Scars in The Community
Scars in The Community
ITALIANS
IMMIGRATION TO SCOTLAND
ARRIVAL. The Italians began to arrive on Scottish shores from the late
19th century onwards. For some, it was seen as a stepping stone en route to the Americas; for others they were simply looking for a better life. Initially they came from northern areas such as Tuscany, but emigration soon spread to the south by the 1900s.
The main reasons Italians sought a new life was as a direct result of economic conditions. Poverty was rife and living conditions were harsh, with famine and sometimes droughts. Italy had an agricultural based economy that was experiencing severe hardships and industrialisation was slower than in other European nations. Many men siezed the opportunity to go elsewhere to earn a living and therefor left in order to support their loved ones back home. Although many used Scotland as a stopping point before heading further promote their own cuisine, they adopted the Scots most popular supper and this was the ticket to success for many Italian families. Things went well for many years for the Italian communities who prospered living in Scotland. Although things would soon change during the outbreak of the second world war...
Italians in this country must report immediately to the nearest police station of the district in which they are registered. Italians whose names begin with letters A to F should report on Thursday, those G to M on Friday, and N to Z on Saturday. estimated that there are 100 Italians in Bristol and the police took prompt action throughout yesterday under Detective-Superintendant Lush. Every alien in Bristol had secure their detention.
DAYS TO REPORT
The Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette - Wednesday June 12th 1940
Unruly scenes were witnessed in Gourock last night when a number of young men, mostly from Greenock and Port Glasgow, demosntrated against Italians. The police were prepared for all eventualities and assisted by the special constables in Gourock and Inverkip, prevented the demostrators from getting out of hand. From about 7 oclock bands of youths arrived in the burgh on foot, in buses, and on cycles. They congregated near the Pierhead. At 10 p.m. the gathering numbered several hundreds. The police kept the crowd on the move. Ultimately several stones were thrown and windows were broken in one Italian shop, the National Bank, and a stationers shop at the Pierhead. The police lost no time dealing with the situation, and eleven men were arrested, three of them being soldiers.
GREENOCK RIOTS
Action Against Magistrates
488 CLAIM DISMISSED
The Second Division of the Court of Session yesterday advised an appeal for the defenders in an action brought by Samuel Capaldi, 6 Bon Accord Street, Clydebank, against the Provost and Magistrates of the burgh of Greenock. The pursuer sued for 488 5s as compensation for the loss he had sustained through a number of machines upon which mechanical games were player, belonging to him but in the premises of Italian restaurateurs in Greenock, having been destoryed or taken away, when those premises were looted by persons taking part in riotous and tumutluous assemblies on the night on June 10, 1940, following upon the declaration of war by Italy against Great Britain. The defenders did not, in the appeal, dispute that the pursuer had made relevant averments of riotous and tumutluous assemblies having taken place, nor did they dispute that he would have been entitled to compensation for such loss as he might have sustained, other proper statutory procedure, and brought his action within the proper statutory limit. They pleaded, however, that the action was incompetent in respect that he had not followed the procedure laid down by the Riotous Assemblies Act, 1822. They further maintained that, in any event, the action was incompetently laid against the magistrates alone named. Court at Greenock, repelled the defenders pleas to the competency, and allowed a proof. The presetn appeal was taken against that decision. The Division yesterday sustained the appeal, and dismissed the action as incompetent, it being held that, even if the action had been brought timeously, the only competent procedure open to the pursuer was to have raised an action against the Town-Clerk. Counsel for the Defenders and Appellants The Solicitor-General, K.C., and Mr H. G. S., Edinburgh, and A. H. Gray, Town-Clerk, Greenock. Counsel for the pursuer and Respondent Mr James Walker. Solicitors MLeod & Rose, W.S., Edinburgh, and W. W. & J. MClure, Greenock.
Internment Camps
Many of the men who were arrested were taken by boat to the Internment Camps that had been set up on the Isle of Man. The camps were self-governed and relied on the inmates themselves to undertake the responsibility of good order and discipline. The men were not prisoners but enjoyed freedom of movement and association as long as they remained within the limits of the Camp.
Internees kept themselves busy by working on the island. All camps had workshops available to craftsmen, labour was also required in the Islands quarries and the demand for labour on the Islands farms remained strong throughout the war. For leisure, the most popular attraction was the Islands cinema. Once or twice a week, entire camps would make a visit to the cinema where Internees paid 6d to watch shown to the public. Thee of the camps on the Island produced their own newspapers, these were called the Onchan Pioneer, the Sefton Review and The Camp. At Camp Douglas, the internees organised a football league, as the camp was divided into houses and each house had a team or two. Referees were nominated to see that the rules were kept!
682 perished on the Arandora Star. 446 of these were Italian nationals who had made their home in Britain.
The survivors were taken to Greenock, yet within 8 days over two hundred of them had been taken back to Liverpool and sent to Australia aboard the Dunera.