Italian Prisoners from the Koo Wee Rup Prisoner of War Camp

There was an Italian Prisoner of War Camp at Koo Wee Rup which operated from August 1944 until February 1946. I have written about it here. I came across some records of some of the men who were interned at Koo Wee Rup at the National Archives of Australia (NAA). The records are part of Series A7919 - Prisoners of War files, 1939-1945. There must have been other men, but these are all I can find at the moment. 

The NAA also has two digitsed files connected to these Italian Prisoners - 'Service and Casualty Form' (Series MP1103/1), which is generally one page, but may run to two pages. The other file is the  'Report on POW' (Series MP1103/2), which is generally two pages. Examples of both are shown below. I have included the links to these records for each man.

This is Salvatore Allevato's Service and Casualty Form (Series MP1103/1) from the National Archives and it shows where they were captured, date of birth, occupation, next of kin and the locations of their internment in Australia.

Above and below are the Report on POW' (Series MP1103/2) for Salvatore Allevato. The form lists date of birth, occupation, next of kin, height, weight and complexion, place of capture and entry to Australia.

What follows is a copy and paste from the NAA search results and is a list of Italian prisoners who spent time at Koo Wee Rup.

Allevato, Salvatore (Army) PWI 57552 - Born: 18 October 1916, Caccuri Catanzaro Italy - Captured: 22 November 1941, Sollum Libya - Previously interned: 16 December 1941, India - Arrived Australia: HARDY, 16 JANUARY 1944, Melbourne Victoria - Interned: Vakool Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy. This prisoner of War was transferred to Koo-Wee-Rup, 23 January 1945. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Bandini, Gino (Army) PWI 56541 - Born: 23 April 1910, Terranova (Arezzo) - Captured: 27 March 1941, Keren, Eritrea - Previously interned: 4 June 1942, Camp No 14 Pow Camp - Arrived Australia: LURLINE, 16 November 1943, Melbourne - Interned: PWCC V19 Koo Wee Rup - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Colliva, Ivan (Army) PW 61224 - Born: 1 September 1920, Modena Italy - Captured: 10 December 1940, Sidi Barrani Libya - Previously interned: 20 January 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 26 April 1944, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

De Angelis, Angelo. PWI 58349 - Born: 25 July 1901, Aquila Italy - Captured: Not known - Previously interned: 22 January 1941, India - Arrived Australia: Not known - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

De Filippo, also as Defilippo, Mario (Army) PWI 47457 - Born: 14 February 1913, Lucera (Foggia) - Captured: 11 December 1940, Sidi Barrani Egypt - Previously interned: Middle East - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 16 August 1941, Sydney - Interned: PWCC V19 Koo Wee Rup - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Delfino, Giacomo PWI 58370 (Army) - Born: 7 August 1918, Minervino Bari, Italy - Captured: 9 December 1949, Alam el Nibewa - Previously interned: 4 January 1941, India - Arrived Australia: Not known - Interned: Koo-wee-rup, Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947 for Naples, Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

De Libero, also as Delibero, Giacomo PWI 48044 (Army) - Born: 3 May 1911, Cerreto, Benevento, Italy - Captured: 21 January 1941, Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 27 May 1941, Sydney, New South Wales - Interned: Koo-wee-rup, Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947 for Naples, Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Dormizzi, Ugo PW 61301 - (Army) - Born: 18 January 1910, Esperia, Frosinoone, Italy - Captured: 11 December 1940, Buq Buq, Egypt - Previously interned: 5 March 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 26 January 1944, Melbourne, Victoria - Interned: PWCC V19 KOO WEE RUP- Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947 for Naples, Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Duranti, Argentino (Army) PWI 59051 - Born: 9 August 1912, Candia (Ancona) Italy - Captured: 11 July 1941, Neggio - Previously interned: 4 December 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 11 July 1941, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: ORONTES, 21 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Ferrante, Ludovico (Army) PWI 48505 - Born: 1 January 1915, Casoria Napoli - Captured: 22 January 1941, Tobruk Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 13 October 1941, Sydney - Interned: Koo Wee Rup 'D' PWCC V19 Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Franco, Giuseppe (Army) PWI 58453 - Born: 8 April 1914, Roseto Capo Spulico Cosenza Italy - Captured: 8 April 1941, Massaua [Mitsiwa] Eritrea - Previously interned: 17 October 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 5 February 1944, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.    

