Plaque

St Peters Church - Arandora Star

Erection date: 4/11/1960

Inscription

In Memoria dei periti nell'affondamento dell'arandora star
2 luglio 1940 . . . . . il ricordo che é vivo nel cuore dei parenti, dei superstiti e colonia italiana
4 Novembre 1960

Translates as:}
In memory of those who perished in the sinking of the Arandora Star, 2 July 1940 . . . Their memory lives on in the hearts of their relatives, the survivors, and the Italian colony.
4 November 1960

This carved memorial shows 3 drowning men reaching up to the cross from the waves/shroud on which is inscribed the text. It was erected 20 years after the disaster, on the anniversary of the end of WW1 in Italy.

Site: St Peters Church - Arandora Star (3 memorials)

EC1, Clerkenwell Road, St Peter's Church

We visited this site on a sunny Sunday morning - a short bike ride in reality but more like hundreds of miles to a quiet Italian town: the church; the delicatessen next door; three-generation families; dumpy old dears in black; arrogant, chic young people; all socialising before church - the sights and sounds of Italy on a London street.

The two war memorials were erected on 4 November, the date, in 1918, on which the war ended for Italy, when Austria-Hungary surrendered to Italy. They are both in the large porch of the church, with the Arandora Star carving above the war memorial. The plaque about the church can be seen in our photo on the street frontage.

Our thanks to Cathy Surowiec who provided the translations for us.

St Peter's Italian Catholic Church (Chiesa Italiana di San Pietro) website. The annual Procession in Honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has run every year since the 1880s and was the first such Roman Catholic celebration to be allowed following centuries of repression.

Credit for this entry to: Cathy Surowiec

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
St Peters Church - Arandora Star

Subjects commemorated i

Arandora Star

Deporting Italian and German prisoners of war the cruise ship was between Liv...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
St Peters Church - Arandora Star

Also at this site i

St Peters Church

St Peters Church

St Peter’s Italian Church – 1863 In 1845 St Vincent Pallotti a R.C. priest a...

Read More

St Peters Church - WW1 and WW2

St Peters Church - WW1 and WW2

2020: Initially 'Anno VI' defeated us but Gianni Patratti wrote via Facebook ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

London Bridge attack 2017

London Bridge attack 2017

SE1, Montague Close

There was only one British citizen amongst the victims; the others were Australian, Canadian, French, Spanish.

9 subjects commemorated
Harrow School - War Memorial Building

Harrow School - War Memorial Building

HA1, Peterborough Road, Harrow War Memorial Building and Speech Room

The Harrow School War Memorial Building, Memorial Shrine, Ceremonial Staircase and Retaining Wall are Listed Grade 2. The Listing summary...

4 subjects commemorated
St Olav's Church - 1926 - foundation stone

St Olav's Church - 1926 - foundation stone

SE16, St Olav's Square, St Olav's Church

St Olav's Church was designed by John Love Seaton Dahl. Crown Prince Olav was present at the laying of the foundation stone, 1926, and th...

1 subject commemorated
Tobias Matthay

Tobias Matthay

NW3, Arkwright Road, 21

Tobias Matthay, 1858 - 1945, teacher and pianist, lived here. Greater London Council

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Camp Griffiss, Block D, NE corner

Camp Griffiss, Block D, NE corner

TW11, Bushy Park

There were 16 of these open-book style ground plaques, marking the corners of blocks A - D, the 4 main large blocks of buildings in WW2 C...

3 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Rose Pesotta

Rose Pesotta

Anarchist, feminist labour organiser. Born Ukraine. 1913 she emigrated to New York City to avoid an arranged marriage. Died Miami.

Person, Politics & Administration, Ukraine, USA

1 memorial
Southwark Council

Southwark Council

The London Borough of Southwark was created as an amalgamation of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Southwark, Camberwell and Bermondsey. Southwark council annually invites proposals for new plaques fro...

Group, Politics & Administration

91 memorials
WW1 soldiers

WW1 soldiers

"... our soldiers who fought in the Great War, 1914 - 1918."

Group

1 memorial
Harold Brown

Harold Brown

Sculptor active in 1938 - 50. In 1938 he was living in Belfast. With no image of Brown available on-line we are pleased to use the photo of his 1950 lost mermaid.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial