SS Desirade and SS Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt

Elia Novello was born on the 17th April 1890 in Castello di Annone (Alessandria) Italy.  He worked as a head waiter when he was arrested in London on the 11th June 1940.  Elia and his wife Rosa lived at Flat 8, Culbone House, 4 Hanson Street, St Marylebone.

While in Loveday Camp 10, South Australia, Elia received news that he ‘may be returned for consideration by the Advisory Committee subject to usual conditions’.  Generally speaking, conditions included that a person would be re-interned until appearance before a tribunal and that conditional release was not a forgone conclusion.

Elia was released from Tatura Camp 2A, Victoria on the 24th October 1942 and departed Australia on the SS Desirade.  Transshipped to the SS Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt, which arrived in Liverpool, England on the 15th January 1943.  

There were six UK Italian internees on this voyage: Antonio Berni, Antonio Angelo Di Rollo, Favorino Enrione, Bernardo Franchetti, Angelo Greco and Elia Novello. The letter below verifies that the men had completed their Certificate of Willingness to Travel which was then transmitted to the High Commissioner's Office London.

The bigger picture was that just as Elia began his return journey to the UK, the MV Abosso was torpedoed on the 29th October 1942, with the loss of six lives for six Dunera Italians.

Elia was re-interned on the Isle of Man and on the 8th July 1943, he was released to ILB (Labour Batallion?).

 (NAA:A2908, P22 Part 10)