WE CAME TO SUNNY SPAIN

We came to sunny Spain,
To make the people smile again,
And to drive the fascist bastards,
From the hill and from the plain,
Oh the Ri, Oh the Ri
Oh the Rio, Rio, Rio, Ha, Ha, Ha!

I have seen these described as the words to the British Battalion's Marching Song.
Does anyone have more information.
Are there any more words?
Is the tune a well known tune or an original?
Is it mentioned in any books?

It is mentioned at the end of this Guardian Interview with Brigader George Wheeler who was the inspiration for the Na Mara song THE BITE which is in the Song List above,

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From: GeoffLawes - PM
Date: 18 Apr 10 -

Oh we came to sunny Spain,
To help the people smile again,
And to show the fascist bastards,
That their fight was all in vain,
Oh the Ri, oh the Ro
Oh the Rio, Rio, Rio, Ha, Ha, Ha

Mussolini had some tanks,
And Franco taught 'em swell,
But our anti-tankers showed 'em,
When they blew them all to hell.
Oh the Ri, oh the Ro,
Oh the Rio, Rio, Rio, Ha, Ha, Ha.

These are the words sung by Brigader Paddy Doyle in a BBC radio programme written by Roy Palmer called IN OUR HEARTS WERE SONGS OF HOPE.This programme was broadcast on 13/07/1986.
Thanks to Roy Palmer.

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From: GeoffLawes
Date: 01 June 2011

Mike Anderson of the International Brigades Memorial Trust sent me an email with the following information.
Hi Geoff, in George Wheeler's memoir "To Make The People Smile Again" page 67 refers to the following song:- Someone in the ranks ahead of me began to sing.Soon we were all singing, the words rolling out across the valley to the rhythm of our marching feet. It was a song I had learned while training in Chabola Valley, and now had a special resonance: "Oh we came to sunny Spain to make the people smile again. And to drive the fascist bastards from the hill and from the plain..."
Thanks Mike


Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes - PM
Date: 13 Jan 21 – 16.48 PM

Jim Jump of the IBMT has emailed to tell me some more about this song which he entitles ‘Song of the Anti-Tanks’ Jim’s lyrics are more extensive than those given above :

We’ve come to sunny Spain
To make the people smile again
And to chase the fascist bastards
O’er the hill and o’er the plain

CHORUS
Oleree… Olero… Oleree oree ore oree ha ha ha ha
Oleree… Olero… Oleree oree ore oree ha ha ha ha

And since we’ve been on the trail
We have made the fascists wail
And call upon the priest
For ‘Santa Agua’ in the pail

Mussolini had some tanks
AndFranco thought them swell
But we took our anti-tank guns
And we blew them all to hell

Jim also says “ I got the words of the ‘Song of the Anti-Tanks’ (see below) from Kev Buyers, an IBMT member in Aberdeen, who said they were written by Jack Black. “ Jim says he is trying to get more information about the song . I will post it here if anything new emerges