Tercio Virgen de los Reyes de Sevilla

Preciosa estampa del Tercio sevillano y los Requetés desfilando ante Fal Conde y SMC Javier I.

"¡Gloriosísima Virgen de los Reyes! Vemos simbolizados en Vos todos nuestros ideales, como Madre de Cristo Jesús, por cuyo reinado suspiramos; Madre de nuestra Patria, por cuya regeneración peleamos; Reina de los Reyes, por tus tradiciones nos sacrificamos.

Llenos de amor y de confianza, llegamos a vuestras plantas todos los Requetés en orden de batalla, después de haber constituido un Tercio que lleva, y con grande honra, vuestro dulcísimo nombre: el Tercio de la Virgen de los Reyes."

The Spanish Crusade

Le di a copiar y pegar en un documento de Word, olvidé la fuente: solo recuerdo que se trataba de una bitácora católica norteamericana, de ésas que no se tragan las mentiras del tío Sam y son un modelo de resistencia católica en Masonlandia). Nunca es malo sino todo lo contrario, recordar nuestra gloriosa cruzada y a los mártires que en ella dieron sus vidas:

In the Feast of Christ the King of 2007 (traditonal calendar), the Holy Father will beatify 498 Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) as well from the Asturias Rebellion preceding it. One of the most notable groups to be included in this beatification is the Augustinian Canons of the Royal Monastery at the Escorial.The Spanish Civil War was one of the most violent manifestations of anti-Catholicism in the Twentieth Century. The war was fought after a radically anti-Catholic coalition government was formed by the Socialists, Communists, Anarchists, and Basque Seperatists (who had sided with the others in an attempt to gain independence)--they are collectively called "The Republicans" by most historians. Many abuses were perpetuated against the Church in Spain until it seemed clear that there was a concerted effort to crush it. Standing up for Holy Mother Church were the Monarchist Legitimists, Falangists, and the Spanish Military--collectively refered to as "The Nationals".

After a bloody and hard fought war, God's warriors triumphed. Watch the Liberation of Barcelona.

News of the Spanish Civil War in the Western media (at the time heavily influenced by Socialism and Judeo-Bolshevism) was severely biased toward the Republicans. Many American and European Socialists, as well as Communists, came to fight for the Republicans, as well the Soviet government gave much aid to them. The Nationalists received support from the governments of Italy and Germany, as well as from Catholics abroad. The most notable of these Catholic groups was the Irish Blue Shirts who actually came to fight for the banner of Holy Tradition. In addition, some White Russians came to fight for the Catholic cause after seeing the anti-monarchist and anti-Christian "blood baths" in Russia when the Judeo-Bolsheviks took over.

It must also not be forgotten that the Spanish Army included many Muslims from Spanish Morocco who fought for the Nationalist cause.

Here's an article on "The Other Volunteers" from the BBC. To read more about the Spanish Civil War, I recommend Warren Carroll's The Last Crusade: Spain 1936.

Today as yesterday, remember our heroes!

Today more than ever, against the aggressions of revolutionary Liberalism (whether Marxist either Conservative, represented in Spain by PSOE and PP), remember our brave Requetés and take us example of them, warriors of the Tradition and the Counter-Revolution, yesterday, today and forever, who fought, fight and will fight for an eternal creed: For God Our Lord, for the Country, its Old Laws and for the rightful King.

Let's do this battle extended to all nations around the World. Today the enemy is named Globalization, Abortion, Wild Capitalism, Loss of values (the true Christian Values) and Loss of Identity, Submission to fanatic and totalitarian Islam (in Old Europe), Cacique Neomarxism in South America, Hypocrisy, Wasteful while others die of famine, gratuitous wars, etc...etc...etc...The Masonic plan and its Darkness Visible are succeeding. There is no place for the reflection or criticism. Where the World goes???? As soon as we can imagine, novels like Huxley's Brave New World or Orwell's 1989 will come true. But as the Lord said, the Gates of Hell shall not prevail. Don't deceive (or liar) ourselves, Obama is not a messiah, he is just an abortist and an antichrist (it is writen:"...and you will know them by their works").

