Vehicle    From 2/7/1940  To 2/7/1940

Arandora Star

Categories: Tragedy

Countries: Germany, Italy

Deporting Italian and German prisoners of war the cruise ship was between Liverpool and Canada when it was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine. Of the 734 Italians on board, 486 died. Of the 479 Germans, 175 died. Amongst the dead were the father and grandfather of Paolozzi.

May 2009 - The BBC informs that there is a campaign for a memorial to the Welsh Italians who died on the Arandora Star, for the 70th anniversary in 2010. And here that the Teesside-based Italians will be commemorated on a plaque at Middlesbrough Town Hall. There are already memorials in Liverpool, Glasgow and Italy, as well as the one in London.

September 2023: The BBC reported on the recent identification of a body that was washed up on the South Ayrshire coast in August 1940.  ".. the unidentified individual was buried in an unmarked grave in Girvan's Doune Cemetery. More than 80 years later, detailed research has revealed his name - Francesco D'Inverno ..." We find the following story puzzling - it's not clear how, since his grave was unmarked, how this name has been associated with it. 

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Arandora Star

Commemorated ati

St Peters Church - Arandora Star

This carved memorial shows 3 drowning men reaching up to the cross from the w...

Read More

Other Subjects

Alex Napier

Alex Napier

United Kingdom citizen who died in the terrorist attacks in America on 11 September 2001. Alexander John Robert Napier was born on 7 July 1963 in the Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia, a British Ove...

Person, Tragedy, Cyprus, USA

1 memorial
Robert James Marshall

Robert James Marshall

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Arthur James Goreham

Arthur James Goreham

Arthur James Goreham was born on 13 May 1899 in West Ham, the youngest of four children of William Goreham and Mary Jane Goreham née Oriss. His father was a General Labourer. The 1901 census shows ...

Person, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Tragedy

0 memorials
Andrew Gooding

Andrew Gooding

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this young man: Andrew Gooding was born on 18 February 1966 and died, aged 14 years, on 18 January 1981 in a fire at party being held at 439 New Cross Ro...

Person, Tragedy

2 memorials
Stacey Maree Lee

Stacey Maree Lee

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial