Ronald Schofield was born in Lancashire, England in 1912 and immigrated to Canada in 1928 to join his father and brother. In 1931 Schofield travelled around the country to work in government camps with the many other unemployed men affected by the Great Depression. In 1935, Schofield participated in the “On-to-Ottawa trek”, a mass protest movement organized by restless relief camp workers. This event is widely recognized as helping to unseat Prime Minister R.B. Bennett’s Conservative government in the next election.
When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, Schofield became interested in the plight of the Spanish people and feared, like many others, that the conflict could ignite another World War. He vowed to get involved and in spring of 1937, travelled to Spain as part of the International Brigades. Schofield first served as an infantryman until a slight wound and bout of anemia landed him in a convalescent hospital near Madrid, Spain. When the hospital’s quartermaster post became vacant, Schofield filled it and stayed on for three months until the hospital was shut down. He was then sent to Teruel, Spain to join the Canadian Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion. In summer 1938, Schofield took a two-week first aid course and became a first aid man, stretcher-bearer, and grave digger.
After the dissolution of the International Brigades when the Civil War ended, Schofield and other soldiers were kept for some time and interviewed in Ripoll, Spain, near the French border. The Americans and English were sent home, but the Canadians were not. It was only because he was suffering from acute dysentery and his status as a British citizen that Schofield was allowed to leave for England. He remained there for three months convalescing before he was given passage back to Canada.