Casgliadau Arlein

Handkerchief said to have been brought back by one of the Welsh miners who made up one of the largest contingents within the British Battalion of the International Brigades. Printed with a female fighter in ‘Mono’ overalls and the words (in Spanish) For the Victims of Fascism. At each corner are the acronyms for the International Confederation of Labour (CNT), International Workers’ Association (AIT) and Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI). The main colours are the red and black of the Anarchists.

The handkerchief inscription is in Esperanto, with FORIGO meaning Abolition, and BARÓ meaning Barrier. The anarchist used quite a lot Esperanto, they had schools for the members of the CNT and FAI.

The handkerchief is probably dated to 1936, just because it has a women with a rifle, and it was after 10th of October 1936, when the government published a national decree to make a new popular republican army trying to stop all the militia from different parties and taking over them and because of that women weren’t allow to fight alongside men.