Dunera

Arandora Star
Part 3

In contrast to the “new arrivals” from Germany or Austria, most of the almost 20,000 British people with Italian roots had been in the UK for a long time. Many adults were first or second generation British citizens. The government under Churchill targeted them long before Italy entered the war and also accused them of a hostile position towards Great Britain in a sweeping and defamatory manner. Research published in October 2024 contains for the first time a list of names of 707 Italians whom the British government wanted to deport to Canada on the Arandora Star.

Peter Dehn January 2025.

On the run from the Middle Ages

Overpopulation, poverty, a lack of economic development and almost feudal conditions in the countryside and in agriculture until the 20th century led around 25 million Italians[1] Cf. Wikipedia about Italian Emigration (German) retrieved on 20.11.2024. to seek a future worth living abroad between 1860 and 1960. In the first five years alone after Mussolini came to power in 1922, 1.5 million Italians left their homeland. Among them were certainly many who wanted to escape political persecution by the fascists. Mussolini slowed down the economic exodus by deliberately resettling people in the colonies of Libya, Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa[2] Cannistraro, Philip V.; Rosoli, Gianfausto (1979). "Fascist Emigration Policy in the 1920s: An Interpretive Framework". International Migration Review. 13 (4), 673. Loc.cit. Wikipedia about  Italian Diaspora, retrieved on 20.11.2024..

The number of Italians living in Britain in 1940 was put at around 20,000[3] Cf. "Internment of enemy aliens in 1940: The fate of Italians resident in a Britain at war" (The National Archives UK) and BBC People’s War, Civilian Internment 1939 -1945.  . They were an integral part of everyday life. Many set up small businesses in the food industry, catering or trades. Some established themselves as managing directors or company owners over the decades. There were Italian Catholic communities in the country, which was dominated by the Anglican state religion. In the capital London, an Italian community[4] Peter and Leni Gillman „Collar the Lot!‘ How Britain interned and expelled ist wartime refugees“, London 1980, ISBN 0-7043-2244-7, page 147. had already established itself before the First World War with many stores in “Little Italy”.

Between xenophobia and fear of war

Procession in Little Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. Source: Wikipedia, photographer unknown.

Even before the start of the Second World War on September 1, 1939, the newspapers of the British pro-Nazi ultra-right waged a xenophobic smear campaign against people of non-British descent. This mainly affected the approximately 70,000 Jews and Nazi opponents who had fled Germany and Austria, even though the British “Black Shirts” carefully avoided any public appearance of anti-Semitism.

With the fall of Belgium, the Netherlands and France and the evacuation campaign following the Battle of Dunkirk in late May/early June 1940, fears of an invasion of the kingdom by the Nazi army grew. The right-wingers stoked these fears and coupled them with xenophobia in order to destabilize the country.

“The newspaper articles expressing the greatest xenophobia[5] Gillman, loc.cit., page 149. at that time were not Italian, but British,” British historians Peter and Leni Gilmans commented on the situation at the beginning of 1940. They gave the following sample:

“The London Italian is an indigestible unit of population. He settles here more or less temporarily, working until he has enough money to buy himself a little land in Calabria, or Campagnia, or Tuscany. He often avoids employing British labour. It is much cheaper to bring a few relations into England from the old home town. (…) Black facism. Hot as Hell. Even the peaceful, law-abiding proprietor of the back-street coffee shop bounces into a fine patriotic frenzy at the sound of Mussolini’s name …”

This hate message, drawn by a John Boswell[6] Ibid., was published by the tabloid Daily Mirror[7] Wikipedia about the British tabloid founded in 1903, retrieved on 10.8.2024. on April 27, 1940.

Subsequently, people of all foreign origins were spied on and persecuted on behalf of the government. Thousands of immigrants and foreigners were interned. This happened regardless of their nationality, length of life and service in the kingdom, British citizenship or previous escape from racist or political Nazi persecution.

Blacklists prepared the roundups

Immediately after Mussolini’s declaration of war on June 10, 1940, the arrests of 4,100 Italian men and women whose names were on the black lists began. Osbert Peake[8] Peake in the House of Commons May 29, 1940, retrieved Sep 2., 2023., Under-Secretary of State, called it a “prime objective to remove from circulation known members of the Fascist Party and all male Italians between the ages of 16 and 70 with less than 20 years’ presence” (emphasis in original). Peake contradicted himself here by first populistically naming the enemy Fascists, but then placing “all male Italians[9] sbert Peake, Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, House of Commons, 6.8.1940, cited in François Lafitte, “The Internment of Aliens”, page 72.” on the same level of persecution as them. Peake was, of course, fully in line with Churchill’s “Collar them all!” directive.

François Lafitte published the first comprehensive analysis of Churchill’s internment and deportation policy as early as September 1940. He could not escape the impression that the local police chiefs[10] Francois Lafitte "The Internment of Aliens", Penguin 1940, page 73. in charge of the arrests often discovered “special information” or developed “doubts”. As a result, a large number of men were put behind bars even though they “had every right to an exemption (from internment, ed.)”. The arbitrariness of the arrests affected all people with foreign roots, whether refugees or “residents”.

Whether it was “special information” or simply denunciations for political or economic reasons: One gets the impression that Italians – for example from the catering and hotel industry (especially in London) – were pushed out of certain sectors through internment and deportation. The political refugees – i.e. opponents of Mussolini – who were in the minority among the Italians could also be made to disappear from the political scene in England.

The British intelligence filled black lists[11] Ibid, page 152. of “questionable characters” with the names of Italo-Britons long before Mussolini declared war. These blacklists had been based “extensively on membership of the fascist party”.

Giorgio Enrico Scola (1916-2009) was one of the survivors of the Arandora Star who were deported to Australia on the Dunera shortly afterwards. He was one of the British of Italian origin arrested on false charges by MI5. Julian Scola published excerpts from his father’s diary under the title “12,000 miles behind barbed wire”.
Photo: private.

To G.E. Scolas diary

Leni and Peter Gillman described a problem faced by many Italians: sometimes it seemed expedient to come to terms with the embassy or even to join the Fascio party. They kept up appearances[12] Gillman loc.cit, page 148., occasionally attended events or donated some money – without sharing or even propagating the political positions of the Fascio party. It was not checked who really posed a threat.However, errors had only occurred “in about a dozen cases”. This was claimed by Lord Snell, who was commissioned by the government to “investigate” the deportations. “Lord Snell did not consider that the number of errors could be a reason for serious criticism,“ stated a newspaper report[13] The Guardian about the Italians on the Arandora Star, page 6 on 20.12.1940, retrieved on 31.8.2023. at the time on the whitewashing of the internment policy.

Just “British by accident”?

The British authorities treated people of Italian descent no worse and certainly no better than the refugees from Germany and Austria. One important difference, however, was that many of the Italians concerned were not foreigners, but British citizens. This is evidenced by the indication “resident” in the official personal files.

This recollection by internee Alberto Pacitti[14] Quoted in “Fifty Months and Ten More Days”, Memoirs of Alberto Pacitti, retrieved on 30.11.2024. shows how the British government followed the xenophobic campaigns and dragged its own citizens through the mud because of non-British roots: “Once, allegedly in the House of Lords, the Home Secretary was asked why a young British man (he was obviously thinking of me) was interned without having committed a crime. The Home Secretary replied: ‘These young men are British by accident!”

On June 14, 1940 – four days after Italy’s entry into the war – 1,687 detainees with Italian roots were counted in London’s Oratory School alone.

An “anglicization” in the hospitality industry?

Brits of 2nd choice?

“My mother and I are British born, and my sentiments are all with this country. My father, an Italian, came to this country, and fought for the Allies in the last war, when he was badly wounded in the head. … He had no political ideas and he did not belong to any association. … On June 11 he was taken away to be interned. On hearing of the Arandora Star beeing torpedoed we were rather worried. We found that he was on the Arandora Star and posted missing. Up to the present we have not had any news from the authorities at all. I am an only son and will soon be twenty. I applied to join the L.D.V.[15] Wikipedia über Local Defense Volunteers and Auxiliary Fire Service of British Home Defense, retrieved on 20.10.2024. but was turned down because my father was Italian, I managed to join th A.F.S.; you can imagine the state of mind of my mother, who has long been in delicate health. …”

This was quoted by Graham White MP from a letter from a young Italian in the British House of Commons[16] Lafitte loc.cit, page 125..

The Gillmans give the following example of the work of the domestic intelligence service MI5[17] MI5 was also involved in the internment of many German and Austrian Nazi victims and their deportation to Canada or Australia.. The manager of the Claridge Hotel in London, F.V. Cochis, was dismissed without notice after 21 years with the company. He and his family had to vacate the hotel’s official residence immediately. The group boss Oyly Carte explained that he had nothing against him, but gave political reasons[18] Gillman loc.cit. page 150.. Cochis later learned that his name had been placed high up on a blacklist.

The Gillmans cited further examples from London’s gastronomy: Italo Zangiacomi had been general manager of the Ritz Hotel for 30 years, Cesare Bianchi was head chef at the Café Royal, Carlo Ettore Zavattoni was banquet manager at the Savoy Hotel. Lodovico Bertorelli was known for ice cream, which was sold in the City of London from handcarts labeled with the family name. The Pini family[19] Ibid, page 148. had already left Italy in the 19th century. Senior Serafino ran several restaurants in London, one near Picadilly Circus. The aforementioned and numerous members of the Pini family were arrested. Bertorelli survived the Arandora Star and was deported to Australia; Bianchi remained in British custody. Zangiacomi and Zavattoni died in the sinking[20] The first names and fates of the men mentioned by Gillman loc.cit. were inserted after comparison with the list of names by Alfonso Pacitti. of the Arandora Star.

