Gernika, yesterday and today

[Sal Williams]

And finally we came to the bridge that was an alleged target of the bombardment but missed. There are conflicting stories about this and the Astra gun factory. It is said that the gun factory and bridge were targets of the attack but both were missed in the bombing, conversely it is also said that they were both purposly NOT hit because Franco wanted to use the gun factory(which he did) and needed the bridge for moving his troops in after the bombing... It seems the issue is not ever going to be known for certain. In fact Franco denied the bombing was the work of the Fascists at all but esserted that it was the socialist Republicans who did it as propaganda to blame the Fascists! He maintained this until the very end. This however we know is fiction as there are photos of the He111 and German records as well as an official post war apology(only very recently) from the German Government. Anyhow ere is me on the bridge!

[Sal Williams]

here it is on the map. #23

Edited July 2, 2005 by Sal Williams

[Sal Williams]

coming next,... the Astra factory! Stay tuned , same bat time, same bat channel!

Best, Sal

[Nick]

Sal

Nice pictorial report, look forward to the next instalment.

[Sal Williams]

Hi folks i am back!

Let's go to the little museum they have in Gernika about the bombing. The museum starts with a small recreated room of a citizen of gernika. She narrates her experience the day of the bombing and the house shakes and darkens. then you enter the museum which is short on actual items but gives the history of the war and the bombing of gernika in particular. Here are the couple of items I was most impressed with. An actual period pistol made at the nearby Astra gun factory.

[Sal Williams]

And here was an unexploded Luftwaffe bomb from the attacking He 111 planes. It seemed as if it might have been found in the river as it seemed to have water marks and growths on it.

[Sal Williams]

So now the search for the Astra factory. Here it is on the map.

[Sal Williams]

Funnily enough it turned out to be directly in front of where we had parked in the first place but we hadn't noticed .

here is a pic from the front.

[Sal Williams]

A close up of the sign.

[Sal Williams]

Well a fence and railroad track were in the way so we went around the back way and found a way through the fence in the rear and got into the yard.

[Guest Rick Research]

UNexploded bomb tictic tic????

[Sal Williams]

We climbed trough the window and the factory was abandoned and ransacked.

[Sal Williams]

it was actually quite a large complex and we found our way across a bridge between buildings into another area.

[Sal Williams]

I imediatly started rummaging around for souveniers!

[Sal Williams]

i found some goodies. these cards evidently went with holsters they made. Makes interesting scratch paper.

[Sal Williams]

Was that what the ticking was Rick? I thought it was just a loud clock in the museum!

[Sal Williams]

Then I found a diagram of a gun ( what am I gonna do with all this junk????) There were actually drafting designs of a lot of thier guns there still (originals too) but not wartime ones so i left them cause they were big.

[Sal Williams]

Got a bunch of stationary too!

[Sal Williams]

My favorite find was this gun box which I now keep my looted rubble from the trip in. Rocks from Olympic stadium, brick chip from gestapo headquarters and stuff like that.

[Sal Williams]

Also found these Bonds or somthing like that. Jacques I have a few of these if you want one let me know.

[Sal Williams]

I got all kinds of cool junk and you don't

[Sal Williams]

Then we roared off happily through the mountains on our way to Madrid our Gernika day etched in our memories. Ttttthhhh- atts all fff-ffolks

[Guest Rick Research]

I can't WAIT for your trip to Egypt and what you wiggle into there!

PS Those are Bearer Bonds worth

BILLIONS

BILLIONS

in Zinkplated Rumelian Plotniks!

[Bob Hunter]

Rick, how much is that in Confederate money?

Edited July 16, 2005 by Bob Hunter