Govan's Only Milk Bar

Alessandro Edoni was born in Garbugliaga (La Spezia) Italy on the 25th October 1909. Alessandro had opened a ‘modern café’ at 1225 Govan Road, Linthouse, Glasgow in 1939. He lived at 2 Greenwell, Place, Govan, Scotland and his mother Domenica was listed as his next of kin. Alessandro was arrested on the 11th June 1940.

(Daily Record and Mail 11 March 1939)

He arrived in Australia on the Dunera 3rd September 1940 and he had stated on one of his Australian documents under the heading: Personal Effects: All lost on ‘Arandora Star’. He did add: ‘small parcel clothing’ which reinforces the dire circumstances for the Italians survivors of the Arandora Star.

Alessandro’s release to return to the UK for an appearance with the Italian Advisory Board was approved on the 23rd January 1942. Alessandro was at Loveday Camp 10 and departed the camp on the 29th June and arrived at Tatura Camp via Broadmeadows Military Camp on the 9th July 1942. He departed Tatura Camp on the 17th July 1942 with 16 other UK Italian internees. They embarked the SS Themistocles in Sydney and disembarked in Liverpool, England on the 17th October 1942.

Return to UK was not an automatic release from internment. Alessandro was released to the UK for consideration under Category 22.  He was reinterned but on the 12th January 1943 he was released for 2 weeks which was then extended for 1 month.  On the 29th April 1943, Alessandro was released under the ILB scheme (Italian Labour Battalion?).

It was said that the cat must have brought the owners good luck - for in 1941, a German parachute mine destroyed the next door block of tenements, leaving the cafe unscathed. (Lost Glasgow Facebook Page: Photo from Mitchell Library)