Fight each one of us with our own resources or weapons, at work, in our relations with Society, with friends, with strangers, from the Press, in the Church, through the Internet, etc...WAKE UP! TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIFES! CHRIST AND VIRGIN MARY HELP US! Therefore, one day we will can even say that the true human being is alive.

Con Dios.

Mas banderas del Requeté (y una foto histórica)

Del libro "Banderas de la Guerra Civil española". Foto: se trata de la entrada victoriosa de las brigadas navarras en Tarragona.

Banderas del Requeté

Banderas del libro "Banderas de la Guerra Civil española", de algunos de los Tercios que combatieron en la Cruzada del 36. En requetes.com tienen expuestas en sitio de honor, la gran mayoría de ellas; yo solo copié aquéllas que le faltaban (la del Sagrado Corazón, fue la primera bandera requeté en ondear y por ende, la primera rojigualda desde los tiempos de la proclamación de la nefasta y criminal República).

The International Brigades in Spain: The true story

Fuente: Der (Hispanismo.org)

by Ricardo de la Cierva

(comments to the book by Ángel Maestro)

According to the author this is a "book of an emergency", requested by many friends after the decission of the Partido Popular to support the Social-Communist initiative to grant the members of the brigades the Spanish nationality as a sign of "gratitude of the nation" for fighting "for freedom and democracy". The nationality for the brigadists was granted by Royal Decree on 19th January 1996, signed by king Juan Carlos I and countersigned by his minister J.A. Belloch who the purists called, before his terrorific facial traits, "the choffeur of Frankenstein".

This book is a convincing work of historical correction and, at the same time, a crushing statement against the "historical lies and the terrible error of the State" committed by the MPs of the Partido Popular[1]. Through the book there are a number of adverse adjectivations: bias, sectarism, shamelessness, ignominy, ignorance, dementia, utter nonesense, big deceit, trick, incoherence, desire to humilate Spain and to deprive her from the historic memory. The speech of the Popular MP by the city of Teruel, Mr. Bueso, iin favour of the bridagists for "their work in favour of freedom" is ironically classified as a "deed" and it provokes shame. An affront to his own party and its speaker.

The International Brigades were units near to divisions, of some five thousand men each. There were seven of these units with effectives never superior to thirty thousand men, and the total number of volunteers was almost one hundred thousand, of which ten thousand died. They didn't come [to Spain] to fight for freedom, but they came organized by the Communist International on behalf of Stalin, to whom De la Cierva calls, not without reason, "the biggest murderer in History". This is also the thesis of Andreu Castelles --who was a member of the 129th Brigade-- in his book Las Brigadas Internacionales en la guerra de España (ed. Ariel, Barcelona 1973); a main source of information which De la Cierva quotes frequently. Like Sandor Voros (a political commisaire of the XV Brigada) declared: "We came to fight and to die under the direction of the Kommitern". They didn't come to fight for freedom, as that would be a sarcasm in a stalinist operation. William Herrick, a member of the same Brigada confesses: "when I went to Spain I had no faith in the bourgeoise democracy".

Most of the brigadists were the scum of their respective societies, battered by the economic crisis. This was their environment: "squandering of provisions, drunkness, binges and robberies". On ocasions, whole sections of drunk brigadists threw themselves over the frontline to fall under the fire. André Marty, secretary of the Kommitern, was appointed by Stalin as chief-in-command of the International Brigades. In the province where he established the headquarters of the Brigades, he murdered 1,126 people. That gained him the nickname of "el carnicero de Albacete" (the butcher of Albacete). This was the opinion of Marty himself about his brigadists in an official report: "There arrived hundreds of criminals and while a part of them passed the time living comfortably without doing a thing, many others, taking advantage on the chaos, committed a very large series of abominable crimes: rapes, gratuitous violence, robberies with violence, homicides for the sake of it, thefts, kidnappings, etc. Not happy with it, they have promoved rebellions with bloodbaths against the authorities and some have even spied in favour of Franco... In Albacete they intended to continue with the criminal acts committed in other places; after being detained, they ran away from the concentration camp beating or killing to part of the personnel of wards. Before this I did not hesitate in ordering the necessary executions; those ordered by me were not more than 500". An irrefutable and burdensome testimonial for the MPs who voted to offer "gratitude" to these peoples. It was, like De la Cierva writes, "to spit over the blood" of the people assassinated by the brigadists.

