Josep Eduardo Almudéver Mateu, the last surviving member of the International Brigades who fought against the fascist Franco regime in Spain, died on Tuesday 26 May at the age of 101.
Almudéver, who was born on 30 July 1919 in Marseille to Spanish parents, was 16 and living in the Valencian town of Alcàsser when Franco’s coup triggered the Spanish civil war.
In 1936, at the age of 17, he enlisted to join the fight in defense of the Republic. He participated in the Aragon front where he was wounded. He was sent home when his true age emerged. However, Almudéver didn't give up. He used his French nationality to join the International Brigades so he could carry on fighting.
