Vincent Hunt, the Carrick-on-Suir native who died saving lives in Spain
There are many monuments all around Europe to those who left their own lands to stand and fight in Spain during their civil war. The International Brigades are remembered in story and song across the continent by those who still remember the brave soldiers who stood up to Franco’s army.
Men like Frank Ryan bring images of bravery and commitment to mind in the face of scorn from the all-powerful, at the time, Catholic Church.
Unlike their fellow countrymen who left these shores to fight with the Irish Brigade under the flag of Saint Patrick and who aligned themselves with Franco, the International Brigade fought to try stop the steady rise in fascism.
One of the tens of thousands who died during that brutal conflict, and one of the 68 Irish men who gave up their lives was born in Carrick-on-Suir.
Vincent Hunt was born in the town to a police officer father Michael on 28th September,1909. Michael Hunt was a police officer as was one of Vincent’s older brothers. On 23rd June, 1919 Michael was shot dead by the I.R.A. in Thurles.
The family emigrated to Australia soon after this but returned to Ireland shortly after the civil war. Vincent then emigrated once again when he travelled to The Far East and took up a position as a cotton plantation inspector.
On 17th December, 1936 Vincent travelled to Spain to work with the British Medical Aid team. He soon left this organisation and joined the Thalmann Battalion of the International Brigades.
He drove ambulances for the brigade and assisted with the care of both republican and civilian casualties. The Thalmann battalion was named after the German communist leader Ernst Thalmann.
On 10th July, 1937, in the town of Brunete, a small area located on the outskirts of Madrid, and just shy of seven months into his service, the ambulance that Vincent was driving was hit by a bomb killing him.
Vincent Hunt is not a name that many will recognise, and he will probably never have a memorial in his honour, but he is yet another Carrick-on-Suir person that tried to make a difference for the better to this world.