Anna Marie Navarro, Valletta
Remembering our internees
This month marks the 70th anniversary since the infamous deporation of 48 Maltese to Uganda by the British authorities, and it is about time that this important, albeit sad, episode of Malta’s history is recalled in some way.
The Maltese who were exiled were part of a far larger group of Maltese who were interned and separated from their families for years, on the pretext of supporting Italian culture. My father was one of them.
Although my father, John Navarro, was not deported to Uganda, I was kindly invited by Pino Scicluna to view his production Internati u Deportati in the vaults of the Auberge de Castille – a perfect backdrop to recall what those poor people endured.
Considered as children of a “lesser God” by some
The production portrays a vivid picture of the events the internees went through.
Mr Scicluna, host and proud son of a deported internee, gave an emotional rendition of the events. The events were highlighted in detail – from the humiliation which the internees went through when being “questioned” right through to their imprisonment at Fort Salvatore, Corradino and St Agatha Catacombs followed by the departure of 48 of the group on board the cargo ship Breconshire on their way to Uganda. The trip was an ordeal in itself, with the prisoners locked in the hold as the ship was bombed. It just missed being hit by a torpedo.
Once in Uganda most of the internees were afflicted by many maladies including malaria.
Mr Scicluna, who was 11 years old when he lost his father after the war, yearns to connect with his dear departed father in this real life drama, and still questions why all this happened.
My father, like his father, was a dockyard employee, trying to eke out a living for his mother and 10 siblings after having had to give up his studies when his father died suddenly at a young age.
Dad suffered a lot of prejudice in his lifetime because of his internment, particularly when he started seeing my mother during the latter part of the war – even though, upon his release, he was actually conscripted in the army after having been labelled a traitor!
I lost my father at the age of 15 and am still considered a child of a “lesser God” by some fools.
The anguish and pain followed him to his grave even though he retired as higher executive officer at the law courts, where he won the esteem of all his peers for his integrity and sterling work.
Mr Scicluna’s great initiative should be given prominence by TVM so that the sheer ignorance that still exists can be eradicated.
I dare say that it is very high time that all internees are commemorated in a dignified manner. The internees never stood trial. Their sole crime was that they shared a passion for the Italian language and culture.
I hope I am wrong when I say that this obscure chapter in our history seems to have been “conveniently” forgotten.
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William Flynn
Feb 22nd, 12:47
Evarist Saliba who referred to my comment as an outrageous lie and others might wish to read the source of my comment at:
http://www.maltamigration.com/history/romeo-cini's-tripoli.shtml
This is a first hand account of pro-British Maltese who were interned and treated better than expected by the Italians and the Germans. Of course, as Italy started to lose the war, things got harder and harder but they were never ill treated. They started their internment at a fashionable hotel but that went downhill as things got tough for the Italians.
Conversely, I have heard first hand accounts of Italian-Maltese living in Malta who were exceptionally badly treated by the British. Perhaps it was the luck of the draw.
I do NOT tell lies; on that everyone may rely.
Tony Gatt
Really! Behave! Is this about the holocaust?
Evarist Saliba
Feb 24th, 11:23
Your comment was that the Italians treated their internees better than the British did.
You arrogate to yourself an extraordinary degree of omniscience to make such a judgement. I take the writings of Sir Arturo Mercieca and Dr Herbert Ganado as genuine exponents of the treatment that they, and their companions received. I also take as genuine what I was told by Maltese residents in Tripoli, and the evidence of Maltese students stranded and interned in Italy, and there is nothing in all they say to justify your wild statement.
Your recent repulsive statement about the fate that you would wish to inflict on the statue of Queen Victoria in Valletta marks you as person whose hate for anything British rules you out as balanced commentor where Britain is concerned.
Marlene Hills
Feb 22nd, 12:13
In times of war all sides tend to commit some atrocities and go beyond the rules of war..we see it today in Libya..it happened with hundreds of Japanese living a decent life in the USA and suddenly deported in camps, deprived of their citizenship and way of life, after Pearl Harbour...Of the Maltese internees in Uganda perhaps some memorial is due for the sake of history..without any aspersions cast against any country...
Ms Anna Marie Navarro
Feb 21st, 18:43
@ Chris Tuckley
I am not having a go at the British as you stated, dad was interned by the British Authorities – it is a fact, no matter what the British did for Malta as a nation. People are detained in Guantanamo Bay and Bosnia for instance and it is still very wrong. What about the oppressed people in China? The list is endless. Only when you have someone close to your heart would you understand the suffering especially emotional suffering of all those involved.
Evarist Saliba
Feb 21st, 16:38
The rounding up of Maltese persons when Italy declared war on (and started bombing) Malta, because of their love for Italy, in some cases only perceived, in others just cultural, but in others political including an admiration for Mussolini and his regime, and the deportation of some of them without any trial, is something which cannot be justified by today's standards, especially in times of peace.
However, as rightly pointed out in some comments, this internship of perceived potential collaborators with the enemy was a widespead international practice at the time of World War II. As seen in Nazi occupied countries, like Norway, where "quizling" (the name of a Nazi-loving Norwegian) became the common word to describe a person who sypmatises and goes on to cooperate with the occupier against his fellow countrymen, the perception that the loyalty of such persons was suspect, was based on genuine fear. Of course, one cannot rule out that in some cases this fear was abused by persons with a personal grudge.
