Alessandro Pacitti
1908-1991
St Petersburg

Alessandro Pacitti (born 28 December 1908 at St Petersburg, Russia) was one of the ‘Russian Pacitti’ who used to live at 62 George Street, Glasgow - just along the road from my father's family. They were so named to differentiate the family from my Nonno Alfonso's. Alessandro's grandparents, Nicola and Angela Rosa Pelosi were born at Picinisco, Italy. The family fled Russia at the time of the Revolution, returning briefly to Italy before emigrating once more to Glasgow.

Alessandro was also rescued from the Arandora Star and travelled to Australia along with Pasquale Pacitti (my Nonno Alfonso's elder step-brother) on the SS Dunera. He followed a similar route to Tatura and Loveday Camps before being released to UK on 29 January 1943.

His recollection of his wartime ordeals is recorded in Pietro Zorza's book - Arandora Star, published in 1985.

"Stavo scendendo giù quando sentii il colpo .... il bastimento si fermò. Corsi sopra e vidi una scialuppa dove stavan entrando dei soldati. Saltai dentro. Ma il capitano fermò tutti. Fece scendere due soldati: e ordinò loro di calare la scialupa adagio. Ma uno non ce la fece e lasciò... Cademmo tutti in acqua. Non sono un gran nuotatore. Riuscii a rimanere a galla. Mi sentiti afferare e mi tirarono dentro in un altra scialupa..
Vidi un Pacitti Pasquale sull'Arandora Star che non si muoveva, non so perchè ... e andò giù.. mi ricord degli uomini che stavano seduti e pensavano alle famiglie... Mi ricordo dei Sacramenti... perché io facevo le vignette, venne da me perchè facessi il suo ritratto..
Quando fui nella scilaupa aiutai due soldati inglese a tirar su una decina di persone. non ci potevano stare molti perchè la nostra era una barca piccola e affondava... Guardavo la nave, andava giù pianino, e poi.. di colpo andò giû.
Arrivò l'aereo .. lasciò cadere un sacco...chi lo prese disse che era vicina un nave e che ci avrebbe raccolti.
Dopo due anni circa lasciai l'Australia, dopo aver attraversato il canale di Panama arrivammo a New York.. Dopo che lasciammo da poco l'America un siluro colpì la nave dove mi trovava e andai di nuovo giù.. anche stavolta fui salvato. "

"I was going down when I heard the blast .... the ship stopped. I ran up and saw a boat where soldiers were entering. I jumped in. But the captain stopped everyone. He made two soldiers get out: and ordered them to lower the boat slowly. But one of them could not do it and he let go ... We all fell into the water. I am not a great swimmer. I managed to stay afloat. Someone grabbed me and they pulled me into another lifeboat.
I saw a Pasquale Pacitti on the Arandora Star that didn't move, I don't know why... and it went down.. it reminded me of the men who sat and thought of families... I remember the Sacraments ... because I was doing the cartoons, he came to me for me to paint his portrait ..
When I was in the lifeboat I helped two English soldiers pull out about ten people. We couldn't stay there long because ours was a small boat and it was sinking... I watched the ship, it went down very slowly, and then... all of a sudden she went down.
The plane arrived .. it dropped a bag ... whoever took it said that a ship was nearby and that he would pick us up.
After about two years I left Australia, after going through the Panama Canal we arrived in New York.. After we had just left America a torpedo hit our ship I went down again.. this time too I was saved. "

In 1990 Alessandro Pacitti, was recognised as a WWII hero and honoured with the title of "Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana" for acts of bravery in saving the lives of Italian prisoners during the sinking of the Arandora Star. He was presented with a gold medal and his certificate was signed by Francesco Cossiga (Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) and Giulio Andreotti (Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri).
Alessandro continued to live and work in Glasgow where he died in 1991 at the ripe old age of 82 years

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