The militias withdrew from the islands in early September, ordered by Indalecio Prieto, Minister of the Navy, to return to Barcelona and be reorganized. The PSUC militiamen organized into the "Freedom Column" and was sent to the Madrid front, where they participated in the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria. The anarchist militias formed part of the Red and Black Column and went to the Aragon front. A part of this column was the "Column of the Vallès Oriental", of Granollers, which had about 600 volunteers. The Red and Black Column was commanded by the syndicalist García Prada and Jiménez Pajarero and in total would be around 1,500 militiamen. On arrival at the front at Huesca, the column became subordinate to the Harriers Column.