Juan Antonio Ansaldo (1910-1958) was a prominent Spanish aviator and monarchist. A great admirer of Action Francaise, Ansaldo eventually joined the Falange in 1934, and earned a reputation for violence.
In 1936, as the Spanish Civil War began in earnest, he agreed to take Spanish Nationalist General José Sanjurjo from Portugal to Burgos, Spain. Despite Ansaldo's pleas, Sanjurjo insisted on bringing his heavy baggage aboard Ansaldo's small plane. The plane subsequently crashed. Ansaldo survived, although badly injured. Sanjurjo was killed.
Ansaldo remained in the Spanish Airforce until 1945, when he and other monarchists were purged by Francisco Franco. He published his memoirs in 1951.
In July 1936, catastrophe for the Spanish Nationalists' cause was narrowly avoided when Juan Antonio Ansaldo convinced General José Sanjuro to leave his heavy baggage off their small plane, despite the latter's protestations that he could not enter Madrid and rule Spain without uniforms. Ansaldo won out, and managed to safely transport Sanjurjo from Portugal to Burgos to begin the Spanish Civil War.
Edit
