Plaque dedicated to Basque child refugees in Langham put up

Edward Packard of the Basque Children of ‘37 Association unveiled the plaque at The July Community Café at Langham Community Centre.

The plaque commemorated the 53 Basque children and their teachers who found refuge during the Spanish Civil War at The Oaks school on School Road.

Following the mass bombing of the town of Guernica, 3,840 Basque children and 217 teachers, helpers and priests were brought to safety in Britain.

They were placed in a tented camp before being dispersed throughout the country to 70 ‘colonies’.

The 53 children and their teachers arrived at The Oaks on June 8, 1937, where they would stay for two years.

The Oaks was renamed Basque House, after the spacious garden and grounds, and the open countryside of Langham made a lasting impression on the children.

History- The Basque children came to Langham in 1937 (Image: Langham Parish Council)

The event, which was hosted by the St Mary’s and St Peter’s churches, was introduced by Langham Parish Council Chairman Paul Armstrong, who joined about fifty Langham residents at the July Café.

Other guests included Colin Kerr of the Peace Pledge Union, which had funded and managed the ‘colony’ at The Oaks, and Paul Campion of the Colchester Quaker Meeting.

The plaque, in the Basque colours of red, green and white, was erected by the Langham Parish Council and cast by Yorkshire-based Croft Cast Signs to the Langham Heritage Group’s design.

It also celebrates the friendship between the Basque children and the people of Langham.

Colours - The plaque is in the Basque colours of red white and green (Image: Langham Parish Council)

The plaque was funded by public subscription, which included a substantial donation by the Basque Children of ‘37 Association.

The association was founded in 2002 to inform the public on the exile of the 4,000 children to UK during the Spanish Civil War raising awareness and being actively engaged in archive material and research.