Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa
Gipuzkoakultura
October 4, 2024

The Auxiliary Navy of the Basque Country
(1936-39)

Biographies of The Basque Auxiliary Navy

SANTIAGO ASOLO Y LANDEA (Santurce, 1889-1956)

Santiago Asolo y Landea (Santurce, 1889-1956) Santiago Asolo was a captain in the Merchant Navy and a member of the PNV and STV political parties. He worked for Cía. Sota y Aznar until the beginning of the war. In November 1936, he was appointed as captain of the armed Bou trawler Hispania, which would later be the Araba. After its artillery was removed, the whole crew was housed in Guecho, which thus became a Navy Barracks and which was under the command of Asolo. Before Bilbao fell, he left for France and then to England, he took command of the Atxuri-Mendi merchant ship, belonging to the Mid Atlantic Shipping Co. He returned to Bilbao in 1939, where he was arrested and sent to jail for two years. He then returned to his work and captained fishing boats from Pasajes and the occasional steamship belonging to Cía. Aznar until he retired. He died in Bilbao.

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