Armies:

Los Novios de la Muerte

The Elite corps of the Nationalist Army was the Spanish Foreign Legion (The Tercio). The Legion, unlike their French counterparts, was made up almost exclusively of Spanish Nationals.

Originally raised in 1920 for service in Morocco during the Riff War (1920-1925), the Legion was the brainchild of a fanatical right-wing officer, Colonel Millan Astray, who sought to raise a corps of fanatical dedicated soldiers from the bunch of Misfits, social outcasts and petty criminals who were the first recruits. The young Major Francisco Franco was the Legions second-in-command.

The fanatical Legionaries believed that death in battle was the highest honour and they called themselves 'Los Novios de la Muerte ' (The betrothed of death).

By 1936, the Legion consisted of six banderas (Battalions) each of three infantry companies and a machine gun company, but this had risen by the end of the war to eighteen banderas plus an armoured unit and a Frame thrower company.

The normal uniform was in a grey-green material. A forage cap piped in red with the gold Legion badge on the front, A thigh length tunic with black buttons or a light grey-green shirt, and distinctive flared trouser like riding breeches over black leather boots or white canvas shoes.

Sources: 
Patrick Turnbull & Jeffrey Burn- The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 , Osprey 1978
Bob CORDERY-La Ultma Cruzada, Partizan Press 1989

-Posted by Hobilar, a club member