Tribute to Worthing civil war veteran

THE DAUGHTER of a Worthing man who fought in the Spanish Civil War has visited a memorial honouring him.

Edmund Updale, who died in 1976, was one of a group of Worthing men commemorated by a plaque in the Labour Hall, Lyndhurst Road.

The plaque, organised last year by Joy Hurcombe, who runs the hall, honours them for fighting in the International Brigade between 1936 and 1938 against General Franco's fascist forces.

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Frances Ansell, one of Edmund's daughters, paid an emotional visit to the hall to see the plaque, which remembers him and four other volunteers; Tom Elliott, Chris Thornycroft, James Jump and Frederick Cronshaw.

Hidden past

"I had no idea my father had been in Worthing," said Mrs Ansell, who lives in Bath.

"That came totally out of the blue. We know nothing about his background from before we were born.

"So much is new to me in the last couple of months.

"It's so exciting. It's a really happy day for us and so amazing.

"It's lovely to know he is recognised somewhere."

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Mrs Ansell said research by her and her sister, award-winning children's writer Eleanor Updale, revealed her father had been raised in the Foundling Hospital in London and never knew his parents.

He gave his address on a post-war questionnaire as St Botolph's Road, Worthing, and said half his left leg was amputated after his boat was bombed in 1938.

Fleet Street

Mr Updale went on to become a journalist in Fleet Street but rarely spoke about his past with his family.

"We knew he had been to Spain and that he was a journalist," said Mrs Ansell.

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"I still haven't seen a photo of him prior to his wedding photo.

"If he hadn't lost half a leg he may never, ever have spoken about it."

Mrs Ansell read a statement from her sister in which she spoke about the impact of the war on their father.

Hating conflict

She said: "Edmund Updale's hatred of conflict lived with him into the Second World War, where his injuries kept him out of the forces, and landed him in a desk job allocating troops to the front.

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"Years later, he spoke with guilt and horror about his part in sending young men to their deaths.

"For all his misgivings about fighting, he has left his four children and the 14 grandchildren and great-grandchildren he never met, with an admiration for his courage and idealism in the 1930s."

Anyone with any more information on Edmund Updale can call Chris Taylor on 01903 282366 or email [email protected]

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