A quiet industrious man

Internment robbed Leandro Strola of the first four years of his daughter’s life.

Leandro was born in Agrano (Novara) Italy on the 11th August 1908. He lived at 57 Athlone Road, Lambeth with his wife Antonietta when he was arrested on the 12th June 1940.

Leandro stated that he had joined the Fascist Party in 1928 under compulsion, then in 1930 left Italy for the UK.  He worked for the White Star Line onboard the Majestic on her Trans-Atlantic voyages at its French Restaurant.  In 1933, he opened a small restaurant near the Law Courts.  The business closed while Leandro was interned due to the bombings on the 9th May 1941. 

Antonietta and Leandro lived with his sister and her husband Mario Rigotti. Both men operated café businesses near the Law Courts in London. There was a listing for Carl Leandro Strola at 3 Pleydell Court off Fleet Street operating refreshment rooms. Antonietta and Leandro welcomed a daughter to their family while Leandro was interned in Australia.

He was noted as a quiet industrious man with no political leanings and who had always worked on camp projects with kitchen work and odd jobs around the camp. He main focus was to return to see his wife and daughter and provide for them financially.  In August 1943, he made a request for return to the UK for appearance before a tribunal or alternatively to be released for work on farms.

Leandro, it was noted, associated with Pietro Gallo and Giacomo Barovero in camp.

On the 16th May 1944, Leandro was ‘released on parole’ for work with the Civil Aliens Corps in forestry.

He returned to the UK onboard the SS Athlone Castle which arrived in Liverpool, England on the 29th March 1945.  

Tatura, Australia. January 1943. Group of Italian internees from overseas now interned at Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right: G. Tome; S. Corna; U. Ugolini; E. Sampietro; G. Costan; A. Cima. Front row: L. Strola; O. Tome; G. Consoli; N. Bertoia; R. Chiocconi.