The Cervantes, from Gijón, arrives at a French port

From July to October 1937, between 50,000 and 70,000 people left Asturias. They did so primarily through the ports of Avilés, Gijón, and Ribadesella. These were the months leading up to the fall of the northern front, which would mark a turning point in the development of the Spanish Civil War.

On August 18, the newspaper Avance reported on an operation announced by the mayor of Sama de Langreo to evacuate one thousand children. Emphasizing the  urgency of the initiative, the announcement stated that families were required to register their children aged between 5 and 12 belonging to families loyal to the Popular Front at the municipal Social Assistance Office of Social Assistance. They would come to be known as the "children of the war." The expedition from Gijón was the second largest, after the one from Bilbao. The children were sent to Russia "to remain in that country and be cared for by its government for as long as necessary."

Apart from this contingent of children, the commission managing the evacuation process from Gijón established specific requirements for departure. Each evacuee was required to have a passport certifying their loyalty to the Popular Front. It also defined three categories of eligibility: war invalids, widows and children of combatants, and civilian invalids—men over 60 and under 15, and women loyal to the regime.

It was a process of coming and going. Ships arrived loaded with provisions and departed with refugees. Most were destined for France, whose government mandated that evacuees disembarking at its ports proceed immediately to Spanish Republican territory. The majority traveled to Catalonia, although some were sent to the Levante.

At its final meeting on 20 October 1937, the Sovereign Council of Asturias and León mad ethe decision to evacuate. Colonel Adolfo Prada, the leader of the loyalist forces, reported that the situation had become untenable. There was widespread pessimism and low morale among the combatants. Initially, two ships, the Arnao and the María Elena, were designated to transport the families of Popular Front leaders. The Císcar, a destroyer docked in El Musel, was also part of the plan. However, a disagreement between the Republic’s Minister of Defense, Indalecio Prieto, and the Council allowed Nazi planes to bomb and sink it. The Condor Legion also disabled the submarine C-6 and set fire to the Campsa fuel depots.

Around 10,000 people, including those shown in the photograph, arrived at French ports in those late October days of 1937. They traveled aboard approximately 60 vessels of various kinds. Others, however, were not as fortunate. A total of 28 ships were captured, and their passengers became prisoners of the Francoist army, later being sent to concentration camps—or worse.

PMF