Last Spanish Civil War Scot Thomas Watters dies
- Published
The last surviving Scot who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War has died at the age of 99.
Thomas Watters, originally from Glasgow, had been a corporation bus driver in the city before he went to Spain in 1936 as part of the Scottish ambulance unit.
Some 500 Scots joined the International Brigade to fight against Franco's army.
Mr Watters had been living in Hertfordshire for many years.
He received honorary Spanish citizenship in June 2009 at a ceremony in the Spanish Embassy in London.
The award was presented at that time to all survivors who had gone out to Spain between 1936 and 1939.
He subsequently returned to Glasgow in 2010 to speak at the ceremony rededicating the Pasionaria statue on the Clyde following its restoration.
Mike Arnott, who represents Scotland on the Committee of the International Brigade Memorial Trust, said: "I met Thomas on a number of occasions over the last two years.
"He was a truly inspirational and a lovely man, who will be greatly missed by his many friends and by all who knew him."