Pepita Laguarda Batet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pepita Laguarda Batet
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Pepita Laguarda Batet (1936)
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| Born | 1919 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain |
| Died | 2 September 1936 (aged 16–17) Granyén, Uesca, Aragón, Spain |
| Allegiance |  CNT-FAI |
| Service | Confederal militias |
| Years of service | 1936 |
| Unit | Ascaso Column |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War: |
Pepita Laguarda Batet (1919–1936) was a brave young woman from Catalonia, Spain. She was an anarchist and a militiawoman who fought in the Spanish Civil War. She joined the fight when she was very young, not yet an adult. Pepita died in Uesca at just 17 years old, making her the youngest soldier to die in battle during that war.
Contents
Early Life and Beliefs
Pepita Laguarda was born in Barcelona, a big city in Spain. She lived in a neighborhood called Santa Eulàlia in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. She lived there with her parents and her three brothers.
Her mother, Matilde Batet, worked hard and was part of a group called the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT). This group believed in anarchist ideas, which are about people organizing themselves without needing a government. Pepita learned about these ideas from her mother.
Joining the War Effort
When the Spanish Civil War started in 1936, Pepita wanted to help. At first, she signed up to be a nurse at a hospital in Sarrià, a part of Barcelona.
Soon, she heard that volunteers were needed to fight in the war zones. Pepita decided she wanted to join the soldiers. Her father tried to convince her not to go. He even went with her to the recruitment center at the Mikhail Bakunin barracks. But Pepita was determined to fight.
Fighting on the Aragon Front
Pepita's boyfriend, Juan López Carvajal, was also involved with the CNT. When she told him she was going to war, he decided to join her.
The young couple became soldiers in a group called the Ascaso Column. They went to fight on the Aragon Front, which was a battle area.
A Young Hero's Sacrifice
On August 30, 1936, a big attack began on the city of Uesca. Pepita fought bravely for many hours.
On September 1, 1936, at 5 in the morning, she was badly wounded in her shoulder. The Red Cross rescued her and took her to a hospital in Vicién for first aid. Because her injury was so serious, she had to be moved to a hospital in Granyén.
Pepita Laguarda Batet died at 9:30 in the morning on September 2, 1936. She passed away in the arms of her companion, Juan.
Juan was very sad about Pepita's death. He told a newspaper called Solidaridad Obrera about what happened. Later, in 1995, he wrote about his relationship with Pepita in his own life story, which was published in France.
See also
In Spanish: Pepita Laguarda Batet para niños