Franco, Michele (Army) PWI 47466 - Born: 18 February 1920, Carbonara (Bari) Italy - Captured: 10 December 1940, Sidi El Barrani Egypt - Previously interned: Middle East - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 16 August 1941, Sydney New South Wales - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.  

Iannitto, Luigi  (Army) PWI 45897 - Born: 2 August 1912, Lentini Italy - Captured: 11 December 1940, Libya - Previously interned: 4 March 1941, Geneifa Egypt - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 27 May 1941, Sydney - Interned: Koo Wee Rup - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Maffei, Adolfo (Army) PWI 46246 - Born: 25 April 192-, Comano Apuana Italy - Captured: 9 December 1940, Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 27 May 1941, Sydney New South Wales - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Mancini, Giuseppe (Army) PWI 62277 - Born: 19 March 1912, Sant'Agata Dei Goti - Captured: 6 February 1941, Agedabia Libya - Previously interned: 22 January 1942, India - Arrived Australia: MT VERNON, 27 April 1944, Melbourne Victoria - Interned: Koo Wee Rup, Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Michetti, Gabriele (Army) PWI 61507 - Born: 25 April 1920, Bucchianico Italy - Captured: 3 January 1941, Bardia Libya - Previously interned: 18 Febuary 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 26 April 1944, Melbourne Victoria - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Pagnanelli, Giuseppe (Army) PWI 61551 - Born: 12 May 1916, Tolle Chieti Italy - Captured: 3 January 1941, Bardia Libya - Previously interned: 22 February 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 26 April 1944, Melbourne Victoria - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Pasquero, Dario (Army) PWI 59054 - Born: 1 October 1912, Cavallermaggiore (Cuneo) Italy - Captured: 27 May 1941, east Africa - Previously interned: 1 November 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 5 November 1944, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: ORONTES, 21 January 1947, for Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Perrone, Angelo (Army) PWI 62451 - Born: 15 April 1916, Messina Italy - Captured: 6 January 1941, Bardia Libya - Previously interned: 19 Febuary 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MT VERNON, 26 April 1944, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Raggazzini also as Ragazzini, Antonio (Army) PWI 46569 - Born: 2 December 1916, Casola Val Senior - Captured: 5 February 1941, Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 27 May 1941, Sydney - Interned: PWCC V19 Koo Wee Rup - Departed: ORONTES, 21 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here  and MP1103/2 here.

Sciammarelia also as Sciammarella, Mario (Army) PWI 48323 - Born: 8 December 1916, Paola Cosenza Italy - Captured: 11 December 1940, Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: QUEEN MARY, 13 October 1941, Sydney New South Wales - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Spurio, Umberto (Army) PWI 63503 - Born: 28 January 1911, Treia Macerata Italy - Captured: 8 May 1941, Passo Falaga Abyssinia - Previously interned: 9 September 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MARIPOSA, 27 April 1944, Melbourne - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: ORONTES, 21 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Valerio, Carmine (Army) PWI 61769 - Born: 18 January 1911 - Captured: 4 January 1941, Bardia, Libya - Previously interned: 20 February 1941, India - Arrived Australia: Not known - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: 21 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Venturato, Albino (Army) PWI 62662 - Born: 20 January 1920, Montebelluna Italy - Captured: 9 December 1940, Sidi El Barrani Libya - Previously interned: 20 January 1941, India - Arrived Australia: MT VERNON, 26 April 1944, Melbourne Victoria - Interned: Koo Wee Rup, Victoria - Departed: OTRANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy.  Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Zerbini, Nello (Army) PWI 61843 - Born: 14 June 1919, Bolona Italy - Captured: Alam el Niberra Middle East - Previously interned: 4 January 1941, India - Arrived Australia: Not known - Interned: Koo Wee Rup Victoria - Departed: ORONTES, 21 January 1947, for Naples Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.    

Zuzzaro, Romeo (Army) PWI 63626 - Born: 13 February 1913, Forria, Italy - Captured: 5 January 1941, Bardia, Libya - Previously interned: Not known - Arrived Australia: VERNON CASTLE, 27 April 1944, Melbourne, Victoria - Interned: Koo - Wee- Rup, Victoria - Departed: T S OERANTO, 10 January 1947, for Naples Italy. Digitsed record Series MP1103/1 here and MP1103/2 here.