Persecuted: Britain’s friends and allies

It quickly became clear that the wave of arrests was not only aimed at fascists, but (as with Germans and Austrians) at opponents, persecuted people and victims of the dictatorship. This group of people included the well-known socialist politician Claudio Treves, who produced propaganda programs for the Italian BBC service, and his brother Piero, a student. Their cousin Uberto Limentani[21] Alfonso Pacitti, “Umberto Limentani” and autobiographical contribution, retrieved on 20.11.2024., also a BBC employee, was also arrested. He survived the Arandora Star and was released on July 31, 1940. The anti-fascists also included A.F. Magri, who had possibly made himself unpopular with relevant British circles as chairman of the Italian League for Human Rights. Dezio Anzani[22] Gillman loc.cit., page 155., secretary of the League, was arrested, deported and went down with the Arandora Star.

The Churchill government provided a particularly blatant example of disrespectful treatment of its own citizens with Alberto Loria[23] Ibid.. The Jew with Italian roots came to Britain in 1911 and served the country in the army during the First World War. He was married to a British woman and had two daughters born in the UK. His work in the Ministry of Munitions was recognized with the Order of British Empire (OBE), the country’s highest award for civilian service. The fact that people like him were nevertheless imprisoned can only be seen as a victory for the Nazi‘s „5th column“ in the UK.

Warth Mills – „the worst camp“

Friends or foes?

“The basic problem that arises is to decide whom we are fighting against. Are we fighting the Germans as a people, the Austrians as a people, the Italians as a people? Or are we fighting Nazis and Fascists whereever we meet them, all who seek to reduce the whole of Europe to a condition of slavery, whatever their nationality or mother-tongue? Do we regard every German, Austrian or Italian as our enemy, or do we believe that in every country there are people who think like us and who are not our enemies?”

This was François Lafitte’s response in 1940 to the British government’s xenophobic policy and the statement by Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax[24] Lafitte loc.cit., page 29., who claimed on the BBC on July 22, 1940: “In Germany, the people have surrendered their conscience to Hitler, so that people have become machines that only carry out orders without thinking about whether they are right or wrong.”

Two weeks after Mussolini’s entry into the war, 4,000 Italians and 300 British citizens of Italian origin[25] Ibid. were imprisoned. Many of them were locked behind barbed wire at Warth Mills in Bury, near Manchester. This former cotton factory was “by far the worst internment camp we know of”, Lafitte researched: “It is an unused factory, falling to pieces, rat-infested, with rotten floors, broken windows and a broken glass roof.” According to one inmate, 2,000 people were incarcerated[26] Lafitte loc.cit, pages 101/102 contains a detailed report. in these abhorrent conditions, which were certainly illegal under British law, among broken machinery.

R.A. Haccius, representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (IDE), had sharply criticized the “dilapidated condition, the lack of light and the poor hygienic conditions, including the small number of taps, the lack of hot water and the filthy toilets” after his visit to Warth Mills on 12 July 1940. He also included “the inadequate infirmary with only 30 beds for 250 internees who required special treatment” on his list of complaints.

Not only Italians[27] Cf. Wikipedia, „Internierungslager im Vereinigten Königreich im Zweiten Weltkrieg“ (German) (internment Camps during 2nd WW), retrieved on 24.11.2024. were imprisoned in Warth Mills. Among the inmates there were a number of German artists such as Kurt Schwitters, Hellmuth Weissenborn, Peter Gellhorn and Paul Hamann (who was a British citizen). The German prisoner and graphic artist Hermann Fechenbach initiated a hunger strike because of the poor treatment. As a result, he was transferred to a prison in Liverpool and later – like his fellow prisoner Kurt Schwitters – to Hutchison Camp on the Isle of Man. He was released in 1941.

After the closure of this place of horror, a large number of the prisoners from Warth Mills were to be taken out of the country[28] „Warth Mills“ online, retrieved on 24.11.2024. on the Arandora Star.

Sent to their death

Hermann Fechenbach’s graphic “Meeting” shows the situation at Warth Mills. With the kind permission of hermannfechenbach.com

The Arandora Star was the second of five ships on which thousands of internees were to be deported overseas. It set sail from Liverpool on July 1, bound for Newfoundland. The very next day, it was hit by a torpedo attack from Günther Prien’s submarine U 47 and sank in the Atlantic within a few minutes.

“The Arandora Star was carrying 14 lifeboats, with a capacity of no more than 1,000 people. There were 1,564 on board[29] Gillman loc. cit. page 198..” ‘The lifeboats were secured behind heavy wire netting (some witnesses spoke of ’barbed wire’ and reported cuts to survivors) and were only large enough for the original crew of 400”.

The British Shipping Minister Cross[30] Minutes of Question Time in the House of Commons on July 9, 1940, retrieved Aug 20, 2023. claimed that boats and life rafts were “more than sufficient”. The 1st officer of the Arandora Star F.B. Brown[31] Gillman loc.cit., page 198. countered this: Although 20 life rafts were thrown overboard, “the three large rafts were overfilled and the others were practically unusable … It was impossible to save more”.

To the embassies of Switzerland and Brazil, which represented the interests of Germany and Italy in Britain, Churchill’s government[32] The British Foreign Office on 4.7.1940 to the two embassies, quoted in Gillman loc.cit., page 197. made this perfidious accusation against the prisoners: “More lives would probably have been saved had not many of the prisoners of war and internees refused to make use of the rafts, which were at once thrown overboard when the ship was torpedoed.”

Uberto Limentani (1913-1989) also worked in the BBC’s Italy department. A proven opponent of Mussolini’s fascists, he became a victim of the British xenophobia. His report “Escape from the sea” appeared in a British university magazine in 1980/81.
Photo: private.

“Escape from the sea”

“… drowning like rats …”

The most important factor standing in the way of evacuating as many people as possible was the barbed wire: it was reported ‘that the obstruction of access to the lifeboats was ordered despite the protests of the ship’s captain. Captain Moulton[33] Michael Kennedy, „‘Drowned like rats'. The torpedoing of Arandora Star off the Donegal Coast, 2 July 1940“, page 3. National Maritime Museum of Ireland, Online, retrieved Oct. 20, 2024., who remained at sea, was quoted with this drastic assessment: “If anything happens to the ship, this wire will obstruct the passage to the boats and rafts. We shall be drowned like rats”.

According to the BBC[34] Cormac McGinley 2004, BBC-online-forum WW2 People’s War“, quoted from ibid. witnesses reported that British soldiers ‚shot holes in the lifeboats to stop internees from escaping‘“. “There are no reports of distress drills being carried out. “Safe evacuation of prisoners in an emergency was clearly not a priority[35] Alastair Maclean „The Lonely Sea“, 1985, quoted from „Arandora Star“ on a privat Website fort he Scottish village of Knockan, retrieved Oct 15, 2023..“

Most of the Italians were accommodated on the lowest deck A. On the way to the hoped-for rescue, they lagged behind the men who were simultaneously trying to escape from the higher cabin decks. “Many people, especially the sick and elderly and those from the lower decks of the ship, could not reach the open decks or were unable to jump overboard,“ reported an eyewitness[36] Gillman loc.cit, page 198/199.

The Arandora Star on a ship parade. Source: Blue Star Line org.

The Italians therefore had the worst chances of survival. This is confirmed by the research published in October 2024 by Alfonso Pacitti[37] Alfonso Pacitti „Arandora Star: analysis and ‚Embarkation Listing‘ of Italians‘“, published in Modern Italy, Octobre 2024, retrieved on 15.11.2024.. According to his list of victims, 38 of the 46 Italians over the age of 60 drowned. Five were hospitalized after being rescued and three were shipped to Australia. Not even the certainly more agile young people fared any better: of 13 Italians born from 1920 onwards, only four survived[38] Both age groups: Own calculation according to Alfonso Pacitti loc.cit. the torpedoing.

Government denied protection in a convoy

The sinking and the casualties initially had no consequences for British government policy. Aware of the loss of the Arandora Star, the War Cabinet sent another transport of internees to Canada the day after it sank. The Cabinet ordered that the Ettrick also not be allowed to travel in a convoy[39] War Cabinet, Minuites of 3.7.1940, page. 28. The National Archives (TNA). and forbade the foreign countries to be informed about this transport. Previously, the Duchess of Yorck and later the Sobieski and the Dunera were also sent on their journey without escort. The voyage without escort was justified by the higher speed of the passenger ships, which of course did not prevent the attacks on the Arandora Star and the Dunera. However, the question of the British government’s responsibility for the internees and prisoners of war is also debatable.

The 2,500 prisoners on the Dunera, among them 200 Italian survivors of the Arandora Star, were lucky in the misfortune of this horror voyage that the torpedo attack on this ship failed. It was only when the events during their voyage became known that the public forced a change in British asylum policy.

New findings about the deported Italians

At the time, the British ministries provided different information about the number of men of Italian descent deported on the Arandora Star. Official statements spoke of 712 to 734 Italians, of whom 446 to 486 had died. The fact that the British government was unable to correctly inform the public about its own deportation actions seems to illustrate the extent of the official disinterest in these people.

