Memorial for WWII PoWs killed by torpedo

Kyt · Feb 23, 2008

Memorial for WWII PoWs killed by torpedo - Liverpool Echo.co.uk

A MEMORIAL to remember the victims of a sunken wartime liner will be created in Liverpool.

More than 800 people were killed when a German submarine torpedoed the Arandora Star off the Irish coast in July 1940.

The ship was carrying internees and prisoners-of-war from Liverpool to Newfoundland.

There is still no official British commemoration to those who died.

But in a renewed spirit of European cooperation, officials from Liverpool and the Italian city of Palma are to unveil an official memorial to the victims.

Cllr Flo Clucas, Liverpool’s executive member for Europe, said: “470 Italian and 243 German prisoners-of-war were killed when the Blue Star liner was torpedoed.

“Twelve officers, 42 crew and 37 guards also lost their lives.

“Because the incident involved people of different nationalities, some of whom were at war, there has never been an official memorial.

“Now, as members of the European Union, we are all working together to commemorate all the victims.

“It is a good example of what a difference us being European has made to the peace in the world.”

Cllr Clucas met Nunzia Bertali, from the Italian consulate, to discuss the plans earlier this week.
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THE ARANDORA STAR

arandorastarcampaign.com

uboat.net - Boats - U-47

Hugh · Feb 23, 2008

ss ARANDORA STAR o/n 149837

ss ARANDORA STAR ex-ARANDORA. GRT 14694. Official number 149837 built in 1927.
2.7.1940: Torpedoed and damaged by U-47 (Prien), in the Atlantic about 125 miles E by N of Malin Head, Co. Donegal, in position 55.20N 10.33W and later sank in position 56.30N 10.38W while sailing independently on government service on a voyage from Liverpool to St John's, Newfoundland, with 479 German internees, 734 Italian internees, 86 German prisoners-of-war and 200 military guards. The Master, Capt Edgar Wallace Moulton, 55 crew, 91 military guards, 713 German and Italian internees and prisoners were lost. 118 crew, 109 military guards and 586 internees and prisoners were rescued by HMCS destroyer ST LAURENT 1375/31 (H.83) and landed at Greenock. Capt E.W. Moulton was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea.

Regads
Hugh

Kyt · Feb 23, 2008

Thanks Hugh. It seems that mostLWM recepients also received other awards. It would be fascinating to cross check these and compile a citation list:

Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hugh · Feb 24, 2008

Lloyds War Medal and others

Hi Kyt,
Yes, indeed, but a mamoth task. There were 541 recepients of the LWM and the London Gazette is not the easiest database to work on, but I suppose it could be done.

Regards
Hugh

Kyt · May 19, 2009

BBC NEWS | Wales | Memorial plans for liner victims

A campaign has been launched to raise money for a memorial to the Welsh Italians who died when a liner they were on was torpedoed in World War II.

Over 800 people - the majority of them of Italian descent - died when the Arandora Star sank as they were being sent to prison camps in Canada.

A group now plans to unveil a plaque in a church in Cardiff on the 70th anniversary of the disaster in 2010.

Other memorials are already in Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Italy.

Bruna Chezzi, secretary of the Arandora Star Memorial Fund in Wales, said the group, many of whom had relatives on the ship, believed it was time Wales also had a way of commemorating the men.

"A lot of the Italians on the Arandora Star were from Wales and I feel very strongly that something should be done to remember these people," she said.

"Liverpool had their memorial last year and it made us realise that Wales has not got anything to mark what happened.

"Our plans are in the early stages and we're desperate for donations."

The group plan to display the memorial in Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral of St David.

A number of fundraising events are now being arranged, including an 'Italian Evening' of music and food at St David's Catholic church hall in Swansea at 1930 BST on Sunday.

Ms Chezzi, who came to Cardiff from Italy to teach Italian at the city's university, said the group were aware that they were dealing with a "delicate incident", which is still a highly emotive for many Italians.

It is a moment of history which is not widely known about for many people outside Italian communities.

In June 1940, as Italy entered World War II, Winston Churchill ordered that all male Italians living in Britain - aged 18 to 70 - should be arrested.

Despite many having lived in local communities since the turn of the century - and with many of their sons already fighting for Britain in the war - the men were forcibly removed from their homes by the police and the military and interned.

Following a decision to transport a number of internees to Canada and Australia, the liner Arandora Star left Liverpool for Canada carrying around 1,300 Italian, German and Austrian men.

A former luxury ship, it had been painted grey for the war and had barbed wire around it.

Crucially, it did not have the Red Cross painted on it to indicate it was carrying civilians.

On the morning of 2 July 1940, off the coast of Ireland, the Arandora Star was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank with the loss of over 800 lives - which included more than 400 Italians who had made their homes in the UK.

"Many of the people on there were British subjects and had been here for decades and worked very hard to create a new life," said Ms Chezzi.

"I would say most of them wouldn't have even known about what was going on in Italy with fascism. Innocents were put on that ship.

"The members of our committee feel very strongly about it.

"We don't want to bring any negatives or politics into our memorial. It's going to be positive with a positive theme."

Raise awareness

The plaque will remember the 53 Italians from Wales who died and recognise an estimated 54 survivors, many of whom were later sent to prison camps in Australia.

George Hill, from Swansea, whose grandfather Michele DiMarco was killed, said it was time Wales had a memorial to the men it lost.

"Why shouldn't they be on a memorial like all the others?" he said.

"This was the tragedy that stopped everybody else being interned. They [the government] realised it was a big mistake and stopped interning people after the Arandora Star.

"So these men lost their lives to save others losing theirs. They saved so many people and that should be remembered.

"They didn't die in vain."

Sculptor Susanna Ciccotti, who has been asked by the group to make the plaque said she felt it was a subject that more people should be aware of.

"My father came here from Italy in 1953, so it was a long time after the Arandora Star," said Ms Ciccotti, from Swansea.

"It's quite a story and strikes a chord. I knew about it from my father but I didn't know the details until I became involved in this project.

"I was so pleased to be asked to do the plaque because it's important that more people know what happened."
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