Patrick Read

Patrick Joseph Read (25 February 1899 – 16 November 1947) was an Irish anarchist who served in World War I, the Irish Civil War and the Spanish Civil War. He is sometimes incorrectly called Reid or Reade.

Early life Patrick was the son of Christopher Patrick Read and Emma McKay, both originally from Dublin, Ireland. In 1898, they emigrated to England. Patrick was born on the ship they took to Liverpool.

World War One Read served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in a transmission unit. His unit's role was to lay telephone lines between the different army units as radio units were not generally available.

Read transferred from his initial placement with French volunteers in XIV International Brigade over to the Lincoln Battalion of the XV International Brigade, which was considered more tolerant of dissenting political views. Read was known for his anti-Stalinist beliefs, refusing to bow to the Soviet Union on left-wing political matters. While in Spain, Read became a member of Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, the militant Spanish Labour union.

Later life Following the end of the Spanish Civil War and the defeat of the Republican forces, Read returned to Chicago where he resumed his position as Editor of the Industrial Worker. Read died at the age of 48 on 16 November 1947 of a cerebral hemorrhage.