Remembering the tragic sinking of the SS Arandora Star 70 years ago today

Memorials to the Arandora Star tragedy exist in Scotland and England and it is only now, 70 years later, that for the first time the Arandora Star Memorial Fund in Wales has unveiled a memorial commemorating the men who lost their lives in the tragedy.

In June 1940, as Italy entered WWII, Churchill ordered all male Italians aged between 18-70 to be arrested and forcibly removed from their homes and interned. Many had lived in Britain almost all their lives, others were in Britain because they opposed Mussolini and had fled their own country in fear.

On July 1st 1940 internees boarded the SS Arandora Star, a former luxury liner now painted in grey and covered in barbed wire, destined for the camps in Canada under a new deportation policy.

The liner, originally built to carry 250 passengers and converted to take 200 more, was overloaded with more than 1300 prisoners -  mostly Italians who were living and working in Britain, a mixed group of German POW's, the ship's crew and guards.

On July 2nd, 1940, day two of setting off from Liverpool the Arandora Star was torpedoed and sunk by the Germans, the ship had no Red Cross or other markings painted on her to indicate she was transporting civilians.

805 men on board drowned, the majority were Italians for the communities of South Wales.

There was a special mass held at midday today in St David's Cathedral, Cardiff and the Cardiff Story Museum is running a four-day exhibition.

The families of the men who drowned that day have fought a long and hard campaign for today's memorial. The Secretary of the Arandora Star Memorial Fund, Bruna Chezzi, said, "it was time Wales had a way of commemorating the men".

For more information on the Arandora Star Memorial Fund Project, call 029 2046 0632 or email arandorastar.wales@yahoo.co.uk.

In 1940 South Wales there were over 300 Italian cafes, restaurants and shops.

The Arandora Star was one of the 'luxury five' of the Blue Star Line, built at Cammell Laird in 1927. The ship was popular with the rich and famous and originally referred to as 'The Wedding Cake' due to her distinctive colours.