Outwitting Franco

The book tells the story of those incidents and events in the Spanish Civil War in which Welsh captains and sailors played a pivotal role. The focus is on the blockade runners at the port of Bilbao in 1937 and the evacuation of refugees from Alicante in 1939. The historical background in chapters 1 and 3 provides the context in which the actions of the Welsh captains are made meaningful. The brave exploits of Captain David 'Potato' Jones and Captain W.H. Roberts at Bilbao are described in detail as is the heroic rescue of almost 3000 refugees by Captain Archibald Dickson from Alicante in his boat the 'Stanbrook'.The tragic scenes when Republican refugees, fleeing Franco's army, arrive at the port of Alicante at the end of the Civil War are related with particular poignancy. The book champions the fight against fascism by the Republican government and exposes the cynicism of the Western democracies.The author writes for the general reader but makes reference to the major academic works. He uses information derived from archives and people both in Wales and in Spain.