Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3, part seven, Spanish MiG-3 pilots in WW2

It's not a very known fact, but after the Spanish Civil War ended, the Republican government continued in the exile and so, many of the veterans, among them various pilots, wanted to fight against fascism that helped nationalist to win the war. Most of these pilots served in the Soviet Air Force and some of them flew MiG-3s.
One of those pilots, Francisco Meroño Pellicer, the third foreign ace to serve in the VVS, flew a MiG-3 and a MiG-1 that was quickly withdrawn from service. Francisco, nicknamed "Diablo Rojo" (Red Devil), got interned into a French concentration camp for refugees of the Spanish Civil War in Southern France after beeing the commander of the 6th Squadron, 21st Group. After being released from the concentration camp in summer 1939 he had to emigrate to the USSR where he worked in an automobile factory. When the war between Germany and the USSR started, he enlisted voluntarily in the rows of the Red Army. After the first days of the war, he was called, together with other 18 Spanish ex-pilots to train due to their war experience. He was assigned to the 960th IAP, that was equipped with the MiG-3 and, between November 1941 and April 1942, he took part in the battle of Moscow. When the MiG-3 was taken out of service, he piloted a Lavochkin La-5.
Another of those aces, Vicente Beltrán, was another veteran pilot of the Spanish Civil War, and his story is identical, after the fall of Barcelona, he crossed the border with France, got interned and when he was released, he moved on to the USSR where he worked in the same automobile factory. When the war in the USSR started, he was allowed to serve with the 960th IAP and, apparently, he was allowed to paint a motto in Spanish in his airplane, "Viva la revolución Socialista en la URSS" (Long live the Socialist Revolution in the USSR) however, most probably, later he had to write it in Russian. He served in the battle of Moscow flying, apparently, a MiG-1 and, later, a MiG-3.
Antonio Arias, nicknamed "El Chato" (snub-nosed) was another veteran pilot of the Republican Air Force who got interned into Gurs concentration camp, in Southern France, and when he was released in August 1939, he moved on to the USSR where he worked in a tractor factory in Kharkov. The beginning of the war, took him when he was studying in Moscow, where he joined the Red Army together with other Spaniards. As he was a veteran pilot, he was assigned to the VVS and assigned to the 283rd IAP where he fought in the battle of Moscow, flying a MiG-3. In 1942, he was assigned to the 964th IAP, and his MiG-3 was replaced by a Curtiss Tomahawk.
The last of these pilots who flew the MiG-3, is Jose María Pascual Santamaria, callsign "Popeye", was another pilot who served as instructor since he moved on to the USSR. He served in the 283rd IAP flying a MiG-3 during the battle of Moscow and later, in spring 1942 he was assigned to the 788th IAP where he flew a Yakovlev Yak-1.

Sources:
1. http://1y2gm.foroactivo.com/t1665p10-pilotos-republicanos-espanoles-en-la-urss (translated)
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
3. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 204 - Early Mig Fighters in Action