IV bandera and XVII bandera

[keith A]

Can anyone fill in the details of their formation and combat history during the SCW? I know the IV fought at Badajoz in 1936 and the Ebro in 1938 but am ignorant of the XVII Bandera. Were companies in the banderas numbered in sequence? The interest I have is in a Belgian volunteer who served in the 4th bandera and then in the 67th Company of the 17th bandera. My thinking is that he joined 17th after a brief period with the 4th?

If each bandera had 4 companies (3 rifles and one support) that would show then 17th as consisting of the 65th-68th companies with the 68th being the support company? then the 67th/17th Bandera was a rifle company?

regards

Keith

[Loïc]

hello
the numbering-system was as you wrote, so the last company of the Tercio then Legion was the 72nd of the XVIII Bandera (69 to 72)
the 67th company was the French volunteers "Joan of Arc" company, and the 68th was the machine-gun company
but the XVII Bandera was not raised before january 1938 fought in Aragon-Cataluña fronts, Ebro Teruel battles

Regards
Loïc

[keith A]

Many thanks Loic. That fits very well. He was a French speaking Walloon (he later learned Spanish)and therefore the Jeanne d'Arc company would be ideal.

regards

Keith

[fortrees44]

The only belgian I could find in the XVII Bandera was Jean van Horelinque. Am I wrong with the name?

Regards

[keith A]

According to my sources Alphonse de Horembeke was also in the Jeanne d'Arc.

regards

Keith

[fortrees44]

I've found another names of belgians in the same Bandera:
- Raul Rens
- Paul Kehren
- Charles Etienne Verfold.
regards

[keith A]

Thanks. Kehren was later involved with Van Horembeke in the recruitment of Spanish volunteers to the Legion Wallonie. I have also read that Fernand Rouleau (1903-84), Degrelle's Rexist deputy served with the Nationalist Army in Spain although he may have been a gunrunner with Edgar Grimard (d.1958?) the arms dealer, a Rexist-Monarchist. Rouleau survived the war, possibly having fought with Florian Geyer or another cavalry Division in Hungary in 1945.

regards

Keitha

[keith A]

Just a note but reading Judith Keenes "Fighting for Franco" it appears the Juana de Arco bandera was a very poor combat formation, cobbled together with some very unsoldierly volunteers whose only unifying factor was a Fascist or anti-communist outlook.

regards

Keith

[Ironmachine]

it appears the Juana de Arco bandera was a very poor combat formation

As you posted previously, "Juana de Arco" was not a bandera but a company.

[keith A]

embarassed....