An extract translated from the book The Greatest Legionary Sacrifice by Father Ion Dumitrescu Borsa.

"The nationalist armies had occupied Majadahonda, which was also a railway station on the road from Escorial to Madrid. The front line advanced in the form of an angle with its top in this village. The Reds have lost a very important position and that is why they are now trying with all their means to reconquer it. The 6th Bandera has been brought into the, attack and to enlarge the nationalist front. They said it would be the last attack carried on by this Bandera; after that, it will get out of combat for recuperation.

Motza was nervous all day long. He was prepared to argue for small things and, even Ortigoza and Felicindo were trying to make us smile by telling jokes about the Reds, we didn't bother. We felt something terrible will happen to us. We were sure that we won't get uninjured from the battle to come... Several times, Vasile Marin came and told us that Motza is not in his usual good mood.

Our platoon occupied, a day before, one of the trenches from the side of Majadahonda village. We were placed on a hill, dominating a valley. For the night, I have to change the guard... On my left, a Spanish, Romanian or Portuguese from the Second Squad, I can't recognise him, sits at about 34 meters away, like he'd be a statue getting closer and he whispers to me in Spanish for some water. I know him:

"Ionel Motza, is that you?"

"Father!"

From now on, we stayed together as sentinels talking quietly about our country, the Captain, the Legion, Legionaries and families. At six o clock, other comrades are coming to relieve us...

"Father, at 8 o' clock you will get together all the comrades. We will have a prayer. Nobody knows... It could be the last one for some of us!... "

At 8 am, we are all in a comer of trench, on our knees, with our souls rosen 'to our God. I'm reading the prayers with great emotion. I can see Morza's face with tears on it..

The orders are coming. Now we are on march, to face the enemy. It's a foggy and thin rainy day. You can hardly see ten meters around. That is why we succeeded to occupy good positions near the enemy lines; we dispersed in line of shooting, placed from four to four meters. We start to dig small shields. Motza carried with Marin some bricks, now they are building a little one meter high fortress. It seems to me that Motza has bad premonitions. Marin, who is always near Motza, seems now more serious than ever...

From the right side, the Communists are opening fire... Three Red tanks are emerging from the end of the valley. An anti-tank gun is taking charge of them; we are looking at the fireballs igniting a tank - it's a new German invention. A second on is destroyed. The third is running to hide...

From the right side the Reds are bombing us. First they hit the village, the church has all the walls broken; the artillery is intensifying the fire; the tower of the church blows up. We assume there are four or five batteries firing on us. Under this infernal artillery shield, beside the tanks, the Communists are counter attacking.- No one will leave positions !, shouts Motza.

At right, model of Anarchist armoured train at Majadahonda.

The hell is upon us and is growing in intensity. I stayed near Clime. Suddenly, a shell explodes very close to us. Clime tells me: - This one has hit the trench. We are almost covered by the ground dug up by the explosion; we are deaf because of the blast. On my leg Alecu is moving away saying:

Those of machine-gun are all injured and its stopped shooting. He jumps in and is in vein trying to reactivate it, helped by large Ortigaza, heavily wounded in the right leg.

Suddenly, Alecu cries to us:

"Father! Clime ! Motza and Marin are dead!"

Ion Motza was a leading figure in the fascist ( mainly a religious and anti communist based movement ) culture in post World War one Rumania, he was founder of the Legion of Saint Michael the Archangel, was founder of the Right wing publication 'Axa ', and was a prominent member of the Iron Guard.