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

William Thomas Du Boulay

William Thomas Du Boulay

SW10, Gilston Road, 43

It is known (from British History On-line) that in 1912 properties in Gilston Road were renumbered, but the details are not given. One ca...

1 subject commemorated
George Orwell - NW6

George Orwell - NW6

NW6, Mortimer Crescent, Kingston House

Plaque unveiled by Orwell's son Richard.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Jim Gaffney

Jim Gaffney

WC1, Brunswick Square, Coram Family

Jim Gaffney, 1941 - 2002. Jim spent his life helping vulnerable children. His friend, Gillian Pugh, decided to continue his work by don...

3 subjects commemorated
George Neighbour

George Neighbour

SW11, Lavender Hill, Battersea Arts Centre

This building was the Battersea Town Hall 1893 - 1965, and became the Battersea Arts Centre in 1974. Suffered a bad fire in 2015. The Pl...

2 subjects commemorated
St Pancras Way bridge - foundation stone

St Pancras Way bridge - foundation stone

NW1, towpath

This, the foundation stone for the bridge, was laid in March 1897 and less than 5 months later the bridge was opened.

6 subjects commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

Keith Bowler

Keith Bowler

We cannot find any information about Bowler himself, only that in c.1990-2010, at least, he lived in Wilkes Street Spitalfields and created these unusual pavement plaques. We understand they were c...

Person, Sculpture

22 memorials
Christine Murrell memorial

Christine Murrell memorial

NW8, Broadley Street

In November 1933 the St. Marylebone Health Society, as a memorial to Murrell, was planning "to build a new infant welfare centre and day ...

1 subject commemorated
Hamleys of London

Hamleys of London

Established by William Hamley as 'Noah's Ark' at 231 High Holborn. Branch at 200 Regent Street opened in 1881. The original shop was destroyed by fire in 1901 and moved down the road to 86-87 High ...

Group, Children, Commerce

1 memorial
Tyburn Manor House

Tyburn Manor House

Used by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I as a hunting lodge.

Building, Royalty

1 memorial
Battle of Culloden

Battle of Culloden

Final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising and the last battle fought on British soil.  The supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie fought King George II's forces led by the Duke of Cumberland.  T...

Event, Armed Forces, Scotland

2 memorials