18 residents of Xàbia were victims of retaliation from both sides during the Civil War

Monday 28th March 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: original article – Carlos López (Xàbia AL DÍA)

At least 18 residents of Xàbia have been identified by various studies as victims of retaliation from both sides during the Spanish Civil War, according to documentation compiled by the Valencia Provincial Council through its Historical Memory portal.

This portal lists the work done by various experts on the executions on the Francoist side, as well as the retaliation on the Republican side. In the first case, the source is the book “Els afusellaments al País Valencià (1938-1956)” by Vicent Gabarda and the chronological list of executions in post-war Madrid (1939-1944). In the second, the source of information is also a work by Vicent Gabarda, “La represión en la retaguardia republicana: País Valenciano 1936-1939”.

This list takes on public relevance after the local government announced last week that 13,000 euros has been allocated to undertake exhumations of some of these victims, in particular, those who are buried in the cemetery of Alicante.

But who are those 18 residents? Xabia AL DÍA extracted the following data from the website:

Francoist retaliation victims:

• Tomás Albert Sart (31) Single, no profession given. Died on 26/04/1940 from pulmonary tuberculosis at the Sanatorium Porta Coeli. Buried in Serra (Valencia).
• Bartolomé Bañuls Morell (23) Single, labourer. Executed on 07/03/1940 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.
• Antonio Buhigues Segarra (33) Single, labourer. Member of the Public Health Committee and responsible for the surveillance and custody of prisoners in Xàbia. Executed on 05/03/1941 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.
• Jaime Cardona Juan (40) Married, journalist. Died on 19/03/1945 in the Adult Detention Centre. Buried in Alicante.
• José Espasa Cholvi (43) Married, shoe vendor. Surveillance and custody of prisoners in Xàbia. Executed on 22/08/1940 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.
• Bautista Fornés Lledó (35) Married, day labourer. Member of the Public Health Committee. Executed on 03/07/1940 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.
• Francisco Santamaría Ferrer (38) Married, labourer. Surveillance and custody of prisoners in Xàbia. Executed on 17/11/1939 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.
• Valentín Segarra Visquert (63) Sailor. Died on 24/08/1948 in the Adult Detention Centre. Buried in Alicante.
• Francisco Torres Moragues (42) Married, labourer. Member of the Public Health Committee. Executed on 03/07/1940 in Alicante. Buried in Alicante.

Republican retaliation victims:

• Vicente Tena Jovani (19). Student. Falangist Militant. Shot on the Carretera Murcia-Valencia in Teulada on 07/10/1936. Buried in Teulada.
• Juan Andrada Salvador (39) Right-wing militant. Shot on 26/10/1936. Place of death and burial unknown.
• Vicente Ballester Far (49) Priest, chaplain of the Augustinas Descalzas in Xàbia and a right-wing militant. Shot on the Carretera de Alicante in Benissa on 26/09/1936. Buried in Benissa.
• Gabriel Bañuls Montaner (63). Landowner and a right-wing militant. Shot in Jesús Pobre on 06/10/2926. Buried in Dénia.
• Carlos Benimeli Bañuls (45) Lawyer and a right-wing militant. Shot in El Collado, Lliber on 01/06/1937. Buried in Lliber.
• Guillermo Catalá Bas (48) Priest and a traditionalist militant. Shot in Oliva on 31/08/1936. Buried in Oliva.
• Pedro Chorro Bas (26) Labourer and Falangist militant. Shot in the town centre in Xàbia on 06/10/1936. Buried in Xàbia.
• Juan Ramos Morand (60) Owner and a right-wing militant. Shot in Jesús Pobre on 06/10/1936. Buried in Dénia.
• Gaspar Salvador Catalá (68) Owner and a right-wing militant. Shot on the Carretera Murcía-Valencia in Pedreguer on 18/10/1936. Buried in Pedreguer.

The photo that accompanies this information is from the Institut Valencià de Cartografía that allows layers to be used, and specifically one of them is that of the mass graves. The yellow dot in Xàbia is the mass grave found in the area of Les Planes.