Alfonso Pacitti estimates that there were 442 victims and 265 survivors out of a total of 707 Italians. He compiled a list of names[40] Pacitti loc.cit. and included an access list from the Mearnskirk Hospital in Glasgow for the first time. This enabled him to identify 63 sick or injured Arandora Star survivors. He assumed that the two missing names were due to errors in bookkeeping. Of these 63 patients, 59 were discharged from hospital by July 11, 1940, the others by the second half of August. All but one were initially held in internment in a camp in Edinburgh and later transferred to the Isle of Man. Two of these men died during internment.

Deported to Australia

On July 10 – just a week after narrowly escaping death on the Arandora Star – 200 of the Italian survivors were taken to the Dunera to be locked away behind Australian barbed wire.

Apart from marginalia and spelling, according to Pacitti[41] The National Archives of Australia (NAA) summarized both documents in the file Item No. 657104, retrieved on 15.8.2022. the British “Embarkation List” and the Australians’ “Disembarkation List” match. The survivors of the Arandora Star on the Dunera – i.e. 200 Italians and 250 Germans and Austrians (including many Nazis) as well as more than 150 other Nazi victims – were disembarked in Melbourne and transferred to the Tatura 2 camp[42] The camp was located in the state of Victoria, Murchison is about 160 kilometers, Tatura 180 kilometers north of Melbourne. Compound B. Five internees died there, Pacitti researched. They were buried at the Italian National Ossario[43] 130 Italians who died in Australian camps during the Second World War are buried in this military cemetery near Murchison (Victoria). Monument Australia about the Italian National Ossario, retrieved on 29.11.2024. in Murchison, around 20 km from the town of Tatura.

The majority of the Italians deported to Australia were repatriated between 1941 and 1946 and sent to Great Britain on ships. On board the Abosso were, among others, seven Italian and 36 German and Austrian internees on their way back to the UK. After a torpedo attack by U-575 near the Azores on October 29, 1942, only Ugo Achille Bonelli of the 43 was savedLike him, Guiseppe Crolla, Giovanni Gazzano and Allessandro Pacitti also survived the third torpedo attack of their lives when their ship Waroonga was sunk on April 4, 1943 by the Nazi navy.

Italian Dunera internees in Tatura: Standing from left to right: Dr. Gerolamo Manzzochi, Dr. Gaetano Zezi, Eusebio Bravo, Felice Parravincini, Pietro Maritutto, Angelo Biasoni, Guido Galbiati. Seated: Francesco Mattiussi, Francesco Mazzina, Giovanni Borghi, Giuseppe Vincenzo Lembo.
Photo: C. T. Halmarick photographed the groups in the camp on 13.2.1943. Source: Collection of the Australian War Memorial No. 030188/15.

129 men and one woman were buried at the Italian National Ossario in Murchison. The chapel was consecrated in 1961. Photo: Mattinbgn, Wikipedia.

Of the internees with German and Austrian roots, several hundred acquired Australian citizenship or a right of residence. For most of this group, returning to their country of birth was out of the question for a variety of reasons. The deported Italian men saw other life prospects for themselves. They wanted to return to their families, to their homeland of Great Britain. Only eight of the 200 Italians acquired Australian citizenship and stayed Down Under.

Five internees died there, Pacitti researched. They were buried at the Italian National Ossario[41] The National Archives of Australia (NAA) summarized both documents in the file Item No. 657104, retrieved on 15.8.2022. in Murchison, around 20 km from the town of Tatura.

707 Fates: The lists of names

Italian survivors of the Arandora Star disaster who came to Australia on the Dunera.

200 of the Italians who survived the sinking of the Arandora Star by the skin of their teeth were sent to the Dunera just eight days after this horror experience. During the 57-day horror voyage, they suffered another torpedo attack. They then found themselves in Australia behind barbed wire in the remote village of Tatura.