Maltese citizens in Italy and Italian colonies were also interned, and it is an outrageous lie that they were better treated than internees in Malta. I say this because I have spoken to persons who were interned in Italy.
The idea of a memorial inscription is not a bad one, but this should be a general one, with no individual names inscribed on it, and it should also commemerate the Maltese interned by Italy, Germany, and possibly Japan.
William Flynn
Feb 22nd, 12:08
The internet then is full of outrageous lies written by Maltese who were interned form North Africa and who state they were very well treated by the Italians and the Germans.
The Italians always treated Malta as an irridenta.
Francis Sammut
Feb 21st, 16:28
This was a sorry state of affairs at the time. Many people all over the world suffered some kind of internment or other because of their believes, association or whatever. For instance in America many Japanese Americans were made to suffer and where interned when Japan decided to invade Pearl Harbour, in Hawaii. In the UK, many people of German, Austrian and Italian lineage, were interned by order of Mr. Churchill. Many were deported to Canada and Australia. Of course, those associated even remotely with Britain during the war and were living in Germany, Italy or in the occupied countries faired no better and were also interned. This is no consolation to Ms Anna Marie Navarro but a reminder of how cruel war can be especially to those civilians who for reasons known only by the authorities of the time, carried-out these diabolic things without giving a thought to all the sufferings caused to families, uncluding children. What happened to these Maltese compatriots, 70 years ago, should never be forgotten.
silvio loporto
Feb 21st, 15:10
I sincerly can't understand why we should consider these men as patriots.
Actually,from what we know and read,they were nothing but tratiors,and other countries would have treated them differently.
Some of them ,in the case that Italy invade and took over Malta,would have been chosen to form a sort of occupation Govt.. I dread to think what they would have done to their fellow Maltese,who opposed Italy.
Would they have gone so far as to stain their hands with Maltese blood for the Glory of Mussolini?
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 21st, 12:54
While I sympathise with Ms Navarro, she has to understand that the Maltese were angry at the daily bombings and killing at the hands of the Italian fascists and their brutal Nazi colleagues. Once therefore understand that the common people, whose lives were shatter by their erstwhile Italian friends, would be angry at anyone seen as being pro-Italian, and therefore the sufferance of the internees when they came back to Malta. You cannot just say how much they suffered without trying to understand why they were made to suffer. Finally, is it true that some pro-Italians had drawn up a list of fellow Maltese who would be either executed or imprisoned if the Italians invaded Malta? I have heard this before but have never come across proof of it.
Chris Tuckley
Feb 21st, 10:29
Ms Navarro you can go back in history, and see such things that have been proved to be wrong. If the British had not helped Malta in the early 1800s you could well have been speaking French, there are many things that should not have happened throughout the history of the world. It seems that all are forgotten except for anything the anti british Brigade in Malta want to remind everyone of. How many Malta lost there lives in the war due to Maltese helping the Grermans and Italians by directing the bombs or passing on information on to the axis forces as to when and what ships are expected and to what they are carrying. I am part Maltese going back to 1805 and am not rubbishing anyone but it always seem that if the Brits had a hand in it lets have a go at them. What would Malta be like if the brits had never done a thing, no one will ever know, good or bad. again its up in the air .
pat muscat
Feb 21st, 09:42
What about those Maltese that were interned in Libya and Tunis by the Italians? What about those Maltese that were interned by the Italians in Italy? These Maltese heroes that were interned because they were against Nazism and Fascism.
William Flynn
Feb 21st, 11:28
The difference is that the Maltese in North Africa and Italy were treated very well by both the Italians and the Germans.
The Italians and the Maltese internees were treated abominably by the British.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 21st, 12:49
Sorry Mr Flynn. I happen to know a Maltese who was interned in Libya in the war and what you state is far from the truth. These men were regularly beaten, starved and badly treated. What I find strange is that some people are making a big fuss over the Maltese interned by the British but quite easily forget their fellow countryment who were interned by the Germans (including a number of jesuit novices) and the Italians. As is usual in this country, even history is politicised.
Chris Tuckley
Feb 21st, 14:44
Mr Flynn I expected your comment as an avid anti brit, if you would care to read your history books they where treated within the international law which as you well know is Called the Geneva convention. If you came to the UK and go to the a Prisoner of war camp called "Eden Camp" you will see for your self. Just to help you that is near York. And as for being treated well by the Germans now who really is not quite right, my uncle was shot down over Germany in 1944 as a 15 stone pilot when he arrive back home after the war he was less than 7 stone and never worked again until his early death because of the treatment by the Germans POW system of course to an anti brit that would be fair treatment.
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 21st, 17:49
@William Flynn
Aren't you forgetting a little something? Such as the 6 million or so people murdered by the Nazis and the uncounted thousands who worked as slaves to make their munitions.
Let's keep a sense of balance- nasty things were done by both sides during the war but I think the Nazis took the biscuit.