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Whether over here or over there, what will the weather be in Edinburgh or Rome.
New BBC Programme !!
Serialising the experiences of emigrants to Scotland from Italy (especially between the 1940's-50's).
Looking for contacts, stories, photographs and video footage.
If you fit the bill, know someone who does or just want to find out more then email Neil McDonald at the BBC.
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WWII - Italians in Scotland - ALIENS INTERNED !!
When Italy entered the war in June 1940, many Italians in Scotland were rounded up.
Wives and mothers of most Italian families living in the UK had to fend for
themselves - not only were their movements severely restricted but many of their
adult males were shipped to Northern Ireland, the Isle
of Man or Orkney with the intention to deport them to such places as Canada and
Australia.
The Tragedy of the Arandora Star
The
Arandora Star was built by Cammel Laird & Company of Birkenhead in 1927,
operated by the Blue Star
Line for cruises mostly to South America and South Africa. At the time
the ship was regarded as the height of luxury and was popular with the rich and
famous. She was referred to a The Wedding Cake because of her
white hull and violet stripe.
With
the arrival of World War Two the
Arandora Star was
called up to Liverpool for its orders. It's main purpose was to deport prisoners
of war, many bound for
Canada. However, the Arandora Star met its fate on July 2nd
1940 when a torpedo from a German submarine, the U-47, struck the ship. There were 734 Italians on board the ship, 486
died. Of the 479 Germans on board, 175
died.
This incident caused an immediate investigation and the British Government subsequently reversed their decision to transfer prisoners in this manner.
Many of the survivors of the Arandora Star, sunk off Ireland, were landed at Greenock and temporarily housed in a disused factory there, and then moved to different camps in Scotland.
Ironically, one of the Italian internees who perished in the Arandora Star was a
Silvestro d'Ambrosio, a confectioner and restaurateur from Hamilton.
Unbelievably, Silvestro lived in Scotland for 42 years, had one son in the British, and another in the
Canadian Army.
It is also understood that there was a significant number of
people of
Italian parentage who were actually born in Scotland, yet they too were on board
the Arandora Star.
Today there have been countless calls to commemorate the tragic sinking of the Arandora Star with a day of remembrance.
Perhaps a poignant thought on this tragedy as recalled by Bruno Sereni in They took the low road.
'Our countrymen left no memoirs, no diaries, no scribbled notes. The little that we know has been related to us verbally.'
To some degree I believe that this also extends to the history of the Scots-Italian.
Isle of Man
The
Isle of Man was the central focus for Italians interned in the UK during World
War II. I believe there still exists a number of survivors who formed the
original Prisoners Committee from the camp to this day.
To the left is featured a plaster cast made in the camp, the
inscription reads "Palace internment camp- Isle of Man 1940 TRISTES EST ANIMA MIA"
(click on to enlarge).
Riccardo Verrecchia, owner of La
Scarpetta restaurant of Balloch, tells me that his father, Giuseppe (Joe) was perhaps the
youngest internee on the Isle of Man, aged just 15.