NameGiven NameDate of BirthPlace of BirthResidence
1AcciniDino23.04.1900Vernasca London
2AlbericciAngelo21.09.1898San Colombano al Lambro Leeds
3AlbericciSanto15.02.1892San Colombano al Lambro Manchester
4AlonziAntonio08.07.1892Picinisco Newport
5AmatoFrancesco31.08.1917London, England London
6AndreucciArcangelo14.10.1882Picinisco Manchester
7AntinoriIvaldo16.12.1918Bagni di Lucca Glasgow
8ApicellaFrancesco01.05.1899Minori London
9BaccanelloUgo12.04.1900Venezia London
10BaldelliGiovanni22.05.1914Milano Farnham
11BarbieriLuigi17.09.1900Valdena Dundee
12BarbutiPietro05.09.1905Bardi London
13Barovero (2)Giacomo24.05.1903Pica d’Asti London
14BarsottiCarlo04.02.1889Lucca Glasgow
15BecciLuigi13.06.1905Borgo Val di Taro Aberdeen
16BechelliVittorio03.09.1899Castelnuovo Garfagnana Bothwell
17BelloniGiuseppe23.05.1887San Colombano al Lambro London
18BelloniPaolo22.04.1899San Colombano al Lambro London
19BerniAntonio31.01.1885Bardi Worcester
20BerniGiovanni15.11.1902Bardi London
21BertoiaRando13.07.1920Montereale Glasgow
22BertoluzziVirginio18.07.1893Parma London
23BertorelliLodovico24.04.1882Bardi London
24BertuzziArmando15.10.1903Venezia London
25BeschizzaLuigi03.01.1918Bratto London
26BeschizzaPietro Andrea09.01.1922Pontremoli London
27BeschizzaSisto29.03.1894Bratto London
28BiagiGuglielmo13.02.1893Gallicano Ayr
29BiagioniGiovanni01.12.1903Gallicano Glasgow
30Bianchi (2)Ettore22.02.1914Bellaggio Folkestone
31BiasoniAngelo25.07.1899Maniago Cardiff
32BoggioGiorgio10.04.1911Lessona Unknown
33Bonelli (1)Ugo Achille31.03.1908Torino London
34BorghiGiovanni27.07.1892Roma London
35BorzoniDorando01.12.1909Albareto London
36BravoEusebio31.03.1893Bollengo London
37BruniCaio19.07.1883Milano Southampton
38BrunoGiovanni Francesco26.12.1907Roma London
39CabrelliPietro17.01.1893Guinadi, Pontremoli Tayport
40CairaMichele27.11.1898Atina London
41CalderoniBartolomeo02.05.1891Montevideo, Uruguay London
42CappucciniLuigi10.03.1887Montevideo, Uruguay London
43CapraFrancesco26.03.1881Fubine London
44CasaliCesare12.07.1903Morfasso London
45CasciHenry20.01.1916Falkirk, Scotland Falkirk
46CavaciutiAntonio16.04.1897Morfasso London
47CavannaAntonio27.10.1889Bardi Tredegar
48CavinaFortunato26.03.1900Brisighella Pontyclun
49CenciDomenico09.04.1898Piacenza London
50ChiocconiRomolo27.10.1906Beverino Greenock
51CimaAmilcare01.07.1900Beverino Greenock
52CiuffardiRealdo24.09.1900Beverino Glasgow
53CocozzaGabriele22.08.1905Santa Maria Oliveto Airdrie
54CoiaMichele08.05.1910New Kilpatrick, Scotland Glasgow
55ColiAngelo Paolo27.02.1878Gallicano Glasgow
56ColtelliAldolfo28.08.1889Vagli Sopra London
57ConsoliGiuseppe Giovanni05.06.1907Palazzolo sull’Oglio Beckenham
58CordaniErnesto20.01.1889Bardi Rhymney
59CorintiVenuto03.09.1914Parma St Mawes
60CornaSanto03.07.1912Palazzolo sull’Oglio Beckenham
61CostanGiuseppe29.03.1882San Nicolo Cadore London
62CrociMario16.04.1899Palagano Kirconnel
63CrollaGiovanni23.06.1878Picinisco Edinburgh
64CrollaGiuseppe03.01.1889Picinisco Glasgow
65CuaGiovanni27.02.1885Alice Castello London
66CuaNicola22.05.1916Alice Castello London
67D’AgostinoAntonio03.07.1893Napoli London
68D’AmbrosioGiovanni11.03.1882Picinisco Glasgow
69DallanegraAntonio24.09.1902Bardi Abergavenny
70Di CiaccaLuigi14.05.1894Picinisco Glasgow
71Di RolloAntonio Angelo17.02.1894Roccasecca Musselburgh
72Di RolloGiuseppe11.03.1903Roccasecca Edinburgh
73Di RolloVittorio02.07.1890Roccasecca Edinburgh
74Divito (1)Crescenzo01.06.1895Casalattico Inverkeithing
75DoràGiuseppe03.09.1899Borgo Val di Taro Beith
76EdoniAlessandro25.10.1909Garbugliaga Glasgow
77EnrioneFavorino21.12.1898Chiaverano London
78Fagiano (3)Michele26.06.1880Cherasco London
79Felloni (3)Adolfo20.03.1909Metti di BoreGlasgow
80FelloniGiulio25.05.1900Metti di BoreAberdeen
81FerrariGiuseppe18.03.1896Lucca London
82FerrarinSisto28.11.1888Sequals Birmingham
83Ferrucci (2)Rizzieri16.03.1915Maidenhead, England Poole
84FolignoGiuseppe16.04.1900Bardi Pontardulais
85ForteRocco27.11.1905Casalattico Stirling
86ForturaEnrico01.01.1908Belmonte Castello Forfar
87FrancesconGuglielmo21.11.1885Cavasso Nuovo Manchester
88FranchittiBernardo15.06.1893Villa Latina Glasgow
89FreppoliRiccardo25.12.1892Godi, San Giorgio London
90FulgoniLuigi22.10.1892Grezzo di BardiAbercarn
91GalanteAntonio24.12.1891Arpino Southampton
92GalanteEmilio05.05.1887Arpino Southampton
93GalbiatiGuido04.01.1897Garbagnate London
94GallinariVito14.12.1873Gropparello London
95Gallo (2)Pietro30.03.1890Bene Vagienna Billinghurst
96GamberiniGiulio24.05.1887San Pietro in Cerro London
97GaunaCeleste19.05.1899Tina, Vestignè London
98GazzanoGiovanni23.07.1892Carcare London
99Gazzi (2)Marco13.01.1917Bardi Cwmbran
100Ghisoni (2)Angelo Benedetto17.05.1915Velleia, Lugagnano London
101GiovineUgolino05.11.1896Chiaverano London
102Gonnella (1)Guido24.10.1905Barga London
103GrecoAngelo Celeste09.06.1885Arpino Swansea
104GrecoAntonio17.07.1901Arpino Middlesbrough
105GuarnieriGino18.08.1913Lugagnano London
106GuidoErmengildo10.01.1895Pontestura London
107GuidobaldiFilippo25.12.1889Città di Castello London
108ImondiAlberto08.09.1921Prata Sannita Liverpool
109Jaconelli (1)Louis06.03.1912Paris, France Glasgow
110JannettaFortunato22.01.1910Belmonte Castello St Andrews
111JannettaLuigi27.10.1897Belmonte Castello Methil
112JannettaSabatino25.10.1894Belmonte Castello Methil
113LemboGiuseppe Vincenzo25.08.1903Minori London
114LombardelliRiccardo08.08.1912Monticelli d’Ongina Leicester
115Lucchesi (3)Pietro13.10.1907Bagni di Lucca Birmingham
116LusardiGiovanni25.01.1897Bardi Bargoed
117LusardiGiuseppe21.02.1892Bardi Ystrad Mynach
118MaciociaAlberto26.04.1898Isola del Liri Methil
119ManzocchiGerolamo18.04.1904Morbegno London
120MarioniAttilio16.04.1895Pontremoli London
121MariuttoPietro25.03.1898Cavazzo Nuovo London
122MartinezCarlo07.12.1912Napoli Southampton
123MartinezGiuseppe19.03.1891Napoli Southampton
124Massarelli (1)Riccardo02.04.1882Pisa London
125MataniaFrancesco20.01.1884Napoli London
126MattiussiFrancesco08.10.1897Udine Manchester
127MazzinaFrancesco21.04.1910Napoli London
128MazzoliniRenzo21.10.1905Dusseldorf, Germany Paisley
129MinghellaLuigi22.11.1892Villa Latina Glasgow
130MocogniGiovanni18.12.1893Barga Edinburgh
131MocogniPietro22.08.1888Barga Edinburgh
132MolinariGermano02.08.1902Nesso Southampton
133MontiniGiuseppe14.05.1900Vetto London
134MoruzziGiovanni27.03.1916Bardi London
135MoruzziGiuseppe05.07.1899Bardi Ebbw Vale
136Moscardini (3)Pietro06.01.1905Barga Glasgow
137Nazzari (2)Arturo03.11.1897Brescia London
138NegriGiovanni Pietro28.11.1896Lugagnano London
139NotarianniCarlo05.12.1892Valvori London
140NotarianniOstilio19.08.1901Vallerotonda Littlehampton
141NovelloElia17.04.1890Castello di Annone London
142OrlandiGiovannibattista29.07.1899Beverino Cowdenbeath
143OsmettiGiovanni19.11.1898Grosotto London
144PacittiAlessandro28.12.1908St Petersburg, Russia Glasgow
145Pacitti (3)Pasquale05.07.1889Cerasuolo, Filignano London
146PapaMarcello10.12.1888Castrocielo Edinburgh
147PardiniCorinto01.01.1897Stazzema Glasgow
148ParravaciniFelice07.09.1896Vill’Albesi London
149PelosiGiuseppe12.08.1882Picinisco Swansea
150PieroniAnnibale01.03.1904Vergemoli Edinburgh
151PillonPietro19.09.1898Monza Southampton
152PinagliPrimo14.02.1903Roggio London
153PiniAndrea11.08.1920Pontremoli London
154PiniManfredo27.01.1898Bardi London
155PiniRaffaele19.03.1898Pontremoli London
156PiniSerafino07.06.1905Pontremoli London
157PoggioliLuigi07.05.1906Farini d’Olmo London
158PolitiEnnio20.02.1898Medesano Edinburgh
159PrevidiEmilio19.04.1898Gropparello London
160RabaiottiAntonio23.07.1901Bardi Neath
161RabaiottiBartolomeo16.03.1908Bardi Llanelly
162RabaiottiFrancesco19.10.1901Bardi Pontypridd
163RabaiottiMario20.02.1913Bardi Llanelly
164RadiceRinaldo29.06.1894Cesate London
165RengozziPietro27.07.1882Bardi Pontardawe
166Riani (1)Colombo26.05.1889Castelnuovo Garfagnana Houghton le Spring
167RoscelliGiuseppe10.01.1885Borgo Val di Taro London
168RosiLodovico17.12.1897Pontremoli London
169RosselliLorenzo10.08.1886Santa Maria Oliveto Hamilton
170RossiDecio16.11.1882Jesi London
171RossiEmilio17.08.1881Alessandria London
172Rossi (2)Giuseppe16.07.1916Bardi Swansea
173RovetaLibero09.06.1907Alessandria London
174SaccomaniAntonio09.07.1893Morfasso London
175SalmiGiuseppe30.03.1897Bardi Cardiff
176SampietroEmilio03.08.1904Bellaggio London
177SaporitiGiuseppe26.09.1891Cortona Durham
178SartorVittorio28.07.1900Cavasso Nuovo London
179ScaravelliUmberto20.09.1880Torino London
180SchiaviDante28.11.1900San Michele di MorfassoLondon
181ScolaGiorgio30.08.1916San Remo London
182ServiniCeleste16.10.1914Bardi Blackwood
183ServiniLino13.10.1916Aberaman, Wales Glamorgan
184SidoliAntonio22.04.1895MarianoLondon
185SimonelliErnesto16.06.1897Trarego Viggiona London
186SpaggiariGiuseppe14.04.1877Parma London
187StefaniSantino13.08.1909Capezzano Ayr
188SterliniAngelo14.05.1891Bardi London
189StrinaPietro20.04.1894Valmozzola London
190StrolaLeandro11.08.1908Agrano London
191TerroniAndrea02.11.1894Pontremoli London
192ToffoloIginio13.07.1903Orsera, Croatia Birmingham
193TolainiVittorio Pacifico05.11.1918Camporgiano London
194Tome (2)Giovanni12.12.1907Maniago Aberdeen
195TomeOsvaldo12.10.1909Maniago Aberdeen
196Ugolini (1)Orlando20.11.1894Vinchiana Uphall
197UgoliniUgo13.08.1882Firenze London
198VerganoSisto Luigi12.05.1884Fubine London
199ZaninettaGiuseppe20.12.1897Paruzzaro London
200ZeziGaetano10.07.1900Milano London

Italian Dunera internees in Tatura. Standing from left to right: Allessandro Pacitti, Vittorio Bechelli, Realdo Diuffardi, Renzo Mazzolini, Corinto Pardini, Giovanni Biagioni. Seated: Giovannibatista Orlandi, Carlo Barsotti, Mario Croci, Luigi Minghella.

Standing from left to right: Giovanni Tome, Santo Corna, Ugo Ugolini, Emilio Sampietro, Giuseppe Costan, Amilcare Cima. Seated: Leandro Strola, Osvaldo Tome, Giuseppe Consoli, N. Bertoia, Romolo Chocconi.
Photos: C. T. Halmarick photographed the groups in the camp on 13.2.1943. Source: Collection of the Australian War Memorial No. 030188/05 and 030188/11.

Legend:
(1)  … Ugo A. Bonelli was the only one of the eight Italian, 36 German and Austrian internees who survived the sinking of the Abosso by U-575 on October 29, 1942. Mario Depangher is not listed here. Due to his birth in 1917 in Trieste, then Austria, which fell to Italy in 1918, he was sometimes listed as German-Austrian, sometimes as Italian. Of a group of eleven internees, Guiseppe Crolla, Giovanni Gazzano, Allessandro Pacitti and two Germans survived the Waroonga torpedoing on April 4, 1943.
(2)  … eight men remained in Australia after internment. Giuseppe Rossi returned to Australia from England in 1950 and was the ninth ex-internee to apply for Australian citizenship.
(3)  … five men died in the internment camp and were buried in Murchison.

The Italian victims of the Arandora Star sinking

442 of the 707 Italian deportees were victims of the sinking of the Arandora Star by the submarine captain Günther Prien, who was elevated by the Nazis to the status of a “sea hero”.