Another myth that the author debunks is that of the "popular" character of the red army. Although there were elitist people and elements in the Brigades, most were, effectively, "populace" from several countries (only three thousand Jews). But in the Spanish units of the Republic, out of more than one million men, only less than 150,000 were volunteers. Azaña summoned 26 reserves of conscripts, from those of 1915 (who were 40 years old at the time) till the reservists of 1941 (almost teenagers). While Franco only summoned 15 reserves of conscripts because he had 68,000 volunteers of the Requeté[2], 208,000 volunteers in the Flags of the Falange[3], apart from 30,000 alféreces provisionales[4] and 70,000 volunteers from Morocco[5]. De la Cierva writes: "the National Army was much more popular than the Republican Army". (page 84.)

De la Cierva denies that the Alzamiento[6] was "the war of the generals" against the people. Out of 21 existing generals with a command place, 17 adhered to the Republic and only 4 to the rebellious Mola[7]. And nearly all of those who later were marshalls in the USSR in 1969, had been sent by Stalin to Spain to give military advice to Azaña, considered as the creme of his officials.

The author destroys the myth of the novelist Malraux, who was never engaged in a real combat nor did he know a word about planes, although he was the captain of a French wing. Later on he became a Gaullist. And he destroys too the myth of Hemingway, who wrote "reports which were detestable from the point of view of History and which have as little to do with the reality of the Spanish war as his pseudo-historic novel".

De la Cierva includes a testimonial of the Argentinean brigadist Víctor de Frutos, in his book Los que no perdieron la guerra (Buenos Aires, 1967), where he sheds light over the destruction of Gernika. The brigadist writes: "Bilbao had to be set flames, those were the plans... The old city did not burn in flames because, when we were running across the streets with ready-to-use incendiary bombs, cans of petrol and lightning matches, we could see terrorized women and children in the windows". Another myth that falls apart.

It is true that many brigadists fought with courage, as shown by the fact that 10% of them died in action. But they only achieved military failures, which De la Cierva lists battle after battle: "The International Brigades did not obtain one single victory since the day that they engaged in their frist combat; but the Battle of Brunete, which lasted until July 1937, was the worse and more humiliating defeat. However, there were still bigger disasters still to come for them."

In this important work, a must read for the recovery of the historical memory, the author uses materials from earlier books, especially from his Historia esencial de la guerra civil (1996) which I referred recently (see «Razón Española» núm. 78, julio 1996, págs. 103-105), as well as the important research works by J.M. Martínez Bande and Jesús and Ramón Salas Larrazábal, and all the available bibliography of the Brigades. The background is, therefore, a complete one. He does not omit anything important to the subject.

Years ago --like the title of one of his inciting books reads (see «Razón Española» núm. 71, mayo 1995, págs. 352-6)--, De la Cierva set himself on the noble task of impeding that a team of falsifying clerks from our national near past, rob us from our History. Still today he continues with such an enterprise with impetus, courage and historiographical precision. D. Ricardo de la Cierva is, nowadays, the champion of truth about the age of Franco. He is not alone. But, in all justice, there should be many others. It is a bad thing to be a forgetful and and ungrateful nation.

Notes of translation:

