Many people will be aware of Fuengirola as a pretty holiday destination on the Costa del Sol.  What they may be less aware of is that it was the scene of a ferocious battle in 1810, involving British and Spanish forces on one side, against Polish troops on the other.

The Poles were Napoleon’s allies, since he had promised them independence from the attempts of Russia, Prussia and Austria to take them over or partition their country.  They had sent a Polish Division to Spain and this was used to garrison the coastal area of Andalucia.

In 1810 an Anglo-Spanish force attempted to capture Fuengirola Castle, which was initially held by 150 Polish troops.  They were reinforced with small numbers of Polish troops from Mijas and Alhaurin, managing to hold out against an army more than 10 times their strength, and even succeeded in capturing the British General.

British accounts hardly mention the Battle, but the Poles are justifiably very proud of their achievement.

This talk covers the background to the battle and the events of the battle itself.  It neatly follows on from Rod’s talk on “The Lines of Torres Vedras”.

The talk is 30 minutes long.  All Rod’s talks are given to raise funds for charities, in this case for Combat Stress, which provides support and treatment to military veterans with mental health problems to help them tackle the past and take on the future.