NameGiven NameDate of BirthPlace of BirthDeported from
1AbrardoEraldo15.04.1892Fubine London
2AbruzzeseGiocondino26.08.1875Filignano Glasgow
3AdamiPaolo29.05.1909Trieste London
4AffaticatiRiccardo02.08.1893Caorso London
5AglieriMario21.05.1887Milano London
6AgostiniOliviero29.04.1904Barga Glasgow
7AlbertellaGiovanni13.01.1893Cannero Lancaster
8AlbertelliCarlo30.05.1899Morfasso Pontypridd
9AlbertiHumbert28.10.1881Barga Manchester
10AlbertiniConstante08.04.1885Milano London
11AlleraLorenzo17.09.1900Ivrea London
12AlliataPublio19.08.1884Roma London
13AmodeoTullio29.07.1882Roma London
14AndreassiGiuseppe19.03.1880San Demetrio ne’ Vestini London
15AngellaEmilio02.07.1896Pontremoli Bolton
16AngioliniDomenico15.03.1900Genova Glasgow
17AniballiGiuseppe06.09.1896Amatrice London
18AntoniazziBartolomeo21.01.1908Bardi Newtown
19AnzaniDecio10.07.1882Forlì London
20ArnoldiErcole03.09.1910Taleggio London
21AvellaAlfonso04.07.1889Tirrenia Glasgow
22AvignoneGiovanni02.05.1887Pont-Saint-Martin London
23Avignone-RossaItalo12.10.1907Bollengo London
24AvondoglioFortunato03.07.1888Chiaverano London
25AzarioEfisio18.06.1885Mosso Santa Maria London
26BabiniLorenzo16.11.1885Lugo London
27BaccanelloMarco03.04.1898Venezia Harpenden
28BagattaAngelo26.03.1883San Colombano al Lambro London
29BaldieriArmando26.06.1912Roma London
30BalleriniRoberto02.05.1895Galluzzo London
31BaninoLuigi21.08.1904Cerrione London
32BaroneFrancesco13.09.1889San Paolo London
33BaroniAlessandro11.08.1880Milano London
34BasilicoCesare15.06.1885Cavonno Milanese London
35BasiniBartolomeo12.10.1908Bardi Treherbert
36BattistiniUmberto23.05.1899Stazzema Ayr
37BavaClaudio20.03.1887Montechiaro d’Asti Gateshead
38BelliAntonio08.11.1885Bardi Maesteg
39BelliniPietro08.07.1878Morfasso London
40BelmonteGaetano16.09.1876Cassino Edinburgh
41BelottiLeone17.02.1904Bergamo West Wickham
42BeltramiAlessandro12.12.1874Egypt Glasgow
43BeltramiLeandro11.08.1890Massimino Middlesbrough
44BenignaPietro01.11.1904Chiuduno Leicester
45BeniniGiuseppe14.03.1881Bologna London
46BeriglianoAntonio17.01.1899Dorzano London
47BerniAttilio10.05.1899Bardi Weston-super-Mare
48BerraClaudio Giacomo16.07.1890San Quirico London
49BersaniCarlo07.06.1889Sarmato London
50BertinAntonio11.10.1901Sequals London
51BertoiaLuigi04.06.1921Montereale Middlesbrough
52BertoliniVincenzo Silvio14.06.1876Castelvecchio, Barga Glasgow
53BertonciniPietro24.11.1887Camporgiano London
54BertucciSiro Celestino01.02.1885Vercelli London
55BeschizzaAnselmo29.04.1878Bratto London
56BeschizzaRaffaele12.11.1910Pontremoli London
57BiagiLuigi16.04.1898Gallicano Ayr
58BiagioniFerdinando06.07.1895Barga Glasgow
59BiagioniFrancesco06.03.1897Castelnuovo Garfagnana Rothesay
60BiagioniUmberto23.04.1878Castelnuovo Garfagnana Glasgow
61BiagiottiCarlo04.06.1877Pistoia Glasgow
62BiagiottiNello25.02.1893Pistoia Glasgow
63BichClement Daniele21.12.1887Valtournenche Thames Ditton
64BigiMansueto08.08.1885Gualtieri Highcliffe on Sea
65BigognaGiuseppe10.11.1900Acqui Terme London
66BissolottiCarlo24.11.1900Soresina London
67BoccassiniAttilio10.10.1890Barletta London
68BombelliMario10.09.1885Roma Cardiff
69BonaldiAndrea Luigi10.06.1898Songavazzo London
70BonattiAlfonso02.07.1893Ricco del Golfo Glasgow
71BonettiGiovanni23.02.1881Lograto Southampton
72BongiovanniPietro20.04.1891Savona London
73BonoLuigi24.01.1890Arona London
74BorgoCarlo03.04.1897Casatisma London
75BorrelliFederico12.12.1887Schiava London
76BorsumatoAlessandro02.11.1896Cassino Middlesbrough
77BoscassoMaggiorno02.06.1881Montechiaro d’Asti London
78BragoliPietro23.05.1880Morfasso London
79BragoniIlario14.01.1897Villafranca London
80BravoFrancesco30.03.1892Bollengo London
81BregliaSalvatore Gaetano13.07.1895Napoli Cambridge
82BroggiVittorio08.07.1902Gavirate London
83BrugnoniMario Maximilian25.08.1904Paris, France London
84BucchioniLorenzo23.03.1889Pontremoli London
85CalderaCarlo21.01.1896Alice Castello London
86CalderanEmilio06.09.1900Torino London
87CallegariLuigi27.03.1899Torino London
88CamilloGiuseppe04.10.1882SS Cosma e Damiano Glasgow
89CamozziCesare02.11.1891Iseo Manchester
90CapellaGiuseppe13.04.1885Borgo Val di Taro London
91CapitelliCarlo28.04.1899Borgo Val di Taro London
92CapitelliEdoardo18.07.1882Albareto London
93CardaniCarlo28.04.1886Sesto Calende London
94CardarelliQuirino17.05.1889Roma London
95CardellinoGiovanni18.12.1886SS Cosma e Damiano London
96CardosiNello17.02.1902Camporgiano London
97CardosiValesco24.12.1910Camporgiano London
98CariniFrancesco15.07.1893Bardi Pontypridd
99CariniGiuseppe21.05.1898Bardi Ebbw Vale
100CarpaniniGiovanni05.01.1919Bardi Briton Ferry
101CarpaniniGiuseppe17.07.1892Bardi Cwmcarn
102CasaliGiuseppe03.08.1909Morfasso London
103CastelliAntonio18.10.1894Bettola Aberdare
104CastellottiGiovanni15.06.1889Pontremoli London
105CattiniGiacobbe Pietro01.06.1918Bratto London
106CattiniPietro02.11.1881Bratto MS)London
107CattolicoMario Federico16.04.1891Napoli Stanmore
108CavaciutiPietro06.06.1893Morfasso London
109CavadiniAchille26.03.1891Como London
110CavalliGiovanni04.02.1889Bardi Neath
111CavalliNicolas06.05.1892Felizzano London
112CeresaAntonio20.06.1899Bollengo London
113CeresaEdoardo29.05.1890Bollengo Manchester
114CeresaStefano22.05.1900Bollengo London
115ChiappaEmilio Domenico16.09.1900Bedonia Bridgend
116ChiappelliOraldo14.05.1920Pistoia Glasgow
117ChiarcossiGiovanni09.01.1875Gradisca di Sedegliano London
118ChiettiEmilio Ottavio03.09.1886Monte Folonico London
119ChiodiDomenico29.10.1912Braia, Pontremoli London
120CiampaSalvatore07.02.1884Messina London
121CiarliVittorio31.07.1887Quargnento Edinburgh
122CimorelliGiovanni23.06.1875Montaquila Edinburgh
123CiniArmando09.06.1886Cairo, Egypt London
124CiottiPasquale09.11.1890Casciago London
125ColellaVincenzo25.04.1895Viticuso London
126ConiolaCeleste06.04.1883Genova Bradford
127ContiAbramo04.09.1894Venezia London
128ContiGiuseppe19.03.1898Bardi Treharris
129ContiGuido26.12.1908Bardi Newport
130CoppolaPaolo05.09.1878Picinisco Edinburgh
131CoppolaPhilip07.01.1895Picinisco Edinburgh
132CorrieriLeonello Giuseppe16.10.1888Barga Wallasey
133CortesioGiuseppe13.01.1899Savigliano London
134CosiminiGiovanni15.03.1880Barga Bellshill
135CostaDiamante28.10.1882Varsi London
136CristofoliDomenico14.04.1905Sequals Birmingham
137CristofoliEttore12.09.1896Sequals London
138CristofoliRenato10.02.1908Autun, France London
139CrollaAlfonso24.05.1888Picinisco Edinburgh
140CrollaDonato07.09.1880Paris, France Edinburgh
141D’AmbrosioFrancesco02.12.1879Picinisco Swansea
142D’AmbrosioSilvestro30.12.1872Picinisco Hamilton
143D’AnnunzioAntonio22.09.1905Villa Latina Glasgow
144D’InvernoFrancesco17.04.1901Villa Latina London
145Da PratoSilvio27.02.1878Barga Glasgow
146DalliPietro10.10.1893Barga Ayr
147DanieliDaniele23.03.1878Monte di Malo Bolton
