Timeline of Important Events
The 200 British resident Italians who were sent to Australia for internment during WW2 were a diverse group of men whose internment was difficult and unfortunate. Following is a timeline outlining this group’s journey.
As a group their journey begins on the 10th June 1940, with Mussolini’s announcement that Italy had entered the war on the side of Germany and had declared war on Britain and France. This was the date that the arrests of Italians living in the UK began.
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1940
10th June 1940: At 6pm, Benito Mussolini announced Italy’s entry into the war and his declaration of war against Britain and France.
10th to the 17th June 1940: Dunera Italians were arrested, taken to local jails until being transferred to an internment camp/s.
30th June 1940: a group of 707 Italian internees are taken to Liverpool Docks, England for embarkation on the SS Arandora Star.
1st July 1940: The SS Arandora Star set sail for Canada.
2nd July 1940: the SS Arandora Star is torpedoed and sinks; 442 Italians perish; 265 Italian survivors are rescued by the crew of the HMCS St Laurent.
3rd July 1940: Italian survivors are taken to Greenock, Scotland with a group of 65 transferred to hospital.
Main group of survivors are transferred to Arrow Park near Birkenhead, England.
Transferred to the Drill Hall in Mason Street Liverpool, England.
10th July 1940: 200 Italian survivors are embarked on the Dunera at Liverpool Docks.
12th July 1940: Dunera escaped damage from two torpedoes.
24th July 1940: Arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone.
27th July 1940: Arrived at Tacaradi, Ghana.
8th August 1940: Arrived at Cape Town, South Africa.
11th August 1940: First Roman Catholic Mass with communion held.
18th August 1940: Max Meyer’s Dunera Mass is premiered.
27th August 1940: Arrived at Fremantle, Australia.
3rd September 1940: 545 men (internees, refugees and German merchant seamen) are disembarked at Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and ninety Italian internees transferred to Tatura Camp 2B. Ten men including the two Italian doctors are taken to Broadmeadows Military Hospital.
20th September 1940: The ten Italians are transferred from hospital to Tatura Camp 2B, Victoria.
Tatura Camp 2B
1941
16th May 1941: Transferred from Tatura Camp 2B to Tatura Camp 4B.
25th May 1941: Guglielmo Francescon under escort departed Tatura Camp for embarkation on the Largs Bay, Sydney.
5th October 1941: Ten Italian internees departed Tatura Camp for Liverpool Camp, NSW for embarkation on the Stirling Castle, Sydney.
11th November 1941: Giuseppe Salmi and Ugo Baccanello departed Tatura Camp for Wayville, SA to await embarkation on the Rangitiki, Port Adelaide.
29th November 1941: Virginio Bertoluzzi departed Tatura Camp for Liverpool Camp, NSW to await embarkation on the Largs Bay, Sydney.
9th December 1941:185 Italian internees depart Tatura Camp (14 returned to UK, Romolo Chiocconi in Mooroopna Hospital, Victoria).
10th December 1941: Group arrived at Loveday Camp 9B, South Australia.
13th December 1941: Group moved to Loveday Camp 10 with the exception of Pietro Moscardini who was transferred to hospital.
Loveday Camp 10
1942
18th January 1942: Pietro Moscardini died at the Barmera Hospital.
29th January 1942: Romolo Chiocconi joined the group after release from Mooroopna Hospital, Victoria.
15th March 1942: Celeste Servini was released to the 8th Employment Company (8th Labour Battalion).
6th June 1942: Pasquale Pacitti died at the compound hospital, Loveday Camp.
17th July 1942: Seventeen men board the SS Themistocles in Sydney for return to UK.
End August 1942: Seven men board the Westernland in Sydney for return to UK. Transshipped at Cape Town to the MV Abosso.
9th September 1942: Italian internees departed Loveday Camp 10, SA.
10th September1942: Italians arrived Tatura Camp 2A, Victoria.
29th October 1942: MV Abosso torpedoed, six Italians died, one Italian rescued.
Late October 1942: Six men embarked on the Desirade for return to UK.
Tatura Camp 2A
1943
January 1943: Tatura Camp photos taken in January (not 13th February 1943 as noted in AWM)
29th January 1943: Michele Fagiano died at the 28 Australian Camp Hospital, Waranga.
