Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

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GRACIAN
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Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

#1

Post by GRACIAN » 12 Jan 2016, 21:33

My grandfather was part of the Mahala Khalifiyana # 4- Tabor 3 - 700
I am trying to reconstruct the history of this Tabor/batallion. He was KIA in end of october '36.
Does anyone know where the Grupo de Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas "Xauen" Nº 4 (and or) #6 where based/ deployed in'36? Who commanded these forces from the region (Xauen)?
There is some information on the GFRI from Chauen available online but no specific info on the Mahalla Khalifiyana....
My guess is they where deployed in the first surge into Andalucia and or the battle outside Madrid, others have suggested Oviedo but that seems rather improbable.

Any info is higly appreciated?

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Ironmachine
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Re: Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

#2

Post by Ironmachine » 13 Jan 2016, 10:32

From your post, it seems that you think there wass some kind of relationship or dependence between the GFRIs and the Mehalas Jalifianas. Well, that was not the case. The GFRIs were units of the Spanish Army, while the Mehalas were nominally in the service of the Khalifa (though in practice they were controlled by Spain through their commanding officers, which were Spanish Army officers). Both types of units were independent; if you are interested in the history of the Mehala de Gomara Nº 4, then there is no point in asking about the GFRI nº 4 (which, by the way, was the Grupo de Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas "Larache" Nº 4; the Grupo de Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas "Xauen" was Nº 6, and was not created until after the Spanish Civil War), because they are different units.
So in order to search for the info you are asking for, which one is the unit whose history you are interested in? I suppose it is the Mehala de Gomara Nº 4. Can you confirm that?
Regards.


GRACIAN
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Re: Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

#3

Post by GRACIAN » 16 Jan 2016, 03:21

I just added the GFRI tag because the Mahalla where later dissolved into other army units.You are ofcourse right in stating that the Mahalla, had a different more autonomous position than the Rejulares.

Based on official documents'I'm looking for info on mahala Khalifiyana number 4
KIA october 36
Tabor 3 - 700- corporal
Mahala de Gomara no4
#2-60-m.g.4

All the above mentioned data are from official documents in my possession.

I have been researching all the publicly available records online, and there is no mention of this specific Tabor, The Mahala the Gomara 4.

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Ironmachine
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Re: Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

#4

Post by Ironmachine » 16 Jan 2016, 10:55

The Mehala de Gomara nº 4 was commanded by comandante Pablo Arias Jiménez. Its 3º Tabor was commanded by capitán Emilio Gutiérrez Trujillo. The tabor arrived in Tetuán on 4 October 1936 (by truck). On 5 October the tabor reached Ceuta, where it was put on board the Ciudad de Alicante. The ship crossed the Strait to Spain escorted by the gunboat Cánovas del Castillo and some smaller boats plus a pair of seaplanes. It was quickly sent to the north of Spain and its first combat actions were in Asturias, in the fights to break the siege of Oviedo.
(Source: Las Tropas Marroquíes en la Guerra Civil Española by Mustapha El Merroun)
If your grandfather was killed in October 1936, he very probably was in Asturias.
GRACIAN wrote:I just added the GFRI tag because the Mahalla where later dissolved into other army units.
I don't understand what you mean. The Mehala was not disolved into other units, Mehala units were kept fighting until the end of the war (and they were kept in existence until the Independence of Morocco).

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Ironmachine
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Re: Battlehistory of Mahalla Khalifiyana/GFRI Xauen/Tabor III

#5

Post by Ironmachine » 01 Feb 2016, 19:21

More information about the 3º Tabor of the Mehala de Gomara nº 4:
The tabor arrived in Oviedo (together with the 2º Tabor) on 18 October 1936. The Mehala units were quite small, and both tabores together had Little more than 700 men. They, together with the 5º Battalion of the "Toledo" regiment, formed the Columna Arias, which on 23 October attacked in the Sograndio area to widen the corridor to Oviedo. The columna saw heavy fights on 24 and 25 October, and returned to combat on the 29th.
On 4 November General Aranda reported that both tabores of the Mehala de Gomara had been merged into a composite tabor of 4 mías (a mía is a company; each tabor had originally 3 mías) with ust 300 men.
On 19 December 1936 the composite tabor was in Grado, and on 17 February 1937 the tabor was still in that area but now with 5 mías and 451 men.

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