148De AngeliMario14.02.1906Milano London
149De GasparisCarlo01.09.1906Tivoli London
150De MarcoLorenzo05.02.1885Picinisco Edinburgh
151De MarcoPasquale10.04.1898Caserta Glasgow
152De MartisOrazio18.07.1883Sassari New Malden
153De RosaCarlo11.02.1882Napoli London
154Del GrossoGiuseppe20.04.1889Borgo Val di Taro Hamilton
155DelicatoCarmine18.02.1900Atina Edinburgh
156DelziCarlo02.10.1913Livorno London
157Di CiaccaAristide06.10.1920Picinisco Glasgow
158Di CiaccaCesidio10.10.1891Picinisco Cockenzie
159Di CoccoDomenico04.06.1876Velletri Manchester
160Di LucaPietro29.09.1873Rochetta a Volturno Glasgow
161Di MarcoMariano24.11.1897Cassino Crossgates
162Di MarcoMichele08.05.1890Picinisco Swansea
163DivitoGiuseppe25.11.1874Casalattico Crossgates
164DonfrancescoRocco Antonio23.10.1875Rocca d’Arce Peebles
165DottoriArgilio20.01.1882Roma Southampton
166ErminiArmando28.08.1890Chitta London
167FalcoCelestino01.08.1891Cuneo London
168FantiniGuglielmo03.08.1889Napoli Southampton
169FarnocchiFrancesco09.06.1906Stazzema Glasgow
170FelliniEttore Innocente25.09.1888Savignano sul Rubicone London
171FeraboliEttore25.02.1885Pessina London
172FerdenziCarlo12.06.1897Vernasca London
173FerdenziGiacomo16.03.1898New York, USA London
174FerdenziGiovanni15.05.1879Vernasca London
175FerdenziGiovanni20.05.1884Vernasca London
176FerrariFrancesco19.08.1899Zignago Port Glasgow
177FerrariGuido01.09.1893Valdena Kirkcaldy
178FerrariLuigi19.10.1907Bettola Aberdare
179FerreroBernardo14.09.1890Montechiaro d’Asti London
180FerriFiorentino22.01.1886Filignano Bellshill
181FerriFrancesco Gargaro25.05.1898Picinisco Newmilns
182FerriGiovanni12.07.1884Vernasca Hull
183FilippiMario15.03.1910Castelnuovo Garfagnana Ayr
184FilippiSimone26.10.1878Pieve Fosciana Ayr
185FinazziAnnibale19.01.1903Trescore London
186FioriniClement20.01.1888Sora Manchester
187FisanottiOreste09.08.1897Mathi London
188FogliaClaudio Silvio02.01.1891Amatrice London
189FontanaGiovanni18.07.1892Frassinora Carlisle
190ForteGiuseppe03.01.1893London, England Belfast
191ForteOnorio02.05.1880Arce Manchester
192FossaluzzaMatteo25.11.1897Cavasso Nuovo London
193FracassiGaetano18.04.1876Pescarolo Manchester
194FranchiGiacomo06.08.1896Bardi New Tredegar
195FrancisconoNicola03.12.1884Alice Castello London
196FrattaroliGiacinto06.09.1900Picinisco Ayr
197FriggiEgidio29.11.1886Motta Visconti Southampton
198FrizziCarlo13.12.1873Rocca d’Arce Manchester
199FulgoniGiacomo10.07.1894Grezzo, Bardi Hirwaun
200FulgoniGiovanni04.07.1900Grezzo, Bardi Pontygwaith
201FuscoAntonio26.08.1909Casalattico Belfast
202FuscoGiovanni Antonio03.09.1877Cassino Dundee
203GabbaniAlfeo11.10.1897Cannero London
204GadeselliVincenzo15.09.1885Bardi London
205GagliardiBattista28.02.1890Milano London
206GalloEmilio20.11.1896Belmonte Castello Edinburgh
207GazziAndrea02.08.1900Bardi Gorseinon
208GazziFrancesco12.01.1922Bardi Pont Newydd
209GazziLino03.06.1881Bardi Ferndale
210GentileCandido17.08.1894Ventimiglia London
211GerlaGiuseppe10.04.1893Albairate London
212GhiloniNello25.12.1909Barga Glasgow
213GiannandreaVincenzo16.12.1910Belmonte Castello Elgin
214GiannottiAlfredo23.10.1885Camporgiano London
215GiannottiEttore20.05.1910Camporgiano London
216GiovanelliLuigi24.04.1890Bardi London
217GiraschiEnrico22.08.1896Pellegrino London
218GonellaFrancesco01.01.1885Pontestura London
219GonzagaLuigi11.02.1924Bedonia London
220GorgoneAlfeo02.09.1909Venezia London
221GrasDavide03.02.1882Bobbio Pelice London
222GrecoDomenico13.04.1885Santopadre Middlesbrough
223GrecoTullio26.10.1897Arpino Middlesbrough
224GregoAnthony19.11.1892Sora Birmingham
225GuarnoriAntonio17.02.1884Armeno London
226GuerriLino11.11.1914Grosseto Bridgend
227GussoniErcole12.02.1902Roma London
228GutkindCurt Sigmar29.09.1896Mannheim, Germany London
229IncertiRinaldo17.04.1884Lucca London
230JannettaOrazio23.08.1901Belmonte Castello Methil
231JannettaVincenzo25.10.1902Belmonte Castello Methil
232JardellaPietro05.07.1885Pontremoli London
233JordaneyGiuseppe06.05.1888Courmayeur London
234LanducciErmani24.09.1894Firenze Manchester
235LanziUgo01.04.1905Milano London
236LeporaReino29.07.1897Alice Castello London
237LonginottiGiovanni17.05.1892Santa Maria del Taro Heywood
238LucantoniAmadeo16.02.1897Roma Middlesbrough
239LucchesiPietro26.01.1894Castiglioni Prestwick
240LuiseRaffaele15.09.1905Torre del Greco London
241LusardiTommaso Angelo29.05.1909Blaengarw, Wales London
242LusardiVittorio23.07.1892Bedonia Llanharan
243MaccarielloElpidio16.05.1890Casapulla London
244MaddalenaMarco Carlo16.12.1909Fanna London
245MaggiCesare22.02.1887Torino London
246MaiuriGuido30.04.1877Napoli London
247ManciniAntonio03.08.1885Atina Ayr
248ManciniDomenico22.04.1881Sessa Manchester
249ManciniUmberto02.07.1891Picinisco London
250ManciniVittorio19.04.1899Picinisco London
251ManiniCesare25.11.1903Palazzuolo sul Senio London
252MarchesiCarlo Domenico17.07.1872Codogno London
253MarchettoUgo18.04.1897Venezia London
254MarelloEugenio30.03.1893Magliano Alfieri London
255MarenghiGiovanni23.04.1897Bardi Pontypridd
256MarenghiLuigi21.07.1893Piacenza London
257MarianiAmleto24.05.1887Torino London
258MarianiPietro03.10.1921Bardi London
259MariniLuigi06.01.1912Cuccaro London
260MariottiFulgenzio Gino23.09.1885Costacciaro London
261MarreCarlo03.08.1880Borzonasca Manchester
262MarsellaAntonio15.10.1899Casalattico Bonnybridge
263MarsellaFilippo07.04.1897Casalattico Wishaw
264MarsellaOrlando22.08.1914Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow
265MarzellaAntonio06.04.1899Filignano Glasgow
266MatteiFrancesco13.10.1885Sessa Arunca London
267MatteodaLeopoldo30.07.1881Saluzzo London
268MelaragniMichelangelo18.03.1890Cassino Manchester
269MenozziGioacchino24.08.1894Bardi London
270MeriggiMario17.08.1892Portalbera London
271MerloGiuseppe29.03.1914San Gallo Trealaw
272MeschiOscar16.07.1920Fornoli, Bagni di Lucca Glasgow
273MetaPasqualino05.02.1899Cassino Paisley
274MieleNatalino25.12.1898Cassino Edinburgh
275MiglioFilippo19.05.1883Trinità London
276MilaniLuigi04.05.1890Oggiono London
277MinettiGiacomo11.07.1905Bardi Neath
278MitteroAntonio15.07.1908Chieri Stalybridge
279MontagnaGiulio31.10.1888Napoli London
280MontiGiuseppe23.01.1889Lacco Ameno Manchester
281MorelliLuigi01.09.1892Borgo Val di Taro London
282MorettiGiovanni01.03.1900Pardivarma, Beverino Greenock
283MoruzziErnesto12.08.1879Bardi Neath
284MoruzziPeter31.05.1887Bardi Neath
285MoruzziPietro24.11.1917Bardi London
286MoscardiniSantino02.01.1879Barga Motherwell
287MusettiLorenzo25.02.1897Buenos Aires, Argentina London
288MusettiPietro31.01.1890Pontremoli London
289MuzioEnrico12.12.1892Napoli London
290NanniniOreste28.05.1891Pievepelago Edinburgh
291NardoneAntonio20.10.1892Cassino Middlesbrough
292NichiniGiulio04.03.1896Orla Novarese London
293NotafalchiLorenzo08.08.1885Piacenza London
