Worker in the garden party
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
Giovanni Moruzzi was born in Bardi (Parma) Italy on the 27th March 1916. He was working as a lorry driver for United Ice Company, London, England when he was arrested on the 11th June 1940.
He lived with his wife Maria (née Sartori) at 9 Carbone Road, London and had in 1939, lived with his brother Pietro at 4 Dudley Place, Paddington.
The internment of Italians in 1940 has a complicated and tragic history. Brothers Pietro and Giovanni were both interned and boarded the Arandora Star on the 30th June 1940. Pietro did not survive, and Giovanni was sent to Australia on the Dunera. Another brother was interned on the Isle of Man and a fourth sibling was serving in the British Army.
Giovanni had arrived in the UK in 1930 and had joined the Fascist Party in 1936 for business reasons. At the time of his arrest, Giovanni and Maria were some six months married and Giovanni was eager to return to the UK to appeal before the Advisory Committee as his wife found herself in strained financial circumstances. His application appeared to have proceeded and in November 1943 he was advised to sign a ‘willingness to travel’ permission form which he did. His application did not progress further.
On the 16th May 1944, Giovanni was ‘released on parole’ to work with the Civil Aliens Corps in forestry.
In camp Giovanni was a constant worker in the garden party and his friends were mentioned as Cesare Casali and Manfredo Pini both working within the London ice merchant industry. All three men, Giovanni, Cesare and Manfredo are in the photo below.
Giovanni arrived in Liverpool, England onboard the SS Athlone Castle on the 29th March 1945 as a ‘released internee’.
In 1990 on the 50th anniversary of the Arandora Star tragedy the remaining Italian survivors including Giovanni were bestowed the award of Cavaliere al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.
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