Son served in the R.A.F.
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
Emilio Galante (Galanti) was born in Arpino (Frosinone) Italy on the 5th May 1887. At the time of his arrest on the 10th June 1940 he was living at 46 Chapel Road, Southampton, England with his wife Filomena (née Poggnoli).
As a child, Emilio arrived in Southampton with his family. At the age of 12, he began working at a café then worked as a hotel waiter. During WW1, he worked as a labourer at Government Shipyards Woolston. In 1919 he began working for Pirelli General Cableworks Southampton as a cable maker until his internment. His wife operated a confectionery shop at 46 Chapel Road, which she continued through Emilio’s internment. His brother Antonio was also a rubber cable worker with Pirelli both sharing the experiences of the Arandora Star and Dunera journeys.
Filomena and Emilio had a daughter Perina and son Alfredo (Fred). His son served with the RAF in the Middle East and Emilio was very proud of his son’s service. In 1940, a few months before Italy’s entry into the war, Emilio applied for his British naturalisation through Pearce, Hartfield and Emanuel Solicitors, Southampton.
Emilio’s British documents noted that on the 11th September 1944 he was classified as ‘infirm’. This status gave him an exemption from working in forestry with the Civil Aliens Corps. He had on the 24th August 1944, been released to Melbourne into the employment of the De Marco Bros 118 Ferrars St South Melbourne, a terrazzo and mosaic company.
In early February 1945, Emilio as part of a group of 63 ‘released’ Italian UK internees boarded the Athlone Castle for Liverpool, England. The ship’s route went from Sydney via Wellington, New Zealand, the Panama Canal, New York USA and Ponta Delgado Azores. Luigi arrived in Liverpool, England on the 29th March 1945. He returned to his home at 46 Chapel Road, Southampton. Emilio died in Southampton in 1953.
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