1. Partido Popular was born out of the Social-Conservative Alianza Popular of D. Manuel Fraga Iribarne which, like he defined it himself in the years of the Transition, it represented the Sociological Francoism. Since those years, PP has transformed as a part of its "search for the center", into a group of Neo-Liberals and Neo-Conservatives, betraying its origins. However, they still count with the faithful vote of a sector of the Spanish society of Social-Conservative ideology, who don't see an alternative against the Left. This "faithful vote" is what in Spain is known as a "captive vote", which is represented by the sector of subsidized temporary workers in Andalusia for the Socialist Party (PSOE) and which in times of Socialist President Felipe González was labeled as "grateful tummies".
2. The Requeté is a name by which is known the Armies of the Traditionalist Carloist supporters.
3. Falange Española de las JONS, after the fusion of FE with JONS. Spain's own Fascist-style movement of the 30s.
4. An alférez in the Spanish Army is an officer below the rank of leutenant and above a cadet (since the cadet is not yet an officer). During the Spanish Civil War the alférez provisional was created with equal rank to alférez, with the difference that the alférez was instructed in the Military Academy while the alférez provisional only passed a sort of crash course.
5. These were Spanish troops of the Tercio (Spanish Legion) and other units and regiments, as well as the indigenous troops from Morocco.
6. literally: Rising. This is the name by which is often known the rebellion against the Republic. 7. General Mola, initially in charge of the Alzamiento in the Peninsula and chief-in-command of the Army of the North.

70th Anniversary of Victory Day in Spain

Fuente: Volontario (Hispanismo.org)

RADIOMESSAGE «CON INMENSO GOZO» OF HIS HOLINESS

PIUS XII, TO THE SPANISH FAITHFUL (April 14, 1939)

With great joy We address you, most dear children of Catholic Spain, to express to you our paternal congratulations for the gift of peace and of victory, with which God has deemed worthy to crown the Christian heroism of your faith and charity, tried in so many and so generous sufferings. Our Predecessor, of venerable memory, expected, with longing and trust, this Providential peace, which is undoubtedly the fruit of that copious blessing which he sent, in the very beginning of the struggle, "to all those who had devoted themselves to the difficult and dangerous task of defending and restoring the rights and the honor of God and Religion" [1]; and We do not doubt that this peace shall be the one that he himself foretold since then, "the sign of a future of tranquility in order, and of honor in prosperity" [2].

The designs of Providence, most beloved children, have once again appeared over the heroic Spain. The Nation chosen by God as the main instrument of the evangelization of the New World and as an impregnable fortress of the Catholic faith has just shown to the apostles of materialistic Atheism of our century the greatest evidence that the eternal values of religion and of the spirit stand above all things.

The tenacious propaganda and the constant efforts of the enemies of Jesus Christ seemed to have desired to have tried in Spain a supreme experiment of the dissolving forces which they have at their disposal throughout the world; and even though it is true that the Almighty has for now not allowed them to achieve their goal, He has at least tolerated some of their terrible effects, so that the world could see how religious persecution, undermining the very bases of justice and charity, which are love for God and respect for His holy law, may drag modern society to unthinkable abysses of evil destruction and passionate discord.

Convinced of this truth, the sane Spanish people, with the two marks characteristic of its most noble spirit, which are generosity and frankness, rose up determinedly in defense of the ideals of Christian faith and civilization, deeply rooted in the Spanish soil, and aided by God, "who does not abandon those who hope in Him" (Judith 13, 17), could resist the push from those who, deceived by what they believed to be a humanitarian ideal of the exaltation of the meek, truly fought only for Atheism.

This primordial meaning of your victory makes us dwell in the most promising hopes, that God in His mercy will deign lead Spain through the safe path of its traditional and Catholic grandeur; which will be the point that will guide all Spaniards, who love their Religion and their Fatherland, in the effort to organize the life of the Nation in perfect harmony with its most noble history of Catholic faith, piety, and civilization.

We thus exhort the Authorities and Shepherds of Catholic Spain to enlighten the mind of those who were deceived, showing them, lovingly, the roots of Materialism and Secularism from which their errors and wrongful acts came forth, and from which they could spring forth again. Propose to them the principles of individual and social justice, without which the peace and prosperity of nations, as mighty as they may be, cannot subsist, and which are those contained in the Holy Gospel and in the doctrine of the Church.

We do not doubt that it will happen thus, and the bases for Our firm hope are the most noble and Christian sentiments, of which the Chief of State and so many gentlemen, his faithful collaborators, have given unequivocal evidence with the legal protection which they have granted to the supreme religious and social interests, according to the teachings of the Apostolic See. The same hope is also founded upon the enlightened zeal and abnegation of your Bishops and Priests, tempered by pain, and also in the faith, piety, and spirit of sacrifice of which, in terrible hours, all classes of Spanish society gave heroic proof.

