One Page, Many Details
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
Antonio Dallanegra noted in his diary:
July 24 Arrived Free Town, West Africa
July 25 Left Free Town
July 27 Arrived Tacaradi, West Africa
July 29 Left Tacaradi
August 8 Arrived Cape Town
August 9 Left Cape Town
August 11 Sunday Mass on boat. Holy Communion
August 18 Mass on Boat
August 21 One of the prisoners jumped overboard
August 22 Prison
August 26 Out of Prison
The details of some of the above events emerge as additional references and sources are found. This cross-referencing of information is invaluable in adding the details to the journey of the 200 UK Italians.
MASS: The spirit of the Catholics onboard c. 450 was lifted when Catholic priests Franz Girke and Walter Koenig were able to get a Mass bag on board at Cape Town. The first mass with Holy Communion was celebrated on deck on 11th August 1940 as recorded by Antonio Dallanegra in his notes on the journey. Internee Max Meyer wrote of the feelings of 'relief and deep joy' experienced by Catholics on the Dunera at this Mass. Max Meyer was then inspired to write a four male part composition which would be known as 'The Dunera Mass'. It was performed on the deck of the Dunera on 18th August 1940 and Meyer wrote: 'Nobody who attended this Mass celebration will ever forget this solemn hour in their life'. (NAA: MP70/1, 3/101/185 Tatura Part 2, 1943) Antonio Dallanegra simply wrote: 18 August Mass on board. (Tapiolas, J. Canzone dei 200)
A production honouring Max Meyer, 'The Dunera Mass' and the roles Father Walter Koenig and Oswald Wolkenstein played in the safe custody of Max Meyer's music has been performed several times in Australia.
JAKOB WEISS: On the 21st August 1940, Jakob Weiss jumped overboard and was 'lost at sea'. Cyril Pearl wrote in his book, The Dunera Scandal: ...an elderly internee, exercising on the upper deck, dashed to the side of the ship and threw himself over. He was particularly depressed because his passport, with an Argentine visa, had been torn up and thrown overboard.
Jacob Weiss was born in Rechnitz, Austria on the 17th January 1904. He was an upholsterer who had been interned in Kitchener Camp. His 'Male Enemy Alien - Exemption from Internment - Refugee' card documented his status as Exempted 'C' (4.10.1939 by Board of Tribunal)
PRISON: Giorgio Scola wrote on the 21st August 1940: More than once recently one or two of our group have come to blows over nothing and today over a matter of extra food from the kitchen which had been reported to an officer, and these were sent to prison for a couple of days. (Scola, G. 12,000 Miles Behind Barbed Wire)
One Page, Many Details
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