mosaic worker and kitchen hand

Antonio Saccomani was born on the 9th July 1893 at Morfasso (Piacenza) Italy.  He lived at 38 Balfe Street, Kings Cross, London, England with his wife Louisa and two teenage daughters.  He was arrested on the 11th June 1940.

Arriving in England in 1910, Antonio worked for three years as a kitchen hand in various London restaurants before he returned to Italy.  He worked for a year as a farm labourer and served with the Italian army from 1915 to 1919.  Upon return to England in 1919, he worked for the next 12 years for his brother-in-law at Composite Marble Flooring, Liverpool. Antonio next worked for Cordori at Twickenham then until his internment he worked at Camden Tile Co. Ltd. Putney Bridge, London.

Antonio was noted as a constant worker in the camp cleaning party.

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

The SS Athlone Castle boarded 63 UK Italian internees in Sydney on the 6th February 1945 including Antonio. He arrived in Liverpool, England on the 29th March 1945 as a ‘released internee’.

 Tatura, Australia. January 1943. Group of Italian internees from overseas now interned at Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right: D. Borzoni; E. Previdi; R. Pini; R. Lombardelli; D. Schiavi; G. Roscelli; A. Pini. Front row: S. Pini; D. Cenci; L. Bertorelli; A. Saccomani.

(AWM Image 030188/12 Photographer Colin Halmarick)