And now, before the remembrance of the mounting ruins of the bloodiest civil war recorded in the history of modern times, We, with pious regard, bow our head, above all, to the holy memory of the Bishops, Priests, Religious of both sexes, and faithful of all ages and conditions who, in such an elevated number, sealed with blood their faith in Jesus Christ, and their love for the Catholic Religion: «maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet», "Greater love than this no man hath" (Jn 15, 13).

We also acknowledge our debt of gratitude towards all those who sacrificed themselves even unto heroism in defense of the unalienable rights of God and of Religion, either in the battlefields, or devoted to the sublime works of Christian charity in prisons and hospitals.

We cannot hide the bitter sorrow that the remembrance of so many innocent children, who, having been ripped from their homes, were taken to faraway lands, often in danger of apostasy and perversion: we desire nothing more ardently than to see them returned to the bosom of their families, where they will once again find the warm and Christian tenderness of their own. And those others who, as prodigal sons, wish to return to the house of the father, we doubt not that they will be welcomed with goodwill and love.

It falls upon You, Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, to advise all, so that in their policy of pacification all will follow the principles taught by the Church, and proclaimed with such nobility by the Generalísimo: of justice for crime, and of lenient generosity for the mistaken. Our solicitude, also as a Father, cannot forget these deceived ones, whom a deceitful and perverse propaganda succeeded in enticing with praises and promises. Your Pastoral solicitude should be targeted at them, with patience and meekness: pray for them, seek them, lead them again to the regenerative bosom of the Church and to the warmth of the Fatherland, and lead them to the Merciful Father, Who awaits them with open arms.

Therefore, most dear children, since the rainbow of peace has returned to brighten in the firmament of Spain, let come together heartily in a fervent hymn of thanksgiving to the God of Peace and in a prayer of forgiveness and mercy for all those who perished; and, in order for this peace to be fruitful and longlasting, We exhort you with all the fervor of Our heart, to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4, 2-3). Thus united and obedient to your venerable Episcopate, devote yourselves joyfully and with no delay, to the urgent work of reconstruction, which God and the Fatherland expect from you.

As a pledge of the copious graces, which the Immaculate Virgin and Saint James the Apostle, Patrons of Spain, shall obtain for you, and which the great Spanish Saints have merited for you, We bestow upon you, Our dear children of Catholic Spain, upon the Chief of State and his illustrious Government, upon the zealous Episcopate and their selfless Clergy, upon the heroic combatants, and upon all the faithful Our Apostolic Blessing.

PIUS XII

Foto del Requeté, requeterretocada

El menda, que hoy por la tarde se aburre un poco...

Recordando "las sacas" republicanas

...o cómo miles de presos eran fusilados (creyentes, sacerdotes, monjas, escritores, periodistas, adversarios políticos, poetas, militares, etc...etc...etc...) en un goteo incesante diario, en el trayecto de una prisión a otra, o sencillamente en medio del campo, sin proceso judicial previo, ni siquiera sumario. Así se las gastaba la horda roja, así se las gastaban las milicias de voluntarios o escuadrones de la muerte roja. A veces, quienes dirigían "el paseillo", eran propios agentes del Gobierno.

Generalmente se solía fusilar de uno en uno, lo cual convertía el "proceso" en un auténtico suplicio para el prisionero. Se esperaba mañana, tarde y noche en las celdas, no ser el próximo elegido (al azar) para salir de la prisión.

Tristemente famosas eran aquellas sacas próximas a la liberación de Madrid por las tropas nacionales, en las que eran trasladados de una prisión a otra, unos 2000 presos, de los cuales solo llegaban a su destino 400.

Eran "las sacas" de la España republicana, olvidadas hoy por el Desgobierno de España en su Ley de la Memoria Histérica. Pero claro, los malos siempre son los mismos. ¡¡Viva Progrelandia y su mundo de libertad y fantasía!!

El capitán Cortés: ¡El Santuario no se rinde!

