“Too many trees” is perhaps an unusual criticism to make of a country park – but it was definitely the case that when two brothers visited Coate Water they couldn’t see the tree for the wood.

Twitter user Garius, who also writes history books using the nom de plume John Bull, tells of his trip to the park looking for a memorial to a Swindon-born member of the International Brigade – volunteers who defended the Spanish Republican government against General Franco’s Falange in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s - eventually unsuccessfully.

In a long, and occasionally sweary threat on Twitter, Mr Bull wrote: “Embarrassing story time. Involves trees.”

Mr Bull and his brother decide to try and see as many memorials to brigade members between London and South Wales in one weekend.

“We decide to go to Swindon (said no one ever).”

Steady on there, Mr Bull. But do go on.

“Because this was listed for Swindon: 'Memorial on Spanish chestnut tree in Coate Water Park'. Yeah, we think. We got this. We're awesome

“Do you know how many trees there are in Coate Water Park? A LOT. Do you know what a Spanish chestnut looks like? Well let me tell you, two blokes from Stevenage/London absolutely do not. Which was an eventuality we had not considered. So. Many. Trees.

“We walked around that park for sodding HOURS trying to find that stupid tree. Tried using pictures of leaves off Google, like cub scouts, going up close to trees. Walking round them all like cub scouts. We must have looked like right wrong 'uns to all the locals.

“Didn't find it.

“That Spanish chestnut tree in Coate Water Park still haunts me at night. I know it's there. Somewhere. And is a memorial. In that park. Just taunting me.”

But Mr Bull says he’s not giving up: “I will find that Spanish chestnut tree in Swindon if it kills me.”

Well, Mr Bull, you’ll be welcome.

What you’re looking for, is a memorial to Percy William, according to an article in a 2014 edition of Swindon Heritage magazine, founded by Graham Carter.

It says Percy was born in Theobald Street, near Railway Village in 1916. Like his father Percy was a communist and after an apprenticeship at the railway works, he moved to Liverpool.

After the Franco coup began in 1936, Percy joined the International Brigade in January 1938 where he was killed just two months later.

His gravestone is in Whitworth Road cemetery – and in 1986, 50 years after the start of the war, a tree was planted in the Polo Ground Arboretum at Coate Water.