Elio Spandonari spent eight months in the Cowra POW Camp between 1941 and 1942 before a transfer to Murchison Camp and farm work in Victoria.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 1995 he wrote his memoirs as a gift to his granddaughter Laura.
His memories of his time as a soldier and prisoner of war were remarkably crystal clear.
His account of Cowra Camp offers invaluable insight into the daily life and routines of a prisoner of war.
Elio details his arrival at camp, the buildings, working with the wood cutting gang, the sports equipment provided by the YMCA and food.
Food was scarce in the POW Camps in Egypt while Cowra Camp was remembered for its abundance.
Elio wrote at the time, "The first impression of the new guards was quite benevolent, they treated us with humanity and since we were considered undernourished, we were forced to overeat consisting of the double ration of the Australian military."
"A huge amount of food was delivered to us every day and we had to consume it; ironically: in Africa [Libya and Egypt] little or nothing, here too much!
"Meat, salted butter, jam in quantity, dehydrated fruit of all kinds, sugar, tea, were in such abundance that, to demonstrate the complete scale of the rations, at times (and I am sorry to say it still now ...) it was destroyed by throwing it in the waste incinerator furnace.
"After a short time as a suggestion, we asked for a reduction in rations and, instead of sweets, we asked for spaghetti and tomato sauce.
"The daily dishes that consisted of pasta seasoned in abundance with meat and tomato sauce or minestrone, were generally very abundant so that the Australian guards were almost always present at lunchtime, consuming it often and willingly among us.
"This fattening cycle lasted more than three months. In the camp, various pancetta [fat like a pig], red and ruddy faces appeared, and the need arose to be able to apply themselves to some physical exercise."
Elio's memories reflect that of primary sources. Dr Georges Morel, representative for the International Committee for the Red Cross visited the Cowra Camp on November 11 and November 12, 1941.
In his report he recorded the menu of the week.
Saturday's menu: November 15, 1941
Breakfast: Fresh fruit, cereal and milk, fired sausages with onion gravy, mashed potatoes, bread, butter, jam, tea
Lunch: Corned beef and carrots, fried potatoes, cabbage, bread and butter pudding, bread, butter, tea
Dinner: Spaghetti, apricots and custard, bread, butter, tea
Supper: Pea Soup
From a November 1942 newspaper report, "Italian prisoners-of-war have gained on an average nearly a stone in weight since they reached Australia."
Tiziana Spandonari, daughter of Elio, credits the internet as a powerful tool to reach across the globe and connect to her father's history.
She contacted researcher Joanne Tapiolas in the hope of finding information about her father to complement his memories.
Because Elio was also in Victoria, he had an extra file in the National Archives unlike NSW and Queensland POWs.
This file was a surprise containing a photo of a young Elio and the names and locations of his two farming families.
With the assistance of Tapiolas and the internet, contact was made with Mrs Valda Malloch in Mildura.
Mrs Malloch's father and her uncle Mr Simpson employed prisoners of war at Koraleigh/Nyah.
Her uncle employed Elio and her dad employed Mario Manni.
The memories came flooding back after 75 years for Mrs Malloch and she has given Tiziana invaluable new information.
In return, Tiziana has located Mario's family and shared Mrs Malloch's memories of their father.
Tapiolas reflects, "Mario's family now know that he wasn't forgotten by his Australian farming family. The research is full of unbelievably rewarding surprises."