Da Londra a Melbourne gli ex della ‘Dunera’
- Joanne Tapiolas
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
In 1991, Nicola Cua and Luigi Beschizza made the journey from London, England to Melbourne, Australia to reconnect with their old friend Marco Gazzi and to visit Tatura where they were interned during WW2. Following is the newspaper article written about their visit.
Old friends are always happy to see each other again especially if “the trial by fire” of this friendship meant shipwreck and internment camp, as for many young Italians, living in England at the outbreak of the Second World War.
They were young people who had a very respectable profession. The best chefs and hotel maître in London were indeed Italians, sons of emigrants who had tried to settle down in England at the beginning of the century, and they did it successfully.
With the declaration of war, the Italians were considered "enemies" to be kept in internment camps until the end of hostilities.
In September 1940 the first "human" cargo left on the cruise ship "Arandora Star".
Two thousand passengers, mostly German and Austrian Jews who fled Nazi persecution in the 1930s and found refuge in England, and around 200 Italian "civilian prisoners".
The ship was headed to Canada, but near the North Sea it was torpedoed and many people lost their lives. The survivors were rescued towards the ports of Scotland and then embarked, 20 days later, on the "Dunera" for Australia.
In Melbourne, this page of forced emigration was remembered months ago with an exhibition of photographs and documents in the Jewish Museum of Australia, inside the synagogue in South Yarra.
The anniversary of the adventure cannot be remembered without a deep emotion by the survivors of the shipwreck and internment. Where are they? How many are they? After the war the majority of them returned to Europe but some remained in Australia where they found work and accommodation.
Two survivors living in London, Nicola Cua and Luigi Beschizza, had the opportunity to come to Melbourne to review well-known places and dear friends, in particular the friendly and dynamic Marco Gazzi. David Barro, who met Mr. Cua a in London, helped them to have a familiar and pleasant stay in Australia (Nicola Cua comes from the province of Turin, Luigi Beschizza from the province of Massa Carrara, Marco Gazzi from the province of Parma). Another survivor also lives in Melbourne (Mr. Giuseppe Rossi).
In London - Mr. Cua told us - the Italian authorities remembered the 50th anniversary of the "Dunera" with a rather significant demonstration. The Italian consul and ambassador attended the «knighthood» ceremony: a recognition given by the President of the Italian Republic to the protagonists of many sufferings, acts of courage and valour. Their names, with related photographic documentation, are written in the Imperial War Museum.
(article from Tatura War Museum archives)
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