Pontyridd Cafe Proprietor

Francesco Rabaiotti was born on the 19th October 1901 at Grezzo (Bardi) Italy.  A café proprietor, he lived with his wife Elvira and children Delfina, Antonio and Rinaldo at 25 Station Square, Pontyridd, Wales.  He was arrested on the 10th June 1940.

On the 9th September 1943, he wrote to his wife Elvira, This morning we heard of the armistice but you will understand we will all be contented to be soon out of here, but who knows when? We hope it will be soon, but the difficulties of the voyage always remain.  It is a real obstacle which has held a lot of us here. (NAA:MP70/1 37/101/185 Tatura Part 3)

The precariousness of travel was well known to the UK Italian internees.  Six had drowned when the MV Abosso was torpedoed on the 19th October 1942 and while three Italians survived the sinking of the SS Waroonga on the 4th April 1943, passage home to the UK was not without its risks.

Francesco together with Antonio Cavanna also from Wales, was released to Melbourne on the 3rd October 1944 for work with The Perfect Cheese Coy at 86 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne. The director of the company was Natale Italiano who advertised a range of cheeses the company produced, amongst them cacio cavallo, stracchino, fetta, pecornino, provolone, ricotta.

On the 6th February 1945, Francesco boarded the SS Athlone Castle in Sydney for return to the UK.  On the 29th March 1945, Francesco and 62 other UK Italian internees disembarked the ship at Liverpool, England as released internees.

Francesco died on the 14th November 1958 at Pontypridd, Wales.

Tatura, Australia. January 1943. Group of Italian internees from overseas now interned at Tatura Internment Camp. Back row, left to right: F. Rabaiotti; M. Gazzi; Gio. Lusardi; A. Cavanna; Giu. Moruzzi; E. Cordani. Front row: L. Fulgoni; G. Rossi; Giu. Lusardi; F. Cavina. (AWM Image 030188/01 Photographer Colin Thomas Halmarick)