I am very sorry...

Felice Parravicini was born in Vill’Albese (Como) Italy on the 2nd September 1896. At the time of his arrest on the 11th June 1940, he was living with his wife and family at 50 Chandos Place, London.

He had made his way to England in 1910 and worked as a waiter and chef. As did many of his peers, he returned to Italy and served with the Italian Army from 1916 – 1919. In 1924 he married his wife Giannina in Italy and returned to London.

In 1932, Felice opened a dining room at Old Street, London and later opened a restaurant at 50 Chandos Place, London. During internment, he worked in the camp kitchen. 

The call up of Felice’s son to serve in the British Forces was a source of emotional conflict.  While Felice was deemed ‘dangerous’ and interned in Australia, the British Government saw fit to draft his son Giovanni to engage in war. Felice’s wife Giannina wrote to him on the 10th April 1943: I am very sorry to have to give you the news that Giovanni will soon be in the army.  I am very sorry to have to go against your ideas, but he is thinking of his future and we think that he will not be able to do anything else. (NAA:A367, C74739) It was not a case of loyalty to Mussolini, but a case of loyalty for a family unit. No doubt, Giovanni felt he was betraying his father, who had been arrested without cause and he was now being forced to serve for a government who imprisoned his father.

War is complicated.

Tatura, Australia. January 1943. Group of Italian internees from overseas now interned at Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right: Dr G. Manzocchi; Dr G. Zezi; E. Bravo; F. Parravicini; P. Mariutto; A. Biasoni; G. Galbiati. Front row: F. Mattiussi; F. Mazzina; G. Borghi; G. V. Lembo. (AWM Image 030188/15 Photographer Colin Halmarick)