Luigia Alessandra Maria Veronica Vittoria Canepa was born on 15 May 1916 in London, the daughter of Giovanni Luigi Bartolomio Guiseppe Canepa (?-1950) and Kathleen Alice Canepa. Her mother had previously married an Aubrey Frederick Willoughby (1857-1911), who had died but was remarried in 1912. Her birth was registered in the St George Hanover Square district of London as Luigia A. M. V. V. Canepa but she used a combination of names during her lifetime. For example, when she returned to London arriving aboard the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. ship 'Mantra' travelling first class, on 24 November 1933 she was listed as Veronica Canepa. She had embarked at Port Said, Egypt and travelled via Malta, Marseilles France and Plymouth. Her home address was recorded as 20 Buckingham Palace Mansions, London, SW1, which was the same address as her mother. Similarly, she used the same name when travelling from Malta aboard the P & O ship 'Corfu' as a first-class passenger arriving in London on 27 September 1939.
The 1939 England and Wales Register shows her using the name of Victoria V. Canepa. She and her mother were registered at 'Catchbells', London Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, the home of Colonel James Morris Colquhoun Colvin, V.C.
From 1941 she lived with her mother at 1 Sloane Court, London, SW3 and was an A.R.P. warden. Together with her mother they both died there as a result of enemy action when a V1 bomb fell on their home on 3 July 1944. She was aged 28 years.
It was not until 20 October 1950 that probate was granted and her estate totalled £28,748-1s-0d.
She is also commemorated (as Luigia Alessandra Veronica Maria Vittoria Canepa) in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey, London.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
