Ramon Vila Capdevila
Encyclopedia
Ramon Vila Capdevila sometimes known by various nicknames, including Caraquemada (Spanish
: "burnt-face"), was a Catalan
anarchist
, member of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
(Spanish: National Confederation of Labor), and guerrilla fighter
.
in the comarca
(roughly translated as "county") of Berguedà
, Catalonia
. When he was very young, Vila was nearly struck by lightning, which gave him the facial scars which earned him the nickname Caraquemada. The lightning strike killed his mother, who was hiding with him from a storm.
In 1932, after participating in a workers' insurrection, Vila was imprisoned in Manresa
and held for a few years. In the period between his release and the start of the Spanish Civil War
in 1936, Vila moved around constantly for fear of harassment by the "Special Branch". In April 1936, while Vila was in Castelló de la Plana
, he was approached by two officers. Vila and his cousin Ramon Rives fired at the officers, but Rives was shot in the ensuing gun battle, as well as the two officers. One of the officers died as a result of his wounds. Vila fled the scene, and later turned himself in to the Guardia Civil
, hoping for better treatment than he would receive from the "Special Branch".
On 18 July, 1936, after the Nationalist uprising, the prisons were opened in an effort to gain fighters to put down the uprising. Vila was released, joined the fighting, and was later made a commandant in the Carabinero Corps. Vila also held the post of Supplies Delegate at the factory he worked at in Fígols
.
in 1939, Vila crossed the French border, to be interned
at the concentration camp in Argelès-sur-Mer
. However, the following year, Vila escaped, and returned to Spain
. At this point, Vila formed a clandestine resistance group. Not long after, Vila returned to Vichy France
to acquire supplies, and was arrested by Germans
, who were by this point occupying France. Vila was imprisoned in Perpignan
, but was only there a short time before the Germans sent him to work a bauxite
mine. He was soon able to join the French Resistance
, and put his experience with explosives to use in sabotage
operations. The battalion that Vila was a member of was incorporated in to the Free French
2nd Armored Division, led by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
.
Following the end of World War II
, Vila primarily operated in the Catalonian areas of Alt Llobregat and Baix Llobregat
. As his last act of resistance before his death, Vila destroyed electricity pylons on 2 August 1963 near Manresa
.
. When hailed by the three officers Vila fired at them, without killing any of the three. The official press release announcing his death referred to Vila as a "bandit".
Vila was buried in Fígols
. On 15 July, 2000, a plaque was placed at the burial site of Vila which reads
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: "burnt-face"), was a Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, member of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions affiliated with the International Workers Association . When working with the latter group it is also known as CNT-AIT...
(Spanish: National Confederation of Labor), and guerrilla fighter
Spanish Maquis
The Spanish Maquis were Spanish guerrillas exiled in France after the Spanish Civil War who continued to fight against the Franco regime until the early 1960s, carrying out sabotage, robberies , occupations of the Spanish Embassy in France and assassinations of Francoists, as well as contributing...
.
Early life
Vila was born in 1908 in a small village called PegueraPeguera
Peguera is a tourist town in the municipality of Calvià on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It has three large beaches and hundreds of hotels, hostels and apartments. The population is approximately 3,988 inhabitants...
in the comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
(roughly translated as "county") of Berguedà
Berguedà
Berguedà is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and partly in Catalonia's Depressió Central.-Geography:...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. When he was very young, Vila was nearly struck by lightning, which gave him the facial scars which earned him the nickname Caraquemada. The lightning strike killed his mother, who was hiding with him from a storm.
In 1932, after participating in a workers' insurrection, Vila was imprisoned in Manresa
Manresa
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
and held for a few years. In the period between his release and the start of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1936, Vila moved around constantly for fear of harassment by the "Special Branch". In April 1936, while Vila was in Castelló de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana
Castellón de la Plana or Castelló de la Plana is the capital city of the province of Castelló, in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Azahar by the Mediterranean Sea...
, he was approached by two officers. Vila and his cousin Ramon Rives fired at the officers, but Rives was shot in the ensuing gun battle, as well as the two officers. One of the officers died as a result of his wounds. Vila fled the scene, and later turned himself in to the Guardia Civil
Civil Guard (Spain)
The Civil Guard is the Spanish gendarmerie. It has foreign peace-keeping missions and maintains military status and is the equivalent of a federal military-status police force. As a police force, the Guardia Civil is comparable today to the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri and the...
, hoping for better treatment than he would receive from the "Special Branch".
On 18 July, 1936, after the Nationalist uprising, the prisons were opened in an effort to gain fighters to put down the uprising. Vila was released, joined the fighting, and was later made a commandant in the Carabinero Corps. Vila also held the post of Supplies Delegate at the factory he worked at in Fígols
Fígols
Fígols is a municipality in the comarca of the Berguedà inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated to the north of Cercs, in the mountains above the Llobregat valley.Deposits of lignite are extracted commercially.-Demography:-References:...
.
Post-civil war
Following the Nationalist victory over the Second Spanish RepublicSecond Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
in 1939, Vila crossed the French border, to be interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
at the concentration camp in Argelès-sur-Mer
Argelès-sur-Mer
Argelès-sur-Mer is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.It lies near Perpignan.-Geography:...
. However, the following year, Vila escaped, and returned to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. At this point, Vila formed a clandestine resistance group. Not long after, Vila returned to Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
to acquire supplies, and was arrested by Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, who were by this point occupying France. Vila was imprisoned in Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
, but was only there a short time before the Germans sent him to work a bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
mine. He was soon able to join the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, and put his experience with explosives to use in sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
operations. The battalion that Vila was a member of was incorporated in to the Free French
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
2nd Armored Division, led by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
.
Following the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Vila primarily operated in the Catalonian areas of Alt Llobregat and Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
. As his last act of resistance before his death, Vila destroyed electricity pylons on 2 August 1963 near Manresa
Manresa
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
.
Death
Vila was killed on 7 August 1963 after being shot in the heart by Guardia Civil officers near a castle in BalsarenyBalsareny
Balsareny is a municipality in the comarca of Bages in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. When hailed by the three officers Vila fired at them, without killing any of the three. The official press release announcing his death referred to Vila as a "bandit".
Vila was buried in Fígols
Fígols
Fígols is a municipality in the comarca of the Berguedà inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated to the north of Cercs, in the mountains above the Llobregat valley.Deposits of lignite are extracted commercially.-Demography:-References:...
. On 15 July, 2000, a plaque was placed at the burial site of Vila which reads