Sgt. Max Cohen/Colin/Collins aka Myer/Meir Cohn, BVFL p 138. Born 1912 in Stepney, of 82 Kyverdale Rd. N16 and 73 Wigan House Warwick Grove E5 , ambulance driver and mechanic, wia by Italian planes at Brunete and evacuated and then returned for a second tour! Drove ambulance from London to Barcelona.

Detailed diaries at MML.

Colin, Max (Oral history) | Imperial War Museums

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80008435 2/7

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REEL 1 Family background and political activities, Stepney, East London, 1920s1930s: father's work servicing Oswald Mosley's cars; incident with police at British Union of Fascists rally at Kensington

Olympia, 1934; recruitment to Young Communist League; background to volunteering to go to Spain; reaction to interview by Robson at King Street; recruitment as ambulance driver for SMAC, 23/12/1936. Recollections of period as driver and mechanic with SMAC, 12/1936-3/1937: driving ambulance to Spain with Gordon Davidson, 28/12/1936-1/1/1937; reception and duties at Albacete;

recollections of SMAC members; background to joining International Bde.

REEL 2 Recollections of period as mechanic with IB in Madrid and Albacete, 3/1937-9/1937: buildings; uniforms; washing; rations; meeting Ernest Hemingway and Seon Delmer; lack of training; problems organising motor transport for Spain; story of playing football with Stephen Spender; strafing attack at Club Alpino, Madrid; question of camouflage during air raids;

background to battle of Brunete.

REEL 3

Continues: hospital near El Escorial; being wounded in air attack on ambulance,

7/1937; rescue by Sir Richard Rees; mural in evacuation hospital at Huete;