If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next (How Hull helped the children of Spain.) By Rich Mills

In May 1937 the Spanish liner Habana left Bilbao in Spain, on-board were 4,200 Basque children being brought to the safety of the UK. The Spanish Civil War had started on July 17th 1936, and the world stood by and watched in horror as innocents were slaughtered.

Some however took it upon themselves to do something about the blood-shed. People from Hull both fought in the war, and helped get the refugees out of the country and to the sanctuary of our country. Eventually 40 of the Basque children that had left Bilbao found themselves in Hull. This was the summer of 1937.

Preparations had been made for the children, and they were housed in the Elm Trees, a large home in the village of Sutton. The house is a large Edwardian mansion, which stands in its own grounds. The children were well cared for, despite a lack of people who spoke Spanish, they managed as best they could. At the time the Hull Daily Mail reported.. Forty little outcasts came last night to Hull, where they will live until peace comes to their own country.

They are the Basque children from Bilbao, and Hull could not have given them a greater welcome if they had been 40 Cabinet Ministers.

Some of these children returned to their parents before the end of the war, and others returned when the war ended in 1939. Some however stayed on and settled in Hull, and across the rest of Britain. Elm Trees was given over to use by the Army during WWII, and was used as a fire station. It is no a residential care home, known as Sutton Care Home.

Hull's link to the Spanish Civil War goes much deeper than the Basque children. Hull raised funds and collected food to be sent across to Spain.

Some men from Hull went to fight in the war against Franco, as part of the Republican Army. One man Maurice Miller joined the International Brigade, mostly made up of Anarchists and Communists from all over Europe. He died fighting for freedom. Many of those who went out did make it back to tell their stories. There is currently a research study being carried out about Hull's links with the Spanish Civil War, and in particular the Basque children.

If any of our readers have information regarding this fascinating part of Hull's history, then please get in touch. Rich@thisisull.com

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