Arandora Star

[Archie Lindsay]

Relatives of those lost in the Arandora Star disaster may like to visit Youtube for a four-part video about the casualties who were buried in Ireland.
Recent research has revealed that up to 30 victims, mostly unidentified, were buried in 29 cemeteries around the North-west coast of Ireland during the first fortnight of August.
I'm sorry that none of the names mentioned in this forum were among the very few who were identified. But your relatives might, just might, rest forever on the wild Atlantic coastline.

[Marisa]

Dear Archie

Thank you so much for posting about this very moving tribute to the victims of the Arandora Star. Watching it has moved me to tears. The people of those small villages in Ireland that brought in the bodies and treated them as their own are a credit to humanity and are a shining light amongst the dark evil of war.

Although none of the names from the Picinisco forum might appear in the program, most of us with ancestors from Picinisco have relatives from the other villages around and about. I have at least five relatives that I know about who perished on the Arandora Star. I nearly fell off my seat at the end of the first section when the name of Giuseppe Forte was mentioned. As well as being a distant relative in his own right, his brother Vincenzo was married to my great grandfather's sister. (My great gandfather was married to Serafina Marcantonio of Picinisco.) Tony Fusco would have been her nephew. I have learned a lot about them tonight that I didn't know - so thank you for that as well.

Marisa xx
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Marcantonio, Capocci, Palombo, Gizzi, Canini, Cascarini, Campone

[Stuart Capaldi]

A copy of the BBC news article published today.

A memorial garden dedicated to dozens of Scots-Italians who died in a wartime tragedy is being officially opened in Glasgow.

Scotland's first minister and the Archbishop of Glasgow will open the garden in memory of those killed when the Arandora Star was sunk by a German submarine off Ireland in 1940.

About 100 Scots-Italians were among the 800 victims of the attack.

The only living survivor will attend the ceremony at St. Andrew's Cathedral.

The Arandora Star was a converted liner being used to transport internees and prisoners of war to Canada when it was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat.

The names of the Scottish victims have been inscribed on a monument in the Italian cloister garden, which has been created next to the Roman Catholic cathedral.

'Largest in world'

The silver-mirrored central monument, which organisers say is the largest in the world dedicated to the Arandora Star tragedy, stands next to a 200-year-old olive tree which was gifted by the people of Tuscany.

The official opening will be attended by First Minister Alex Salmond and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow Mario Conti.


The Arandora Star was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat in 1940 Rando Bertoia, 91 - the only living survivor of the tragedy - is also due to attend, along with victims' relatives.

Also present will be Giulia Chiarini, the architect from Rome who designed the garden and monument, and mayors of the towns from which most Scottish Italians come - Barga and Pistoia in Tuscany and Picinisco, and Filignano in the Lazio region south of Rome.
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Stuart Capaldi

[Archie Lindsay]

Those who sent kind messages about my Arandora Star video might like to hear about the sequel.

My project began with the grave of Giuseppe Capella on Rathlin Island. He was from Borgotaro in NW Italy and he worked in the Savoy Hotel. In autumn last year Roberto Zazzi wrote from New Zealand: "My grandfather Luigi Zazzi was lost on the Arandora Star. He was last seen in the water with his boyhood friend and workmate Giuseppe Capella. My family did not know that any bodies had been recovered, thank you so much for this video."

I was able to tell Roberto and his mother who still lives in London that the unknown Italian buried alongside il signor Capella might, just might, be his grandfather. This meant much to his mother, whose daddy was taken away when she was only seven.

In 2008 we remade the video in Italian and took it to Bardi, where 54 of the Welsh victims had their origins. There we filmed an interview with Beppe Conti, chairman of the memorial chapel committee and now Mayor of Bardi. With this and other new material we produced an extended DVD which runs to 40 minutes. If any relatives would like one, drop me a PM.