Lucio Arroyo Fraile

Spanish militant anarchist and anarcho-syndicalist, born. Joined the Federación Ibérica de Juventudes Libertarias (FIJL) early and was one of the founders of a Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) branch in his home town. Living in France in 1932, he was expelled from the country for his anarchist activities. During the Civil War, he fought with the Columna de Ferro (Iron Colum), and then in the International Brigades, being wounded three times. At the Battle of the Ebro he lost an eye, which earned him the nickname El tuerto Teruel (The Eye of Teruel) by his comrades and obtained the rank of captain. Crossing the border with France on February 6, 1939, he was sepearted from his wife and 3 children (who were sent to the Mâcon area) and he was interned in the Boulou (Voló) concemtration camp.

The following month he joined the Compagnies de Travailleurs Étrangers No. 10 and was sent to Bordeaux to work on the construction of the munitions store at Saint-Médard-en-Jalles. At the outbreak of war in June 1940, while his wife and children were returned to Spain, Lucio Arroyo was interned in the Argelès camp. In October 1940, he was enlisted in the Groupement de Travailleurs Étrangers (GTE) No. 183 and worked in the learing and reconstruction following severe floods in Catalan country. In March 1943 he was interned in the camp of Saint-Médard-en-Jalles requisitioned for forced labor (Organisation Todt) in the submarine base near Bordeaux. He was then tranferred to Soulac and Cap Ferret. Arrested by the Germans, he twice escaped whilst being deported to Germany and, in June 1944, joined the Maquis and particiapted in the liberation of Ariège. He remained in Pamiers in the Ariège region, aiding clandestine crossings by militants into Spain. In 1947 he and his family settled in Perpignan, where he held positions in the Local Federation of the CNT, and their home was a haven for militants who had fled the Iberian Peninsula. Lucio Arroyo Fraile died on April 28, 1988 in Perpignan.