming. Suddenly rebel tanks appeared round a bend in the road. "We had no alternative but to surrender," said Myers. "I do not believe that any more volunteers would come to Spain if we could return home and tell our experiences. We. are regarded as just cannon fodder. It is explained that the majority o Britishers with the international brigade were previously unemployed.