Australia. January 1943. Group of Italian internees from overseas now interned at Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right: S. L. Vergano; B. Calderoni; E. Guido; A. Nazzari; G. Gazzano; G. Ferrari. Front row: M. Fagiano; U. Scaravelli; E. Rossi; F. Capra. (AWM Image 030188/07 Photographer Colin Thomas Halmarick)
Giuseppe Ferrari was born in Vargli Lotte (Vargli Sotto?) (Lucca) Italy on the 18th March 1896. His recorded occupations are Tea Taster/ Commerical Traveller/Restauranteur. He was arrested in London, England on the 10th June 1940. He lived with his wife at 27 High Street, Harlesden.
Giuseppe was considered to be disagreeable and outspoken. While others might have held the same views, he dared to commit his thoughts to paper in his letters home. And though the letters were returned from the censors for rewriting, sections of the original letters were written up in weekly reports and offer a very personal perspective on internment.
Of Tatura Camp and his internment he wrote on 2nd September 1943: Tomorrow, the third will see the completion of my three years of concentration camp life and at the same camp where I landed first on my arrival in this continent. No doubt this is the worst camp I have visited during my Australian experience. Things are not rendered easier by the lack of cohesion among the members of the camp and very bad leadership. My worst punishment, during my internment has been that of being coerced to live among the most ignorant and malicious crowd of people it was ever my misfortune to meet. (NAA:MP70/1, 37/101/185 Tatura Part 3)
In reaction to the news of Churchill’s illness in December 1943, he wrote that he hoped ‘the rotten old bastard dies’. (NAA:MP70/1, 37/101/185 Tatura Part 2)
He was sent to Loveday Camp 14D, South Australia from 8th March until the 1st August 1944. In August 1944 on his return to Tatura Camp he wrote: I have landed on a rubbish heap, such was the quality of people around me, rotten to the core. (NAA:MP70/1, 37/101/185 Tatura Part 4)
In December 1944, Giuseppe was offered a work placement at Dookie Agricultural College which he refused. His preference was to stay in camp with three meals a day and free medical treatment. However, one document noted that he was released to Dookie Agricultural College on the 25th January 1945. In early February 1945, he embarked the Athlone Castle. He arrived in Liverpool, England on the 29th March 1945 as a ‘released internee’. His address on the ship's register was noted as 196 High Street, London.
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