Augusto Perez Garmendia (1899 in Donosti – 1936 in

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

), was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

military man. He was Chief of the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army ( es, Ejército de la República Española) was the main branch of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la Repú ...

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

at the time of the coup d'état of 1936 that gave rise to the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, although his official post was at

Oviedo Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...

. After soliciting to return to its position in

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...

when knowing the blow, the Civil Governor of

Guipuzcoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...

begged that he remain in the Basque Country then lacking sufficient professional soldiers loyal to the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...

. With a lack of ammunition and arms in San Sebastián, on 21 July he organized an expedition with 60 vehicles to

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, where Lieutenant Colonel

Camilo Alonso Vega Camilo Alonso Vega (29 May 1889 – 1 July 1971) was a Spanish military officer and minister. Early life A childhood friend of Francisco Franco, as a Captain he entered in the Foreign Legion and fought in the Rif War. He was initially assigned ...

had revolted, to defeat the rebels and to supply themselves, while he took command of another column under colonel Joaquin Vidal Munárriz from Vizcaya. He hoped to be able to count on units of artillery and engineers to join the expedition but which revolted in the quarters of Loyola under Lieutenant Colonel Jose Vallespín Cobián. After gathering a column of infantry in

Mondragón Mondragón ( eu, Arrasate or ''Mondragoe''), officially known as Arrasate/Mondragón, is a town and municipality in Gipuzkoa Province, Basque Country, Spain. Its population in 2015 was 21,933. Economic and historical significance The town is be ...

, and with the news of the revolt of Loyola and the problems of San Sebastián where the forces of Vallespín had become strong, he went to

Éibar Eibar ( eu, Eibar, es, Éibar) is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. It is the head town of Debabarrena, one of the '' eskualde / comarca'' of Gipuzkoa. Eibar has 27,138 inhabitants ( Eustat ...

to rearm and gather more volunteers and to return to San Sebastián. Loyal forces of the republican government organized a new expedition to Vitoria from Bilbao. Garmendia entered San Sebastián on 22 July, restoring order on the 23rd after seizing the buildings occupied by the insurrectionists. Afterward, the column went to the front in

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, where Garmendia was wounded and captured on 28 July, and transferred to

in where he died days later as a result of gangrene from his untreated wounds.Thomas, Hugh. (2001). ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. London. p. 364

Notes

Sources

Enciclopedia Bernardo Estornés Lasa
* Romero, Eladi, Itinerarios de la Guerra Civil española : guía del viajero curioso, Barcelona : Laertes, 2001, 600 p. * Barruso, Pedro, Verano y revolución. La guerra civil en Gipuzkoa' (julio-septiembre de 1936), Edita: Haramburu Editor. San Sebastián, 1996. *
Pedro Barruso, GIPUZKOA 1936: VERANO Y REVOLUCIÓN, LA GUERRA CIVIL EN GIPUZKOA (Spanish)
* 1936 deaths Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Military personnel killed in the Spanish Civil War Spanish military personnel killed in action 1899 births Spanish casualties of the Spanish Civil War {{spain-hist-stub