Giovanni Baldelli

A ‘Dunera Italian’, Giovanni Baldelli’s situation was a conundrum. Although Baldelli claims anti-fascist views, this seems strange in view of his father’s high position in Fascist Italy[1] so reported Commandant, No. 2 Internment Camp Tatura to Major Julian Layton on 26 August 1943. Baldelli’s father, Major Luigi Baldelli, was an Italian Censor in Bolgona, Italy, but although serving within the Italian Fascist Government had always supported his son’s political views.

Baldelli’s interest in politics began at a young age. Journalist Alfio Bernabei explained that Baldelli …was only fifteen when under the influence of a few drinks, as he put it, he began to sing Bandiera Rossa at a wedding reception. Bandiera Rossa or Red Flag was the Communist hymn. On hearing that he might be arrested as an antifascist his father, a hotel manager near Bellagio, speedily arranged for his departure to France where the Baldellis had relatives.[2]

He returned to Italy, and at 18 years old, on 19 March 1933 was arrested in Milan along with other members of Giustizia e Liberta and imprisoned in Rome’s Regina Coelia which was well known as the anti-fascist, fascist traitors and partisans prison. Bernabei explained that Baldelli, undertook to return to Italy and distribute antifascist leaflets, including some in the Duomo in Milan, for which he was arrested and had to spend nine months in prison, five of which in total isolation. He suspected that he had been set up by a fascist secret agent. Once out of prison his father, whom he described as a fascist “only because of interest”, managed to get him a new passport and this time Baldelli chose to go to England.[3]  It was at this time that he began writing under a pseudonym for Solidarite Internationale Antifasciste and served on several committees to help Republican Spain.

Despite his commitment against fascism, on 13 June 1940, schoolmaster Giovanni Baldelli was arrested in England as a ‘fascist.’

Of his arrest Baldelli reflected, “Such was the fate of a proven anti-fascist in the so called war against Fascism!”[4]

Survivor of the sinking of the Arandora Star in the Irish Sea on 2 July 1940, Baldelli, along with 199 other British Italian internees, was then boarded on the Dunera on 10 July 1940 and arrived at Tatura Camp 2, Victoria on 3 September 1940.

During internment in Australia he dedicated most of his spare time for the community.  Baldelli gave lessons in French, English, Spanish and Italian and there is mention of him giving a lecture on Christianity.  He established a theatre community and he kept busy writing plays, ensuring their staging, costuming and reserving for himself, often, the female role which others were reluctant to play.

In 1985, Giovanni Baldelli worked with Alfio Bernabei on the documentary Dangerous Characters, The Arandora Star Tragedy and shared his memories of camp performances. Bernabei wrote, The title of one of his plays was ‘June 10’ and dramatized the arrests of Italians in Britain. Another was called ‘Canzone dei 200’ and it was for this one that he wrote the words for the tune. “I don’t remember if the song was at the beginning or at the end of the play” Baldelli told me, “but I remember that in the audience there was a fascistone who on hearing the tune exclaimed “but this is Caserio’s aria!” Sante Caserio was an anarchist who made an attempt on the life of the president of the French Republic Sadi Carnot.” The song was performed by an internee who had a very good voice, Baldelli remembered, and the “special effects” were done quite professionally because among the internees there was “a certain Montagna who used to work for Gaumont.” [5]

Canzone dei 200 is an elegiac song eloquently narrating the tragedy of the Arandora Star as it unfolded. The second part of the song reflects on the Dunera voyage and arrival in Tatura.

Canzone dei 200 (Translation by Wilma Stark)[6]