DZ CHARLIE

Spanish Civil War 1936–1939

Paseo de los Canadienses / Peñón del Cuervo — 'La Desbandá' memorial, Málaga

Memorial

GuideSpanish Civil War 1936–1939
AreaAndalusia
TypeMemorial
When7–12 Feb 1937
Time to allow30 min
LocationExact spot known
GPS36.71290, -4.33360
Open the free field guideDirections (Google Maps)

The story

When Nationalist and Italian CTV forces took Málaga on 8 February 1937, a huge column of civilians and militiamen fled east along the only coast road towards Almería, some 200 km away. On the road they were shelled from the sea by the cruisers Canarias, Almirante Cervera and Baleares and attacked from the air; many also died of exhaustion or drowned at river crossings. The Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune, with Hazen Sise and Thomas Worsley, drove his blood-transfusion truck along the road ferrying the weakest to Almería, and his pamphlet made the 'Desbandá' known abroad. This seafront walk, opened on 7 February 2006, marks the start of the route and honours Bethune and the aid of the Canadian people.

What you can see today

A seafront promenade at the Peñón del Cuervo cove on the old coast road east of Málaga, with a plaque to Bethune and the Canadian aid; the N-340 coast road the refugees followed runs alongside.

Plan your visit

Open access, free; bus or car along the N-340 towards Rincón de la Victoria. The 'La Desbandá' association runs a commemorative walk to Almería each February.

Where sources disagree: Death toll unknown. Figures of 3,000–5,000 dead (some claims far higher) are widely quoted; historians such as Antonio Nadal think the true figure may be significantly lower. Estimates of the number fleeing run from about 100,000 to nearly 300,000 (Junta de Andalucía).

Sources

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