A commemoration of the Basque Children in Caerleon
In 1937, nearly 4000 Basque children were evacuated to locations across the UK to escape the horrors and atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. This year commemorates 75 years since the creation of small Basque colonies of South Wales.
One of these colonies was at Caerleon, where over 50 scared and anxious children’s lives would be changed forever. Many local people felt their plight and the children received huge support.
Manuel Moreno, Chairman of the Basque Children of ’37 Association, explains that after the bombing of Guernica and Bilbao, many children had to be evacuated to safety. He said that the key to the colonies like Cambria House was the “the wonderfully supportive and enthusiastic care and empathy given by the people of Wales.”