The Ponzán group was an organization of guides and couriers, made up mainly of

Spanish anarchists Anarchism in Spain has historically gained some support and influence, especially before Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, when it played an active political role and is considered the end of the golden age of c ...

, which operated in

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

and in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It took its name from

Francisco Ponzán Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Commu ...

Vidal, who was mainly responsible for the group. Its center of operations was located in

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. For a source of income, the Ponzán Group worked for the Pat O'Leary escape network guiding Allied airmen who had been shot down over German-occupied Europe to

and safety from capture.

History

In the words of

Albert Guérisse Major General Count Albert-Marie Edmond Guérisse (5 April 1911 – 26 March 1989) was a Belgian Resistance member who organized French and Belgian escape routes for downed Allied pilots during World War II under the alias of Patrick Albert ...

, head of the English Pat O'Leary Line. Robert Terres, a French agent, referred to the members of the Ponzán Group as:

Agustín Remiro Agustín Remiro Manero (28 August 1904 – 21 June 1942) was a Spanish Anarchism in Spain, anarchist activist, a soldier during the Spanish Civil War and later foreign agent for MI6. Born in the small town of Épila, Epila, he became an anar ...

, arrested and sentenced to death after a Ponzán Group mission in Spain and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, wrote in a letter addressed to López (probably Eusebio López Laguarta) from the Madrid prison:

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * 1940s establishments in Spain 1940s disestablishments in Spain Defunct anarchist militant groups Defunct organisations based in Spain Spain in World War II France in World War II World War II resistance movements French Resistance Anti-Francoism Spanish Anti-Francoists {{Spain-org-stub

History

See also

References

Bibliography