294NovelliVincenzo08.07.1893Fubine London
295OpertiEgidio26.08.1890Torino Southampton
296OrsiGiuseppe22.06.1890Albareto London
297OrsiPietro15.07.1888Pontremoli London
298OttoliniGiovanni21.07.1876Lucca Birmingham
299PacittiAlfonso03.08.1887Cerasuolo, Filignano Glasgow
300PacittiCarmine03.06.1876Cerasuolo, Filignano Carfin
301PacittiGaetano10.12.1890Villa Latina Edinburgh
302PacittoGaetano Antonio19.10.1875Sant’Elia Fiumerapido Hull
303PalleschiNicola16.12.1884Sesto Campano Glasgow
304PalumboGioacchino21.03.1897Minori London
305PaolozziAlfonso Rodolfo29.03.1901Viticuso Edinburgh
306PapaPietro02.10.1909San Biagio Glasgow
307PardiniAgostino09.09.1901Capezzano Greenock
308ParmigianiGiuseppe17.11.1889Tornolo London
309PastecchiEnrico06.03.1896Roma London
310PauloneAmadeo24.03.1885Scanno Aquila Southampton
311PellegriniDomenico22.10.1894Varsi London
312PelosiPaul23.03.1882Picinisco Edinburgh
313PeluccoFrancesco12.04.1882Quargnento London
314PerellaLuigi03.10.1893Picinisco Edinburgh
315PerettiLuigi01.10.1880Agrano London
316PettiglioCarlo05.05.1878Cassino Edinburgh
317PiancastelliAnnino26.07.1894Brisighella London
318PicozziCarlo04.10.1889Milano London
319PieriAlfredo08.11.1898Lucca Carlisle
320PieroniGiuseppe31.01.1889Pieve Fosciana Ayr
321PiloniBattista24.05.1897Crema London
322PincheraAngelo Antonio31.08.1898Cassino Glasgow
323PinchiaroliLuigi01.12.1894Albareto Pontypridd
324PinoCesare Antonio18.10.1889Lonigo London
325PiovanoGiacomo25.02.1892Castelnuovo Garfagnana London
326PiscinaGiovanni16.05.1884Parma London
327PlesciaAndrea16.01.1905Palermo London
328PlesciaBaldassare01.01.1915Palermo London
329PoliAmadeo10.03.1896Barga Glasgow
330PoliEgisto17.11.1882Colognora Glasgow
331PolliniManlio20.03.1883Milano Southampton
332PololiFrancesco06.03.1881Taleggio Eastbourne
333PompaFerdinando16.09.1876Picinisco Swansea
334PontoneDomenico13.08.1885Cassino Hartlepool
335PozzoGiacinto20.04.1906Viverone Whitton
336PratiCarlo04.11.1877Lugagnano Hull
337PrevidiLodovico12.06.1895Gropparello London
338PristerCamillo Flavio28.06.1890Gradisca d’Isonzo Ilminster
339PuchozMarcello26.08.1896Courmayeur London
340PusinelliPietro03.04.1897Naso London
341QuagliozziAngelo30.08.1881Cassino Sheffield
342QuarantaDomenico30.01.1883Carbonara di Nola London
343RabaiottiAntonio20.10.1885Bardi Newport
344RabaiottiBartolomeo23.03.1881Bardi Pontypridd
345RabaiottiDomenico12.02.1912Bardi Ogmore Vale
346RabaiottiFrancesco06.03.1894Bardi Swansea
347RabaiottiLuigi11.12.1910Bardi Swansea
348RaffettiCarlo22.09.1901Genova London
349RaggiLuigi15.08.1880Bardi London
350RanaldiAntonio16.01.1884Arpino Middlesbrough
351RanaldiGiovanni31.03.1886Arpino Leith
352RavettoCarlo09.01.1897Alice Castello London
353RavinaCristoforo06.01.1882Fubine London
354RavinaGiuseppe26.03.1884Fubine London
355RazzuoliEnrico15.12.1909Stazzema Darvel
356ReaCamillo06.10.1878Arpino Middlesbrough
357ReaDomenico08.01.1900Arpino Middlesbrough
358RicaldoneAlessandro Angelo03.12.1892Fubine London
359RicciLazzaro24.03.1891Bardi Treharris
360RivaldiPatrocco18.01.1879Cremona London
361RocchiccioliCesare06.12.1909Barga Troon
362RoffoErnesto14.01.1896Picinisco London
363RosiGuglielmo25.12.1893Pontremoli London
364RosiLuigi16.12.1886Grondola, Pontremoli London
365RossettoFerdinando19.06.1888Bollengo London
366RossiEmilio08.09.1888Viticuso Edinburgh
367RossiEugenio17.10.1893Paris, France Mountain Ash
368RossiFlavio15.06.1902Bardi Port Glasgow
369RossiGiovanni11.09.1923Credarola, Bardi Cardiff
370RossiLuigi14.08.1908Bardi Swansea
371RossiMario03.04.1889Pisa London
372RossiPietro23.12.1875Viticuso Edinburgh
373RossoVitale05.05.1898Cavaglia London
374RossottiCarlo09.03.1899Chieri London
375RotaCarlo20.03.1898Giarole London
376RuffoniGiovanni Battista05.05.1885Veneria Reale London
377RuocchioMichele Andrew06.07.1908Pozzilli Larkhall
378RussoCarmine24.07.1886Cassino London
379RustioniOreste09.07.1913Milano London
380SagramatiVilfrido19.10.1910Roma London
381SalaEmilio21.10.1912Monza Luton
382SalsanoLuigi14.06.1921Tramonti London
383SangalliGianetto12.07.1882Milano London
384SantarelloFerruccio17.12.1892Venezia London
385SantiniQuinto29.07.1880Pistoia Paisley
385SantuzAntonio27.01.1884Fanna Birmingham
387SartoriLuigi14.04.1885Morfasso London
388ScarabelliAngelo18.04.1892Santa Maria della Versa London
389SidoliGiovanni17.08.1894Bardi Glyncorrwg
390SidoliLuigi29.12.1882Bardi London
391SiliprandiOlimpio10.01.1883Mantova Pettswood
392SilvaLuigi Antonio11.11.1893Vigevano London
393SilvestriniGiovanni24.04.1894Verona London
394SimeoneFrancesco27.01.1891San Vittorio Lazio London
395SolaCarlo Federico28.06.1882Torino London
396SolariFederico05.09.1914Vernasca London
397SolariLuigi24.04.1888Bardi Neath
398SottocornolaEdmondo Armando12.04.1897Gargallo London
399SovraniGiovanni Jean13.07.1882Saludecio London
400SpacagnaGiuseppe09.03.1881Cervaro Eastleigh
401SpagnaAntonio10.10.1894Bardi Maesteg
402SpeltaGiuseppe07.03.1897Milano Scarborough
403SperoniErmete27.11.1898Milano Beckenham
404StellonGiovanni Maria14.09.1891Fanna Newport
405SterliniGiuseppe31.05.1900Bardi Wellington
406SterliniMarco17.10.1891Bardi Tenby
407StortoGiuseppe18.11.1900Monferrato London
408StrattaGiacomo07.03.1894Bollengo Croydon
409StrinatiGiovanni26.03.1880Bardi Cwmaman
410TaffurelliGiuseppe29.03.1892Bettola Dowlais
411TaglioneBenedetto14.11.1883Arpino London
412TambiniGiovanni13.03.1899Bardi Newport
413TapparoLuigi22.10.1898Bollengo Edinburgh
414TedescoRaffaele03.09.1889Nocera Edinburgh
415TempiaGiuseppe04.07.1896Bollengo London
416TodiscoAntonio14.04.1893Vallerotonda Redcar
417TogneriGiuseppe19.03.1889Barga Dunbar
418TortolanoGiuseppe12.08.1880Cassino Middlesbrough
419TramontinRiccardo24.11.1890Cavasso Nuovo London
420TraversaItalo Vittorio06.06.1918Carisio London
421TrematoreSeverino24.05.1895Torre Maggiore London
422TrombettaPietro01.08.1892Minori Chertsey
423TuziPasquale01.04.1898Picinisco Edinburgh
424VairoCesare26.07.1891Milano London
425ValenteAdolf15.06.1900Cervaro Edinburgh
426ValliGiovanni20.09.1901Novara London
427ValmaggiaElia12.11.1896Gemonio London
428ValvonaEnrico05.09.1885Villa Latina London
429VercelliEmilio01.08.1894Mombercelli London
430ViccariAntonio28.02.1890Pontremoli London
431ViccariGiulio31.05.1901Pontremoli London
432ViccariPietro27.09.1889SS Cosma e Damiano London
433VirnoGiovanni Battista07.10.1888Cava de’ Tirreni London
434YannettaFerdinando25.10.1889Viticuso Edinburgh
435ZambelliniLuigi04.12.1887Como London
436ZanelliEttore03.11.1893Bardi Tonypandy
437ZanettiAntonio09.07.1898Varsi Swansea
438ZangiacomiItalo16.04.1879Verona London
439ZaniGuido30.11.1900Pontremoli London
440ZanolliSilvio09.04.1880Monteforte d’Alpone London
441ZavattoniCarlo Ettore19.08.1882Villate London
442ZazziLuigi03.01.1895Borgo Val di Taro London