Italian Prisoner of War Camp at Koo Wee Rup

The Koo Wee  Rup Swamp Historical Society has copies of Commonwealth Government Hirings Service documents relating to the World War Two Italian Prisoner of War Camp at Koo Wee Rup or Bayles - the documents use both names to describe the location of the Camp. Hirings Service was located at Askew House, 364 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. The official  name of the Department appears to be Department of the Interior, Hirings Section Central Office and the documents are part of the Commonwealth Record Series B985.

The Society has had a few enquiries about this Camp, mostly relating to the names of prisoners, however no names are included in the documents and as you might expect from a War bureaucracy much of the material relates to administration and officialdom. However, more about the names of the prisoners later in this post. The Society does not have any photographs of the Camp, though would be keen to see some.

To establish the Camp, on August 7, 1944 the Commonwealth Government took possession of 58 acres of land, consisting of Parts 6, 7 & 8, Section S, Parish of Koo Wee Rup, which is the south side of the Main Drain Road, between Backhouses Road and Ballarto Road. The land was owned by the Estate of Ardolph Edward Mosig and Frederick Leonard Smith who were leasing it to Leslie Einsiedel, who used it for grazing. It was described on the inspection report dated July 27, 1944 as “Flat Swamp land, all cleared.”

The actual Camp was only 7¼ acres (see sketch map below) and Mr Einsedel could still run his cattle on the remaining land. There were no buildings on the block but there was a dam, which would be used by the Camp and so a trough was provided for Mr Einsiedel’s cattle. He was also paid 30 shillings per acre per annum, which is £10/17/6 per annum, for the use of the land.

A plan of the location of the Camp in a letter sent to Mr L. Einsiedel, who was leasing the land, on August 8, 1944 from Major C.W. Hutton, Assistant Director of Hirings. The writing at the top says - Main Canal, catch drain, Roadway.

The Prisoner of War Camp property, Lots 6, 7 & 8  is circled in red. The township of Bayles is circled at bottom of map 

Ballarto Road now extends through directly to Five Mile Road.

Koo-Wee-Rup, County of Mornington, drawn and reproduced at the Dept. of Lands and Survey, Melbourne, 1939.

State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/104366

The letter, dated August 8, 1944 to Mr Einsiedel from Major Hutton confirming that they 

will take over some of his land.

The Camp was scheduled to open October 21, 1944. There would be one officer and ten ‘other ranks’ and 88 POWs, including one who was a medical orderly. The camp would consist of ‘P’ type huts from the Rowville Army Camp, and there was a one ton van and two 30cwt trucks to transport prisoners to and from work. The Prisoners were employed by the Department of Commerce and Agriculture and they were paid 1/3d per day, plus they were provided with all equipment, blankets, clothing, food etc. The prisoners came from the Murchison Camp and had a medical and dental examination before they were ‘allotted’ to local farmers to provide labour. Local contractors would provide perishable foodstuffs and appropriate arrangements were made with the local church authorities for the spiritual welfare of prisoners. Most other arrangements e.g. financial appear to have been dealt with at Murchison.

The next lot of material we have comes from February 1946 when the camp was being dismantled; the hire of land was terminated on February 22, 1946. There is a list of buildings that were sold which gives us some idea as to what the Camp would have looked like. All buildings were made of CGI, which I assume is corrugated galvanised iron, though some were made from, at the time, the popular asbestos cement.

Buildings No.1, No. 2, and No. 3 all described as Sleeping Huts and all were 60 feet 8 inches by 18 feet 8 inches in size. They were sold to Melbourne University for £370.00.

Building No.4 - Kitchen and Mess 93 ft 4 inches by 18 feet 8 inches – sold to Toora R.S.L for £250.00.

Building No.5 - Kitchen, Mess, Recreation and Sleeping – 78 feet 8 inches by 18 feet 8 inches – sold to the Athlone Presbyterian Church for £210.00.

Buildings 8 & 9 - Latrines, each 12 feet by 12 feet. Sold to Frankston Fire Brigade for £51.00.

