Researcher: Victoria Cheung, Stuyvesant '25

Sidney Bassin was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 26 (or possibly June 28), 1910. He worked as a traveling salesman before becoming involved in political activism. In April 1937, at 26 years old, he joined the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), a decision that would only encourage his participation in the Spanish Civil War.

On May 28, 1937, Bassin was issued passport #428322. At the time, his listed addresses were 627 Linden Boulevard and 170 East 35th Street, in East Flatbush and Flatbush, Brooklyn. During this time, Flatbush was home to a socioeconomically diverse population of Irish Americans, Italian Americans, and Jewish Americans (by the 1930’s a third of the population of Flatbush was Jewish). He himself was Jewish, and considering that so many of the international volunteers in the Spanish Civil War were Jewish, Bassin’s community likely played a large role in his decision to volunteer in the war in Spain. He sailed for Europe aboard the Aquitania on June 2, 1937, and arrived in Spain on June 22 of that year.

In Spain, Bassin served with the Lincoln Battalion of the XV International Brigade, specifically in the Auto Park unit, in Albacete, as a chauffeur. The Auto Park played a vital support role for the brigade, comprising dispatchers, drivers, mechanics, and various vehicles including trucks, sedans, and motorcycles, all assigned to the brigade’s headquarters. Sidney Bassin would have delivered messages, transported supplies, and brought fellow volunteers to different locations. Bassin served in the Battle of Quinto, which was part of the Zaragoza Offensive. In this battle, the Republicans brutally attacked the town of Quinto and managed to overthrow the Francoist forces there. The Battle of Quinto has been considered one of the most emblematic victories of the international brigades.

After the conclusion of his service in Spain, Bassin returned to the United States on December 20, 1938, aboard the Ausonia. During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army in October 1942 and served until his discharge in September 1945. Sidney Bassin passed away in New York City on September 18, 1997.

Sources

“BASSIN, Sidney | Sidbrint.” 1936. Ub.edu. 1936. https://sidbrint.ub.edu/brigadista/bassin-sidney.

“Bassin, Sidney | the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives.” 2019. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. December 9, 2019. https://alba-valb.org/volunteers/sidney-bassin/.

Brooks, Chris. 2016. “Jarama Series the Regiments - the Volunteer.” The Volunteer. July 13, 2016. https://albavolunteer.org/2016/07/jarama-series-16-the-regiments/.

“Flatbush.” 2022. Wikipedia. January 10, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatbush.

“International Brigades.” 2021. Wikipedia. January 6, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Brigades.

Wikipedia Contributors. 2025. “XV International Brigade.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. April 22, 2025.