A new memorial honouring Tonypandy-born miner Harry Dobson has been unveiled in Spain, marking a new milestone in Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s international Spanish Civil War heritage collaboration.
Representatives from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council recently travelled to Catalonia to attend the unveiling, which brought remembrance from South Wales to the landscape where Harry was fatally wounded while serving with the International Brigades during the Battle of the Ebro in 1938.
The memorial forms part of the Council’s ongoing partnership with Porta de la Història Cultural Association and Solidarity Park Association, strengthening the historic links between Rhondda Cynon Taf, the Ebro and Malgrat de Mar through shared remembrance, education and international solidarity.
Harry Dobson was a miner from Tonypandy who travelled to Spain to defend the democratically elected Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. He was fatally wounded near Hill 481 and died from his injuries in August 1938. The unveiling represented a deeply meaningful moment for the project by honouring Harry’s sacrifice in the place where his story remains rooted.
The memorial in Spain follows earlier stages of the international collaboration, including creative workshops with pupils from Porth Community School, whose artwork directly shaped the design unveiled in Catalonia. A public exhibition of the pupils’ designs was held at Rhondda Heritage Park in June, where the winning design was announced as a combination of two entries.
The Catalonia memorial forms part of a wider series of linked memorials, with a connected porthole-style memorial also being developed in Rhondda Cynon Taf and further plans with partners in Malgrat de Mar. Together, they will create a lasting connection between Wales, Catalonia and Malgrat de Mar, ensuring that the story of Harry Dobson and the wider contributions of Welsh volunteers to the International Brigades continues to be remembered by future generations.
During the visit, Council representatives also paid their respects at Hill 666, the site where Aberdare miner Tom Howell Jones was killed. This act of remembrance was carried out on behalf of the Council, the local community and Tom’s family, following recent engagement with relatives who shared photographs, letters and family stories connected to his life and service.
These moments reinforce the deeply local significance of the project. While the events of the Spanish Civil War took place hundreds of miles from South Wales, the stories of Harry Dobson, Tom Howell Jones, Huw Alun Menai Williams and many others show how communities across Rhondda Cynon Taf were connected to one of the defining struggles of the 20th century. Wales contributed hundreds of volunteers including miners, trade unionists, nurses, first-aiders and campaigners, many of whom saw the fight against fascism in Spain as part of a wider struggle for democracy, equality and freedom.
The Council’s Heritage Service has played an important role in helping to preserve and share these stories, working with international partners to connect local archives, memorials, family histories and places of remembrance across Wales and Spain.
Councillor Scott Emanuel, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture & Leisure, said: “Standing in Catalonia to unveil a memorial to Harry Dobson was a deeply moving moment, and a powerful reminder of how heritage can connect people across borders, generations and communities.
“Harry was a miner from Tonypandy, rooted in working-class valleys shaped by hardship, trade unionism and solidarity. He travelled to Spain because he believed that democracy and freedom were worth defending, and his story continues to speak to courage, solidarity and standing up for others.
“This memorial is a powerful symbol of friendship between Wales and Catalonia. It honours Harry’s life, but it also recognises the wider contribution of the ordinary men and women who stood up against injustice during one of Europe’s darkest periods.
“I am proud that pupils from Porth Community School and the local community have such an important role in shaping how this history will be remembered locally, helping to pass Harry’s legacy on to a new generation.
“I would like to thank our partners at Porta de la Història and Solidarity Park for their continued commitment to this collaboration, and for helping to ensure that the contribution of Welsh volunteers is remembered with such care and respect.”
Councillor Maureen Webber BEM, Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, said: “The unveiling of this memorial in Spain is a significant milestone in our international heritage collaboration and a powerful tribute to Harry Dobson, the Tonypandy-born miner whose courage continues to resonate almost ninety years later.
“Harry’s story reminds us that ordinary people from our communities played an extraordinary role in the fight against fascism and injustice. He left the Rhondda not for glory, but because he believed that democracy and freedom were worth defending wherever they were under threat.
“This project has helped connect young people, families, local historians and international partners through shared remembrance. It ensures that Harry Dobson’s name, and the values he stood for, will continue to be remembered in both Wales and Catalonia.
“I am also pleased that respects were paid at Hill 666 in memory of Aberdare miner Tom Howell Jones. His story, alongside Harry’s and those of other Welsh volunteers, forms part of a proud and important legacy of solidarity that we must continue to preserve.”
Solidarity Park is a socio-cultural project launched by artist Rob MacDonald in 2016 after reading about his namesake, a Scottish brigadier who sank with the Ciudad de Barcelona, alongside other International Brigaders.
This led to the creation of a living monument on the beach in Malgrat de Mar in 2022, brought to life with the help of over 700 participants who carved the stone figures during street festivals and public workshops. Placed opposite the spot where the Ciudad de Barcelona sank, the site is an annual international festival that reclaims the values of the International Brigades – solidarity, liberty and equality – through art, education and remembrance.
For more information, please visit their website: Solidarity Park
Porta de la Història Cultural Association is a co-operative (currently in formation) initiative of individuals living in Catalunya, Spain and abroad who have a fascination with the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the social struggles that preceded and followed it.
For more information, they can be found online via:
To find out more about our heritage exhibitions and collections, please visit: Rhondda Cynon Taf | Our Heritage
Posted on 16/09/2026