Building No.12 - Kitchen Store ,60 feet 8 inches by 18 feet 8 inches, and the Drying Room, 23 feet 4 inches by 18 feet. Sold to Loreto Convent, Toorak for £175.00

Mess and a Provision Hut - 57 feet by 18 feet, sold for £144.00 through Melgaard & Co.

It appears that all buildings were removed by April 1947 and the Army then paid the owners just over £53.00 for damage, removal of concrete foundations etc.

Letter about the sale of building 4 to the Toora RSL.

This is a scan of  a copy of a copy of the original, so it's bit hard to read.

So that’s what we know from the official documents. I asked my father, Frank Rouse,  many years ago if he knew anything about the Camp (he would have been eleven at the time the camp was operating) and he also spoke to two other local identities, Bill Giles and Ian Clark. Bill and Ian agree there was no strong security at the Camp and there was no security at weekends, but the prisoners had to wear orange overalls. Bill remembers seeing prisoners walking along the road at night when he was riding his bike home, and they could walk along the drain bank into Koo Wee Rup and to the Bay.

The POWs worked at selected farms including Roxburgh's Asparagus farm, Cheriton Park,  at Vervale. This was on the south side of Fallon Road, from Dessent Road, through to Simpson Road. Dad remembers truckloads of the prisoners driving down Dessent Road to Cheriton Park in the morning, one guard on each truck. At lunch time a food van with a portable cooker would go the farm to feed them. Another truck load of prisoners would go to Dalmore. Cheriton Park was sold to A.J.C., in 1951, you can read about the history of the farm, here. 

Bill said they also worked on the Kinsella Brothers farm (Dan, Norman and Arthur) which grew a lot of potatoes and asparagus during the War. The Kinsellas were on the north side of the Main Drain, around Eight Mile Road. Dad said his brother Jim (who would have been thirteen at the time) remembers three Italian POWs digging potatoes with forks on the Rouse farm (Joe & Eva Rouse). Jim also remembered, as did Bill and Ian, that the prisoners had their own especially printed money and coins, but we are unsure how this was used. Gerry Cunningham has told me that the Italians also worked on the Cunningham farm on Eight mile Road, Nar Nar Goon South, and he supplied the wonderful photograph, below. 

This is Mario and Silvio, two of the prisoners with Jack, Patsy and Gerard Cunningham. It was taken on the Cunningham farm on Eight mile Road, Nar Nar Goon South.

 I wonder what happened to Mario and Silvio after the War?

Image courtesy of Gerry Cunningham.

I wrote this piece originally in 2011 and since then an interesting book called No Regard for the Truth: Friendship and Kindness. Tragedy and Injustice. Rowvilles's Italian Prisoners of War by Darren Arnott was published in 2019. In December 1944, a camp was opened in Rowville, on the site of the old Army Camp,  to house Italian Prisoners of War. It was under the supervision of the Murchison camp and initially housed 100 inmates. The camp was located on the south west corner of Stud and Wellington Road, when Rowville was still very much a country town. It was very low security and the men worked on the neighbouring farms, the engineers depot at the Oakleigh rail yards or the salvage depot at Fisherman's Bend. In June 1945, Rowville became a relocation camp for prisoners who were to be relocated to other areas. A prisoner, Rodolfo Bartoli, was shot dead by the camp commandant, Captain Waterston, allegedly because he was trying to escape. Rodolfo and another prisoner, Eduardo Pizzi, had spent a short time at Koo Wee Rup, so now we know two of the inmates. It's a great book by Darren and you can buy it through his website https://darrenarnott.com/

I recently discovered that the National Archives of Australia has a Series A7919 - Prisoners of War files, 1939-1945 and also has two digitised files connected to these Italian Prisoners - 'Service and Casualty Form' (Series MP1103/1), which is generally one page, but may run to two pages and lists where they were captured, date of birth, occupation, next of kin and the locations of their internment in Australia. The other file is the  'Report on POW' (Series MP1103/2), which is generally two pages and lists date of birth, occupation, next of kin, height, weight and complexion, place of capture and entry to Australia. From these, I have created a list of some of the Italians who were at one time inmates at Koo Wee Rup here -https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/12/italian-prisoners-from-koo-wee-rup.html

A version of this story, which I wrote and researched, appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past and it has also been published in the Koo Wee Rup Blackfish and other places. This post is revised and updated.