Durante la guerra civil, el santuario de la Virgen de la Cabeza fué escenario de un hecho de armas, que ha quedado vinculado a su historia. A mediados de Agosto de 1936, se refugiaron en el palacete de la finca del Lugar Nuevo, en el valle del río Jándula, 65 guardias civiles y 15 paisanos, con sus respectivas familias. Días después, en el propio santuario, 165 guardias civiles, familiares, 44 paisanos y cuatro sacerdotes. En total, 1.135 personas.

El capitán D.Santiago Cortés González, con anuencia del capitán Ramírez, más antiguo en el escalafón, los tenientes Rueda García, Ruano Beltrán y Porto, éste del cuerpo de Carabineros, y los alfereces Hormigo y Carbonell,más otras clases del benemérito instituto, se erigió en jefe del campamento.

Al principio, la situación fue de cierta normalidad, iban y venían los milicianos, bajaban a Andújar unas escuadras al mando de Carbonell para proveerse de ropas y víveres.Un médico, D.Carlos Torres Laguna, les prestaba asistencia sanitaria. Luego sería un eficaz historiador sobre temas de la Virgen, el santuario y Andújar. El jefe de la Comandancia, teniente coronel Iglesias y el segundo jefe,comandante Nofuentes,también se refugiaron allí. El primero, requerido por las autoridades republicanas, se desplazó, después a Madrid, de donde no le dejaron volver, quedando su familia en el Santuario. En los primeros días de Septiembre, la situación de los refugiados empezó a ser bastante tensa, ante la insistencia de las autoridades republicanas para que entregaran las armas y se procediera a la evacuación. Más hay que reconocer que el fundado temor a represalias dictó la actitud de la mayoría.El vuelo de una avioneta de la llamada zona nacional que tuvo como único objetivo lanzarles mensajes de aliento y esperanza, entre otras circunstancias,precipitó los acontecimientos. Nofuentes era partidario de la entrega de armas y la evacuación,postura que no compartían el resto de los oficiales, por temor a los peligros que ello pudiera conllevar.El día 14 de Septiembre de 1936, dos camiones llenos de refugiados abandonaron el lugar para entregarse a las fuerzas republicanas.Ante esta situación, Cortés se hizo cargo del mando, quedando detenido el comandante Nofuentes. Los bombardeos comenzaron nada más conocerse la declarada rebeldía de los refugiados. El día 15 de Septiembre cinco aviones del ejército republicano arrojaron por primera vez proclamas y algunas bombas.Eran los comienzos de ocho meses de resistencia, con bombardeos de aviación por parte de ambos contendientes,artillería, fuego de ametralladoras y morteros, granadas de mano y,al final,el empleo por los atacantes de tanques y carros blindados. Debido a la precariedad defensiva de los alojados en Lugar Nuevo, aprovechando una noche oscura e inclemente, caminaron por los escarpados riscos hacia el santuario. La comunicación entre los sitiados y la zona nacional, imposible en los primeros días, se hacía a través de palomas mensajeras, que los aviones arrojaban en paracaídas, hasta que, tomada la localidad de Porcuna,por las fuerzas que mandaba el general Queipo de Llano, se instaló allí un heliógrafo que comunicaba con el santuario. Fué angustiosa, en muchas ocasiones,la falta de víveres y ropas que se paliaba, en lo posible, con los suministros aéreos dirigidos y protagonizados en su mayoría por el capitán Carlos de Haya. Al final sucumbió la posición, atacada por varios millares de hombres,milicianos, tropa regular. El 1 de Mayo de 1937 el impacto de una granada de artillería hirió de muerte al capitán Santiago Cortés. La noticia hizo cundir el desánimo, e inmediatamente después se produciría la rendición. Al día siguiente,el Capitán Cortés tras ser operado por los sanitarios republicanos, falleció poco después del mediodía. La primitiva imagen de la Virgen de la Cabeza desapareció durante estos días de asedio del altar mayor y se piensa, según la opinión mayoritaria, que fue enterrada por algún guardia civil o familiar en algún lugar desconocido de la Sierra de Andújar. Hasta la fecha no ha aparecido y su paradero actual es toda una incógnita. La actual imagen de la Virgen data del año 1944. El balance de bajas, entre los sitiados, sobrepasó los ciento cincuenta muertos, alcanzando los heridos una cifra cercana a los doscientos cincuenta, tanto entre los combatientes como en la población civil.Los supervivientes quedaron en un estado de lamentable depauperación, al que empezaron a poner remedio, humanitariamente, las tropas sitiadoras. Se ponía así punto final a uno de los episodios más aireados por la historiografía oficial posterior a la Guerra Civil, en su afán por ensalzar las virtudes, el honor y la valentía de los hombres de la Guardia Civil.

