A 95-year-old former Shropshire soldier who fought General Franco has spoken about his exploits during the Spanish Civil War.

More than seven decades after Franco conquered Republican forces in the fight, the efforts of veterans are to be recognised.

And on June 9, seven veterans, including county soldier Jack Edwards, of Wellington, are due to accept Spanish citizenship during a ceremony at the Spanish Embassy in London.

Mr Edwards, who was born in Liverpool, was shot in the leg during the campaign, which began when General Francisco Franco, with support from Hitler and Mussolini, challenged the Republican Government in a military uprising.

Mr Edwards said he decided to fight after handing out copies of the Daily Worker newspaper in Liverpool in 1936.

The socialist read about the Spanish Civil War and, at the age of 22, he decided to sign up.

Mr Edwards, who still lives in the county, travelled with two fellow British volunteers to Spain.

He arrived in the town of Albacete, the headquarters for the Brigades, before being dispatched to war.

He said: “We had about six weeks’ training at most. There were three of us to a machine gun. It was the first time I had fired a lethal weapon.”

The battle cost an estimated 500,000 lives and involved around 40,000 non-Spanish fighters.

Mr Edwards’ unit was dispatched to Jarama Valley in February 1937. He was injured on the third day of the campaign.

When he had recovered, he spent the rest of the war supporting the Republican units. He said: “I think it was worthwhile. We were a band of brothers.”