
Jason Gurney (1910–1973) was a British
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
who fought in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
.
His family moved to South Africa when he was a child and after leaving school he worked in Johannesburg. Eventually, he saved enough money to return to Europe.
He was with the
International Brigades
The International Brigades () were soldiers recruited and organized by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front (Spain), Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The International Bri ...
from December 1936 to August 1937. During that time, he served in the
British Battalion, the
Lincoln Battalion and
XIV International Brigade staff. He was wounded in the right hand by a sniper's explosive bullet in a lull between fighting in the trenches at
Jarama. His wound was sufficiently serious to send him home and to ensure that he never worked as a sculptor again.
His perceptive and vivid memoirs of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
were published posthumously and are drawn from heavily by historians. He knew and described
Tom Wintringham Fred Copeman,
André Marty,
Martin Hourihan,
Jock Cunningham,
George Nathan,
Vladimir Copic,
Steve Nelson, and many others.
Sources
*Jason Gurney, ''Crusade in Spain'', Faber. 1974.
External links
For a detailed biography and extensive extracts from "Crusade in Spain"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurney, Jason
1910 births
1973 deaths
British people of the Spanish Civil War
International Brigades personnel
20th-century British sculptors
British male sculptors
20th-century British male artists