Cortés: "Prefiero morir a convivir con la canalla roja"

Nació en Valdepeñas de Jaén (Jaén) el 7 de junio de 1897. Capitán de la Guardia Civil. Al estallar la contienda, a mediados del mes de agosto de 1936, se refugiaron en el palacete de la finca del Pilar Nuevo, en el valle del río Jándula, 65 guardias civiles y 15 paisanos, con sus respectivas familias. Días después, en el santuario de Santa María de la Cabeza, próximo a Andujar (Jaén) 165 guardias civiles, familiares, 44 paisanos y cuatro sacerdotes. El capitán Santiago Cortés González, se erigió en jefe de los refugiados. En los primeros días de septiembre, la situación se fue agravando, ante la insistencia de las autoridades frentepopulistas de que entregaran las armas y se procediese a la evacuación. Ante la negativa, a los bombardeos de aviones del ejército rojo, se unieron los fuegos de artillería, ametralladoras, morteros, granadas de mano, y al final el empleo por los atacantes de tanques y carros blindados. La comunicación que mantenía el capitán Cortés con la zona nacional, se hacía a través de palomas mensajeras, hasta que tomada la localidad de Porcuna por las fuerzas que mandaba el general Queipo de Llano, se instaló un heliógrafo que comunicaba con el santuario. La falta de víveres y ropas palió en lo posible, con los suministros aéreos protagonizados por el piloto capitán Carlos de Haya, cuñado del as de ases de la aviación nacional, Joaquín García Morato. El 1 de mayo de 1937 el impacto de una granada de artillería hirió de muerte al capitán Cortés, que rindió el santuario, poco antes de morir en el hospital de campaña en la sierra de Andujar, el 2 de mayo de 1937. La imagen de la Virgen de la Cabeza fue escondida en el bosque para evitar fuese profanada, sin haber aparecido, siendo su paradero toda una incógnita. La actual imagen que preside el santuario data del año 1944. El balance de bajas, sobrepasó los ciento cincuenta muertos, alcanzando los heridos una cifra cercana a los doscientos cincuenta, tanto entre los combatientes como en la población civil. A título póstumo, Franco le concedió la Cruz Laureada de San Fernando. Sus restos yacen en el santuario que defendió tan heroicamente.

Joaquín García-Morato, As del aire

40 AERONAVES ENEMIGAS DERRIBADAS

Joaquín García Morato vio la primera luz en Melilla el 4 de mayo de 1904. Ingresó en la Academia de Infantería de Toledo en 1920 y seis años más tarde obtuvo el título de piloto. Desde 1927 tomó parte en la campaña de África, donde fue herido y derribado dos veces. Además de piloto excepcional, dedicó toda su vida a la aviación, procurando acumular todos los conocimientos posibles sobre la misma. Consiguió los títulos de observador, piloto de hidroaviones, de caza, de polimotor, radiotelegrafista de 1ª clase, profesor de vuelo sin visibilidad, de vuelos nocturnos y de combate. Escribió varios libros técnicos, entre ellos un “Prontuario de aviación acrobática”.

