George Watters

George Watters (26 September 1904 – 1980) known as Geordie, was a Scottish miner and labourer from Prestonpans, East Lothian. He fought in the Spanish Civil War and Second World War, and was a socialist activist.

Life and politics Watters grew up in a mining community around Prestongrange colliery, when he was 14 years old, his brother was killed in an underground accident, and he became a social activist three years later. He distributed the weekly paper of the British Communist Party in the local area, and joined the party with his two other brothers in the early 1920s.

Watters opposed the British Union of Fascists and held left-wing socialist views. He attended a rally of the group held at Usher Hall in Edinburgh in 1936, despite a petition by 15,000 residents to ban the event.

Watters was aware of the dispute leading to the Asturian miners strike where workers were attacked by the Spanish Foreign Legion and Moroccan Regulares, as the right-wing government sought to crush the uprising. with his wife Ellen's support, although leaving her and three children. His brother-in-law William Dickson was killed at the Battle of Brunete. Watters's family believed he was dead until footage of his repatriation was shown on a news reel. A stained glass window with a dedication to Watters was installed in the Prestonpans Labour Club in June 2021. In 2023, a book was published, with the families of Scottish International Brigade volunteers, including a description of Geordie Watters' experiences, titled Our Fathers Fought Franco, with royalties to the International Brigades Memorial Trust.