A candle saved his life...
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Giuseppe Pelosi was born in Picinisco (Frosinone) Italy on the 12th August 1882. At the time of his arrest on the 10th June 1940, he lived with his wife Maria Carmela (née Di Marco) and family at 680 Mumbles Street, Swansea, Wales which was also the site of his café, confectionery and tobacconist business.
The Pelosi family was well-known in the district. Giuseppe had arrived in 1907 to work in the Welsh coal mines; he suffered ill health as a result of this and while in Tatura Camp 2A in Australia in 1944, he was given a classification of ‘infirm’. In 1911, the Pelosi family lived at 1169 Neath Road, Plasmarl, Swansea, the site of his first café which Giuseppe opened in 1908. In 1921 he opened a second café at 9 Delvin Street, Swansea which was sold in 1939. After the arrest of Giuseppe and due to anti-Italian community sentiment, the Pelosi Café had a name change to Dillwyn Café.
Together with Angelo Greco, Giuseppe survived the sinking of the Arandora Star with the help of a stub of a candle. Angelo (55) and Giuseppe (57) both caterers from Swansea, Wales were in a cabin when the torpedo hit. In the darkness, Giuseppe remembered a candle in his pocket. In Bury Camp, the young Italian Londoners stayed up late at night chatting by candlelight, much to the chagrin of the older men. Giuseppe took things into his own hands and confiscated the candle. Angelo and Giuseppe were forever grateful to the young men because without the candle, they would have found it extremely difficult to make their way through the darkness and get themselves on deck. It was ‘the candle that saved two men’s lives’.
According to his Australian records, Giuseppe was granted release to return to the UK on October 1942, but he did not sign his ‘willingness to travel’ form. News of the loss of lives when the MV Abosso and SS Waroonga were torpedoed in 1942-943, was a reason for many UK Italians to refuse travel.
On the news of the Normandy landings on the 6th June 1944, Giuseppe penned a letter to his wife Maria Carmela: So I’m quite happy when I get news from you all well at home and in the hearing I did rejoice of the splendid news last night. We shan’t be long now please God for victory and peace and reunion with all our dear family. (NAA:A367, C74744)
On the 7th September 1944, Giuseppe was sent to work at the Melbourne Club, an exclusive men’s club. He was in the company of Giuseppe Zaninetta, Giuseppe Roscelli and Pietro Cabrelli who also were employed there.
He arrived in Liverpool, England as a ‘released internee’ on the 29th March 1945. Giuseppe was 62 years old.
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