Long Poles

[martin goddard]

In many SCW photos there are men carrying long(9 feet?) sturdy poles. They look like flag staff sized.
Often a man is carrying two. the photo of the men crossing the Ebro have them too. Never more than a few but they seem to be smooth with no attachments.
Could they be flag poles, punting poles, Bangalore torpedoes, or what?  Usually infantry formations.

[martin goddard]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjZ6sufkbTVAhVhBMAKHdAwDWMQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F570901690239843473%2F&psig=AFQjCNFVEsXGhkGFn390peYZl2Oq4wSYRA&ust=1501611585503605

[martin goddard]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjo3r2skrTVAhWHLMAKHWokDUYQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F570901690239843473%2F&psig=AFQjCNFVEsXGhkGFn390peYZl2Oq4wSYRA&ust=1501611585503605

[martin goddard]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjz-uCDmbTVAhXlA8AKHdr2AE0QjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gettyimages.com%2Fdetail%2Fnachrichtenfoto%2Ffrench-troops-presenting-arms-to-passing-francoist-nachrichtenfoto%2F106502039&psig=AFQjCNHFoOVpkcO5MUyVW8hOokgzgbrqiA&ust=1501613178279101&cad=rjt

[Leslie BT]

Looking through many pictures I think they are poles for flags, unit colours and propaganda banners.

[Stewart 46A]

They look to big for flags and in the films the units have banners, flags at the head and within the units as well as these poles.
I have emailed Michael Portillo( he doesn't know)
Museum of Madrid, (awaiting picture), Spanish community of Britain(waiting a reply)

[martin goddard]

Episode 2 of Portillo

19minutes in. Throughout the programme they always appear to be with assaulting troops. Including moors. My best guess is still bangalores! At he 19minute pont there is also a group of 15 soldiers each of whom is carrying a pole.  Seems to intimate that units might or might not cary them, if they did then usually about 3.  The thick plotens

[Stewart 46A]

Just remembered one of the exercise we had to do in the forces, LONG POLES, ground sheets and rope, during the day in squads of 6 make a stretcher and carry a 15st VIP dummy around Dartmoor, in the evening turn stretcher in to makeshift tent with the dummy in the middle so it was warm and dry.
so maybe the spaniards had the same drill instructors?

[Colonel Kilgore]

Sorry chaps, I think you all have it wrong.

This is clearly an instance of a traditional weapon being carried by elite ex-navy members of a French International Brigade contingent, as shown in use here:


http://img.mensjournal.com/article-leads-horizontal/mj-618_348_frances-floating-tournament.jpg

and here:

http://travelfore.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/jousting-sete-france.jpg

[martin goddard]

Curses, now we have 3 options.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Or, on second thougths, maybe they're for pole-vaulting over defences? It was notable in Episode 2 of the Portillo series that those armed with poles (and in one sequence there was a whole bunch of them marching together) didn't seem to be carrying rifles too - presumably to be keeping their hands free for just such a manoeuvre.

So maybe an assault squad just waiting to vault into action?

[martin goddard]

Would the pole vault help overcome dead ground ?

[Colonel Kilgore]

I think it depends.

I imagine that these highly-trained troops had learned a number of different techniques.

There might be the "flip over the hill before they see us" one (i.e. advance unseen) as well as a "balance on the top of the pole to see over the obstacle" one, to negate the effect of dead ground (should work for both an intervening obstacle and gullies etc.?).

[Leslie BT]

Having just watched a couple of episodes I think they are for colours and praganda banners.

In one shot their are some with a coloured flag rolled around the pole.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I think those banners were to disguise the poles' true purpose...