Simon Hirshman describes his early education in Latvia and Russia; his route to joining the International Brigade; fighting in the Spanish Civil War; being a merchant seaman in World War II; revisiting Spain in 1996; talking of his comrades and their experiences. He was born in Ultza, Latvia in 1912, where his father had a big retail haberdashery business. Jewish families spoke German; he learnt Latvian and Russian during his schooling; joined the army at 20 and was in the Horse Drawn Artillery; then transferred to a labour battalion digging trenches for being a left-winger; became borough organiser of the illegal Communist Youth Organisation; went to Spain in June 1937 with friend Rabbi Fels who belonged to Bund Organisation – Jewish socialists; was a 7 day journey with 3 days in Paris with Bund immigrants; had to climb Pyrenees to get to Spanish border which took 18 hours; joined International Brigade artillery – the Slav Group; training at base Albacete to be Military Political Officer; joined Dunbrovsky Brigade of 9,000 men early 1938; 1939 in Catalonia as a Political Commissar decided to help estimated 100,000 refugees moving towards French border; in France was given certificate from League of Nations ‘Simon Hirshman of Latvian nationality is conducting a party of volunteers to camp at Saint Cyprian – signed Perpignan 14 February 1939’; interned in Gurs; aunt in London obtained leave through Aid of Spain Society to go to UK; arrived 3 days before war broke out; lived in London but decided it was his political duty to get home; 1940 joined Norwegian ship as a stoker; was a merchant seaman all through war; on convoys – the Kola Run, Soviet ships; back in UK in 1943; joined ships from Board of Trade – postal tankers, Red Cross ships, Troop ships; discharged 1947; Married Liesel in 1945 and bought house in Golders Green; talks of book ‘Latvian Fighters in Spain’ published in Riga 1966 by Liesma publishing house; accounts of fellow Jews and Latvians, and veterans of the International Brigade and their experiences; he describes visit to Spain in 1996 at invitation of ‘Friends of International Brigadiers’.