Please note: Curt Sigmar Gutkind from Mannheim had escaped to Italy after the Nazis had taken away his interpreter‘s school. He was naturalized there in 1936. However, his Italian citizenship was revoked in 1938 in the wake of anti-Semitism there and he made it to England.

65 Italian survivors of the Arandora Star sinking who remained in England.

Alfonso Pacitti researched this list of 65 names of Italian survivors of the Arandora Star sinking by analyzing the files of the Mearnskirk Hospital in Glasgow.

NameGiven NameDate of BirthPlace of BirthDeported from
1AmatFrancesco16.04.1916Fanna London
2AmatoGiovanni24.06.1886Atina Manchester
3AndriniAugusto12.09.1910Roma London
4AngellucciAlfredo25.01.1902Castelforte London
5AricoGiuseppe06.09.1900Palermo London
6BianchiCesare27.04.1897MozzateLondon
7BologniniVirgilio04.05.1908Lecco London
8BorraLuigi20.04.1886Borgano London
9BortoliOreste01.09.1879Sequals Olton
10CalzavaraVittorio22.01.1891Mirano London
11CanovaGiovanni13.04.1896Candelo London
12CapaldiSerafino02.11.1889Picinisco Edinburgh
13CariniLuigi28.12.1902Bardi Brynmawr
14CarpaniniGiovanni28.02.1894Bardi Glamorgan
15CarratuNicola24.12.1896Cava de’ Tirreni London
16CavannaGiovanni13.06.1898Morfasso London
17CazzaniMario26.07.1902Trevisago London
18CibelliGaetano25.11.1894Cassino Glasgow
19CimorelliFeliciano01.05.1890Montaquila Edinburgh
20CocozzaAgostino17.02.1904Filignano Motherwell
21ColombiniGiovanni05.06.1885Camporgiano London
22CoppolaAchille16.04.1886Picinisco Edinburgh
23CorviAntonio10.10.1897Brunelli Berwick
24CrollaAchille25.10.1898Picinisco Edinburgh
25CrollaBenedetto01.05.1885Picinisco Edinburgh
26CrollaEmidio18.11.1884Picinisco Edinburgh
27D’AmbrosioDomenico19.12.1884Picinisco Lochwinnoch
28De AngeliAntonio24.04.1892Verano London
29FerrariEugenio15.12.1884Modena London
30FiorentiniIgino06.12.1901Tivoli London
31GirolamiOsvaldo21.10.1883Fanna London
32GiustachiniAldo03.08.1885Bologna London
33GrecoLiberato05.08.1895Arpino Middlesbrough
34GualdiAndrea14.05.1891Carpi London
35IontaSinibaldo27.10.1904SS Cosma e Damiano Glasgow
36IzziGiuseppe21.02.1893Vallerotonda Airdrie
37LandiniFernando13.05.1903Firenze London
38LevaGiovanni21.01.1888Arona London
39LimentaniUberto15.12.1913Milano Cambridge
40LunatiErnesto31.03.1888Milano Cambridge
41LungoAttilio26.03.1890SS Cosma e Damiano Bellshill
42MaraldoPietro09.09.1898Cavasso Nuovo London
43MarcianoVincenzo24.04.1897Cava de’ Tirreni Edinburgh
44MinchellaLuigi21.03.1896Villa Latina Glasgow
45MingoiaAlfredo27.08.1903Palermo Lyndhurst
46MontuschiFederico08.03.1876Bologna London
47NotarianniGiustino16.09.1877Caserta Edinburgh
48OlivieriMario05.11.1895Forlì London
49OnestiGasparo21.04.1889Fosciandora Motherwell
50PeirceCarlo06.06.1905Messina London
51PiniPietro22.12.1909Bardi London
52PoliElio08.02.1915Lucca Ayr
53ProsioFrancesco19.03.1906Asti London
54RipamontiAlessandro26.07.1903Roma London
55RomeiAlberto28.01.1894Minucciano London
56RossiGiovanni25.10.1895Bardi Ebbw Vale
57RostagniCarlo22.02.1896Isolabona London
58SaittaGiovanni26.05.1891Palermo London
59ScappaticciBernardo07.08.1887Santopadre London
60ToncherGuido30.09.1883Roma London
61TozziLuigi28.04.1900PontremoliLondon
62TrevesPaolo30.01.1902Roma London
63Vicchi-BorgheseRiccardo09.08.1899Faenza London
64ZampiMario01.11.1903Roma London
65ZanasiUgo10.09.1893Bologna Tredegar

Please Note: According to Alfonso Pacitti, two entries are incorrect – probably due to erroneous notes made by the hospital – so that only 63 men are accounted for.


Please note: We thank Alfonso Pacitti for permission to publish his list of the 707 Italian men on the Arandora Star. He published several biographical articles worth reading online about his family members and other victims of the British internment policy of Italian descent.

The Pacitti family left Italy at the start of the 20th century. For Alfonso, the Arandora Star and the Dunera have a personal dimension. Both his grandfathers (Alfonso Pacitti and Silvio Bertolini) perished as a result of the torpedoing of the Arandora Star . Two of his great-uncles were also on the boat; Carmine Pacitti who perished and Pasquale Pacitti who was rescued and immediately deported to Australia on the Dunera. Pasquale was interned at Loveday Camp 9 where he died in 1942.

Alfonso Pacitti is a Genealogist and an active member of the Arandora Star Research and Memorial community.

Alfonso Pacitti. Photo: private.

We would like to draw your attention to the website The Dunera Italians, which was launched in January 2025. There, Australian historian Joanne Tapiolas traces “200 Men 200 Stories” – the stories of the Italian civilian internees who were brought to Australia on the Dunera a few days after narrowly surviving the Arandora Star torpedoing. Joanne also explores the fates of Italian civilians and POWs who were imprisoned in Australia by the British during World War II or arrested in Australia because of their Italian ancestry.

Footnotes

show
  • [1]Cf. Wikipedia about Italian Emigration (German) retrieved on 20.11.2024.
  • [2]Cannistraro, Philip V.; Rosoli, Gianfausto (1979). "Fascist Emigration Policy in the 1920s: An Interpretive Framework". International Migration Review. 13 (4), 673. Loc.cit. Wikipedia about  Italian Diaspora, retrieved on 20.11.2024.
  • [3]Cf. "Internment of enemy aliens in 1940: The fate of Italians resident in a Britain at war" (The National Archives UK) and BBC People’s War, Civilian Internment 1939 -1945.  
  • [4]Peter and Leni Gillman „Collar the Lot!‘ How Britain interned and expelled ist wartime refugees“, London 1980, ISBN 0-7043-2244-7, page 147.
  • [5]Gillman, loc.cit., page 149.
  • [6]Ibid.
  • [7]Wikipedia about the British tabloid founded in 1903, retrieved on 10.8.2024.
  • [8]Peake in the House of Commons May 29, 1940, retrieved Sep 2., 2023.
  • [9]sbert Peake, Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, House of Commons, 6.8.1940, cited in François Lafitte, “The Internment of Aliens”, page 72.
  • [10]Francois Lafitte "The Internment of Aliens", Penguin 1940, page 73.
  • [11]Ibid, page 152.
  • [12]Gillman loc.cit, page 148.
  • [13]The Guardian about the Italians on the Arandora Star, page 6 on 20.12.1940, retrieved on 31.8.2023.
  • [14]Quoted in “Fifty Months and Ten More Days”, Memoirs of Alberto Pacitti, retrieved on 30.11.2024.
  • [15]Wikipedia über Local Defense Volunteers and Auxiliary Fire Service of British Home Defense, retrieved on 20.10.2024.
  • [16]Lafitte loc.cit, page 125.
  • [17]MI5 was also involved in the internment of many German and Austrian Nazi victims and their deportation to Canada or Australia.
  • [18]Gillman loc.cit. page 150.
  • [19]Ibid, page 148.
  • [20]The first names and fates of the men mentioned by Gillman loc.cit. were inserted after comparison with the list of names by Alfonso Pacitti.
  • [21]Alfonso Pacitti, “Umberto Limentani” and autobiographical contribution, retrieved on 20.11.2024.
  • [22]Gillman loc.cit., page 155.
  • [23]Ibid.
  • [24]Lafitte loc.cit., page 29.
  • [25]Ibid.
  • [26]Lafitte loc.cit, pages 101/102 contains a detailed report.
  • [27]Cf. Wikipedia, „Internierungslager im Vereinigten Königreich im Zweiten Weltkrieg“ (German) (internment Camps during 2nd WW), retrieved on 24.11.2024.
  • [28]„Warth Mills“ online, retrieved on 24.11.2024.
  • [29]Gillman loc. cit. page 198.
  • [30]Minutes of Question Time in the House of Commons on July 9, 1940, retrieved Aug 20, 2023.
  • [31]Gillman loc.cit., page 198.
  • [32]The British Foreign Office on 4.7.1940 to the two embassies, quoted in Gillman loc.cit., page 197.
  • [33]Michael Kennedy, „‘Drowned like rats'. The torpedoing of Arandora Star off the Donegal Coast, 2 July 1940“, page 3. National Maritime Museum of Ireland, Online, retrieved Oct. 20, 2024.
  • [34]Cormac McGinley 2004, BBC-online-forum WW2 People’s War“, quoted from ibid.
  • [35]Alastair Maclean „The Lonely Sea“, 1985, quoted from „Arandora Star“ on a privat Website fort he Scottish village of Knockan, retrieved Oct 15, 2023.
  • [36]Gillman loc.cit, page 198/199
  • [37]Alfonso Pacitti „Arandora Star: analysis and ‚Embarkation Listing‘ of Italians‘“, published in Modern Italy, Octobre 2024, retrieved on 15.11.2024.
  • [38]Both age groups: Own calculation according to Alfonso Pacitti loc.cit.
  • [39]War Cabinet, Minuites of 3.7.1940, page. 28. The National Archives (TNA).
  • [40]Pacitti loc.cit.
  • [41]The National Archives of Australia (NAA) summarized both documents in the file Item No. 657104, retrieved on 15.8.2022.
  • [42]The camp was located in the state of Victoria, Murchison is about 160 kilometers, Tatura 180 kilometers north of Melbourne.
  • [43]130 Italians who died in Australian camps during the Second World War are buried in this military cemetery near Murchison (Victoria). Monument Australia about the Italian National Ossario, retrieved on 29.11.2024.

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