29th January 1943: Three men board the SS Waroonga for return to UK.
4th April 1943: SS Waroonga torpedoed, three Italians survived.
25th June 1943: Pietro Lucchesi died at the 28 Australian Camp Hospital, Waranga.
Late 1943: Reports compiled regarding ‘security status’ of the Italian internees in preparation for their ‘release to work’ in Australia. Several notations on British White Card - RA in Aust; Work N1; RCA.
2nd December 1943: Thirteen men embarked on the SS Themistocles for return to UK.
The size of the Italian UK group was now 135. Sixty had returned to UK, one was attached to the 8th Labour Battalion and four had died in Australia.
SS Themistocles
1944
17th February 1944: Due to a reorganisation of A.M.F personnel and security arrangements at No. 2 Camp Tatura, a directive was issued ‘to reduce the holdings to approx. 200 internees regarded as non-dangerous internees, of whom most may be released or sent overseas shortly’. At this time, the recommendation was for 25 UK Italian internees, 12 overseas German internees, 1 German prisoner of war and 10 local internees to be transferred to Loveday Camp.
7th March 1944: Twenty-eight UK Italian internees departed Tatura Camp 2A. Decision for which Italian internees would be transferred from Tatura Camp 2A to Loveday Camp 14D appears to have been made by Major Layton. The Camp Commandant’s recommendation was for the removal of only one Italian internee.
8th March 1944: Twenty-eight men arrived at Loveday Camp 14D, South Australia.
9th March 1944: Mr Gardyne, Controller of Aliens, Allied Works Council spoke with men in Tatura Camp regarding employment with the Civil Aliens Corps in forestry work.
16th May 1944: A group was released from Tatura Camp for work with the Civil Aliens Corps.
23rd May 1944: Three men return to Tatura Camp 2A from Loveday Camp 14D.
1st June 1944: Five men were released to Melbourne for private employment.
June 1944 onwards: Men were released to private employment, to work with the Civil Aliens Corps or released on their own account awaiting employment opportunities.
8th June 1944: Giulio Felloni died at the 28 Australian Camp Hospital, Waranga.
20th June 1944: Sitting of the Overseas Internees Investigation Board at Tatura Camp 2.
1st August 1944: Seven men returned to Tatura Camp from Loveday Camp 14D.
2nd and 3rd October 1944: Overseas Internees Investigation Board convened at Loveday Camp, South Australia. UK Italian internees at Loveday Camp 14D, appeared before the board and reports written with regards to the security status of the internee.
11th October 1944: Overseas Internees Investigation Board, Tatura Camp.
31st October 1944: Two men return to Tatura Camp 2A from Loveday Camp 14.
Loveday Camp 14 Complex
1945
9th January 1945: Fourteen men return to Tatura Camp 2A from Loveday Camp 14D.
31st January 1945: Two men return to Tatura Camp 2A from Loveday Camp 14D.
6th February 1945: Sixty-three men embarked on the SS Athlone Castle for return to the UK.
4th March 1945: Twenty-one men embarked on the Dominion Monarch for return to the UK.
12th March 1945: Group photos are taken at Tatura Camp 2. No names are noted.
April 1945: One UK Italian internee embarked on the SS Nestor for return to UK.
1st July 1945: Six men embarked the Dominion Monarch for return to the UK.
7th July 1945: Ten men embarked on the Nieuw Amsterdam for return to the UK.
22nd August 1945: Nine men embarked on the SS Mauretania for return to the UK.​​​​​​​​
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SS Athlone Castle
1946
23rd January 1946: Twelve men embarked on the SS Athlone Castle for return to the UK.
11th August 1946: Vittorio Tolaini and his wife Noemi departed Australia on the Stirling Castle on their own account.
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1947
3rd July 1947: Romolo Chiocconi embarked on the Asturias for return to the UK.
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1949
24th August 1949: Luigi Beschizza and his wife Eva departed Australia on the Orontes on their own account.
1953
6th December 1953: Osvaldo Tome arrived in Australia with his wife and daughter onboard the New Australia.
1956
17th January 1956: It appears that Giacomo Barovero and his wife Luigia departed Australia.
(from 200 Men 200 Stories Joanne Tapiolas 2024)
