The Journey

The journey of the 200 Dunera Italians was marked by tragedy and injustice. Between June 10th and 17th, 1940, they were arrested and interned under Churchill's 'Collar the Lot' policy. Amidst Hitler's advance through Europe, the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk from May 27th to June 4th, 1940, and Mussolini's declaration of war on June 10th, 1940, Italian civilians and German refugees were detained as 'enemy aliens' behind barbed wire.

Seven hundred and seven Italians were destined for internment in Canada. They embarked the Arandora Star at Liverpool Docks, England on the 30th June 1940. On the 2nd July 1940, the Arandora Star was torpedoed and sank. Tragically, 442 Italians perished and the rescued 265 Italians were landed at Greenock, Scotland. Sixty five of the group were taken to hospital and in the chaos of war, the remaining 200 Italians were returned to Liverpool Docks.

Arandora Star (Getty Images https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-53248157)

Together with German and Austrian refugees and German prisoners of war, the Italians were boarded on the Dunera. The treatment of the internees and refugees onboard would receive international criticism and condemnation. Upon boarding the Dunera at Fremantle, Western Australia Australian Captain Heighway reflected: the position is this, all these internees without escort were dumped on the ship and told to get out to Australia. The whole show is terrible, if you could see these men behind the wire after 2 months at sea, with rough weather nearly all the way, you would wonder how on earth they survived it. There were only two deaths at sea, one a natural death and the other a suicide. It shows great credit on the O.C. and his staff for handling a very complicated situation. It's remarkable that there are so few casualties. (NAA: MP729/6, 63/401/122)

DUNERA 1940. STARBOARD SIDE VIEW OF THE BRITISH TROOPSHIP MV DUNERA II WHICH TRANSPORTED AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TROOPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AS PART OF CONVOYS US.1 AND US.2 IN 1940-01 AND 1940-04 RESPECTIVELY. IN 1942-01 SHE WAS ESCORTED BY RAN UNITS WHEN BRINGING REINFORCEMENTS TO BATAVIA. SHE ACHIEVED A MEASURE OF FAME FOR TRANSPORTING FROM BRITAIN TO AUSTRALIA A GROUP OF GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN INTERNEES IN 1940-09, MANY OF WHOM WENT ON TO ACHIEVE PROMINENCE IN AUSTRALIAN LIFE. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION) (AWM Image 303219)

The injustice took on many forms. Prior to boarding the Arandora Star, the Italians had not faced a tribunal to contest their internment. They were simply labeled as 'dangerous characters' without due process. No allowances were given to those men traumatized by the sinking of the Arandora Star: their survival at sea, witnessing the horrific sight of bodies, reflecting on their mortality, and the loss of loved ones and friends.

Exhausted and without belongings, the 200 Italians were transported 12,000 miles to Australia.