Dunera ex-gratia payment

Pietro Gallo was born at Isola di Bene Vagienna (Cuneo) Italy on the 30th March 1890. At the time of his arrest on the 10th June 1940 he was living at 43 Bishopric House, Horesham, Sussex, England.

He had arrived in England in October 1914 and had worked as a personal servant to Denys Wilson who died in WW1 and then worked as a personal assistant and secretary to Denys Wilson’s mother, Mrs Ada Wilson.  When Mrs Wilson died in 1933, Gallo inherited a property in Italy from which he received a considerable income and a yearly annuity of £2000 from the Woodgate Investment Trust. He himself had invested money wisely in property and shares and as such, he was independently wealthy.

Pietro found himself amongst a crowd of people with which he had nothing in common and did not understand why he was sent away with ‘this crowd’.  He believed there was no one in camp that he could have a real conversation with so kept to himself.  He did not volunteer for camp projects but kept busy with his investments and artistic work such as drawing, oil painting and water colour. Pietro made a claim for £212/6/- for loss of property during the Dunera voyage. He received an ex-gratia payment of £62/10/-. Pietro’s health had suffered during the Dunera voyage and he was taken to the Broadmeadows Military Hospital directly from the Dunera.

He pursued avenues for his release and in November 1941, Colonel Layton, submitted his name to the Home Office for consideration under Category 22 of the White Paper. In April 1942, he was notified that he was approved to return to the UK for consideration authorisation, but he claimed he was not of strong health and refused to sign the ‘Willingness to Travel Form’.

Pietro’s next avenue to escape internment camp was his request to have permission to join a monastery in April 1942. The events of the Arandora Star, the Dunera and his long internment living in noisily crowded barracks was a terrible strain on his nerves and he stated that he was in a state of spiritual distress. His request was refused and his next request in November 1943 was for ‘release on parole’ for he was content to work as a volunteer for the Red Cross as he was a man of independent means.

After being rejected for work with the Civil Aliens Corps in forestry on medical grounds, Pietro was released from internment to Sydney on the 24th August 1944.  He had arranged a job as a storeman at Austral Pressing Co. 972 Liverpool Road, Sydney and would stay with Mr B Becchi at 355 Princes Highway, Kogarah. He was quick to apply for naturalisation as a British Subject and advertised his intention to do so on the 24th October 1944. On the 23rd July 1946, Pietro was awarded his Certificate of Naturalisation.

Pietro applied as sponsor to Francesco ‘Mario’ Sarzotti’s migration application in March 1946 and for Sarzotti to be employed as his secretary. They were known to each other in England, both living in the same residence in 1939 and Sarzotti was mentioned as having been Gallo’s valet in Sarzotti’s internment file. Francesco Sarzotti arrived in Australia on the Tuscan Star in 1948.

Pietro returned to the UK in March 1950 on the Strathnaver to attend to his financial investments. In 1954, Pietro lived at New South Head Road, Rose Bay, Sydney.