Bryce Lloyd Coleman | Canadian Cultural History About The Spanish Civil War

Alternate name(s):

Charles; Coleman; Smith; Brice; Boyce

Date of birth:

Tuesday, 5 May 1908

Ethnicity/Nationality:

Canadian

Profession:

farm and ranch worker

Hometown(s):

Vanguard, Saskatchewan; Regina, Saskatchewan

Education:

called 'intellectual' by Lionel Edwards on Mac Reynolds tape

Political affiliation:

Co-operative Commonwealth Youth Movement; possibly Communist Party of Canada

Involvement in On-to-Ottawa Trek:

Participated in the On-to-Ottawa Trek: he was jailed in Regina.

Approximate date arrived in Spain:

1937-02-20 sailed

1937-03-17 arrived

Unit:

Served with the XV BDE, Lincoln Battalion, one of forty Canadians transferred into the Lincolns on 5June 5, 1937; Lincoln Battalion Section Commander

Final status:

Reportedly KIA 6 July 1937 at Brunete while searching for water; Hello Canada reports that Coleman died at Villaneuva de la Cañada:

"After sixteen hours of fighting Bryce Coleman was mortally wounded. One of the boys had his head in his lap. Bryce smiled weakly. 'Canada, say, that's our meat. Funny eh, that the village should have Canada attached to it?' He died smiling." (HC 17-18)

Sources:

RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 545, ll. 32 (ver arch gen amer); List of Canadian Casualties in Spain MG30 E173 Vol.1 File 13; Americans and Canadians Killed in Spain Complete list to Nov. 15, 1937; RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 51 ll 134; NAC, M-P Collection, Hoar, V. 1, F. 10 Death and Disappearance Certificates, (7/6/37); Hoar; Liversedge; Momryk; Petrou; Hello Canada; Hoff