When Douglas Simmons heard of the treatment being dealt to fellow Canadians on their return home he decided to stay in Spain and fight on. Being principally a realist, and not letting ideals stand in the way of survival, he surrendered before Franco"s final assault on the outgunned, outnumbered forces at Ciudad Real and was immediately handed over to a German unit under the command of Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, commander of the ground element of the infamous Condor Legion.
Germany"s withdrawal from Spain on Franco"s victory was, in the main, swift, without fanfare or a bubbly cheerio, Franco quickly distancing Spain from her allies. The numerous aeroplanes of the Condor Legion, no longer wanted on Spanish soil, were the first to beat a hasty retreat. German soldiers followed soon after, la
