Griff Maclaurin and Steve Yates were part of the International Column of anti-fascist volunteers who marched into Madrid, bolstering the city's defences against the assault of General Franco's rebel armies. They were killed in battle within two days of arriving
Obituaries for Sir Geoffrey Cox rightly highlighted his role as a 'TV
trailblazer' for his work with
Britain's Independent Television News (ITN). Most also draw attention to his
role as an
eyewitness to momentous events in Europe
during the 1930s and 40s. Just how did a boy born in Palmerston North come to witness
first hand the impact of Stalinism, the rise of Hitler and the Spanish Civil
War?