Al estallar la guerra civil, era profesor de la Escuela de Vuelo de Alcalá de Henares. El 18 de julio le sorprendió de permiso en Gran Bretaña, de donde regresó inmediatamente, llegando a Córdoba en un avión alquilado, incorporándose al Ejército de Franco. Sobre este episodio, García Morato escribió: “Estando en Inglaterra con permiso particular, estalló el glorioso Movimiento Nacional, al que me incorporé‚ sin dudarlo, y desde el primer día presté‚ mis servicios como “cazador”, que era lo que por mi carácter y facultades cuadraba más en mí. Estoy regido por un vicio y por un ideal: el vicio de las emociones y el ideal de la Patria dentro de nuestra Religión”.

El 3 de agosto de 1936 presta su primer servicio pilotando un caza “Nieuport”, saliendo de Sevilla para reconocer el frente de Córdoba, bombardeando en picado una concentración de tropas rojas en El Carpio. Inicialmente voló en Nieuport, luego en los Heinkel 51, pasando después a los Fiat CR 32, que ya no dejó. Su escuadrilla, que llegó a ser célebre, se llamó primero Escuadrilla Azul y Patrulla Azul, y al aumentar el número de sus componentes, Grupo Azul. Su emblema estaba formado por un círculo con tres aves: un halcón, una avutarda y un mirlo, pintados en azul sobre fondo blanco. Su lema rezaba: “Vista, suerte y al toro”.

Entre sus múltiples acciones en distintos frentes destaca la decisiva actuación en los combates aéreos del frente de Madrid. El 18 de febrero de 1937, durante un servicio de protección de bombarderos, al llegar a la línea del frente, los cazas italianos se negaron a proteger a los bombarderos sobre territorio enemigo. A pesar de no ser escoltados,los bombarderos continuaron el vuelo y tras pasar la línea del frente fueron atacados por más de 30 cazas de la Fuerza Aérea Republicana. García-Morato, se lanzó con su patrulla (3 aviones) a proteger a los bombarderos españoles, tras unos minutos de incertidumbre y viendo en el aprieto que se encontraban los cazas españoles, el piloto italiano Capitán Nobille desobedeció la orden de no cruzar la línea del frente y salió en ayuda de los españoles, siendo seguido por el resto de la escuadrilla italiana. Por esta acción, Joaquín García-Morato sería recompensado con la máxima condecoración militar española, la Cruz Laureada de San Fernando a título individual que le fue impuesta por el general Alfredo Kindelán Duany en el aeródromo de Castejón. Durante toda la guerra fue derribado una sola vez, el 3 de octubre de 1938, según parece, alcanzado por un piloto de su propio grupo al perseguir los dos al mismo aparato enemigo.

A mediados de 1938 ingresó, junto con otro laureado, el general José Moscardó Ituarte, en el Consejo Nacional de FET y de las JONS.

El día 4 de abril de 1939 se produce la tragedia. El comandante García Morato había ido a Griñón a tomar unas vistas para una película de guerra. Con uno de los «Ratas» cogidos al enemigo, un «Fiat» y un «Messerschmitt» y desde otro aparato, se trataba de fotografiar a estos últimos atacando al primero. García Morato despegó con su «Fiat 3-51», el compañero inseparable de gran parte de la guerra, con el que tantas victorias había logrado, sin que jamás sufriese más desperfectos que los pequeños producidos por algún proyectivo del enemigo.El día era triste y gris, con nubes muy bajas y una lluvia fina y pertinaz que dificultaba la visibilidad. Se tomaron las vistas y cuando todo estaba terminado, el «Messerschmitt» y el aparato desde el que se tomaron las fotografías ya habían aterrizado, quedando en el aire el «Rata» y el «Fiat» de García Morato, y cuando se entretenía en un simulacro de combate, se produjo lo inevitable. Al intentar tomar tierra el aparato se estrelló de panza unos metros antes de llegar al campo de aterrizaje. Así moría el laureado comandante Joaquín García Morato, heroico y verdadero Caballero del Aire, el «as de ases» de la gloriosa Aviación de España, cuando le faltaba un mes para cumplir los treinta y cinco años de edad.

El cadáver fue expuesto en el Salón de Sesiones del Ayuntamiento de Málaga, por el que desfiló todo el pueblo malacitano. En 1950, el Jefe del Estado y Generalísimo de los Ejércitos, le hizo merced del título de conde del Jarama.