Sixty three when arrested
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
Giuseppe Ferruccio Armando Spaggiari was born in Parma, Italy on the 14th April 1877. At the time of his arrest on the 11th June 1940, he was 63 years old. Giuseppe was living at 20 Frenshaw Street, Camberwell, England with his wife Antoinette and he worked as a managing clerk with an Ice Company.
He was remembered by Vittorio Tolaini for the cruelty meted out to him on the Dunera voyage to Australia. Vittorio remembered: …a ring was found on the finger of one Mr Spaggiari.. It was his wedding ring and a tight fit. The soldiers, finding they could not wrench it off him in the normal way, dragged him to the washroom and soaped it off. We found this elderly man lying on the floor with his finger swollen, bruised and bleeding. (Tolaini 1982)
Giuseppe was released from Tatura Camp 4B, Victoria on the 6th October 1941 for Liverpool Camp, NSW to await embarkation and return to the UK. Along with nine other UK Italian internees, Giuseppe boarded the Stirling Castle in Sydney on the 13th October 1941. The group arrived in Liverpool, England on the 28th November 1941. The ship’s register noted his address as 28 Park Hill Road, Sicup, Kent.
Re-interned on the Isle of Man, Giuseppe’s release was authorised on the 13th January 1942. His release did not take place until the 17th March 1942. He was released under Category 22 of the White Paper: Category 22. Any person as to whom the Tribunal, appointed by the Secretary of State, reported that he had, since childhood or for at least 20 years, lived continuously or almost continuously in Great Britain; had long severed connections with his country of nationality; that his associations and interests were British; and that he was friendly towards this country. (White Paper, Civilian Internees of Enemy Nationality, Home Office)
Giuseppe died on the 1st May 1947, aged 70 years.
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