Z1205/197

Original in Italian. Transcription translated into English by Carmela Semeraro Male. Italian immigrant, brickworker. b. 23.11.1920 Side A (00 mins)Born in Limatola, an agricultural town in Benevento Province, Italy. Father had emigrated to Buenos Aries, Argentina to find work. He sent some money back home. Grandparents were dead. Just he and his sister. (05 mins)Everyone worked in the land under the crop sharing system. He attended elementary school only, for 5 years. Worked as day worker in fields. At 17 took on some land, crop sharing, and produced enough food crops for family. Called to military service in Libya, aged 20, by Italian fascist government. Second World War started. Captured by British and was prisoner of war (POW) in Egypt, then South Africa, finally England. (10 mins)Glasgow, in barracks, during very cold winter of 1943-44, then Oxford, where they worked on farms. Billeted on a farm. (15 mins)Worked with Land Girls on farms. Returned to Italy 13 June 1946 (after war ended in May 1945). (20 mins)(Mother had died in 1939.) Life in England as a POW was not bad. Married teenage sweetheart 6 Feb 1949 (she was 19; he 30). Town was very different after war - many had not returned after war. From 1951, some of his cousins started to emigrate to Bedfordshire to work for the Marston Vale Brick Company. He came to Marston Moretaine in April 1952, after first child born. (25 mins)60 men travelled together to London. Some then went to work for London Brick Company; some for Marston Vale Company. 300 men of many nationalities - Poles, Yugoslavs, Italians - in the hostel; 4 per room. Cooks form Yugoslavia - did not like their food. Italian cooks from Ampthill transferred to Marston to cook for Italian workers. Italians sent money to families in Italy. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)£2.50 pay. In hostel for 6 years. Returned to Italy for 3 week holiday after two years. No work in home town. Eventually earned £5 per week. Saved hard each month. Spent little. (05 mins)Worked on brick press, taking two bricks off at a time, then transferred to conveyor belt transporting clay to the presses. Saw other men bringing their families over to live in Bedford but in very crowded conditions. (10 mins)Wife and three small children came here 7 Nov 1957. He was the first to rent a Marston Valley Co. house, which they later bought. She missed her mother. (15 mins)Had occasional Italian lodgers with them, when they first arrived to work. Their first daughter eventually married an English man. Second daughter met an Italian on holiday and they married over her. Wife never went out to work. (20 mins) Annual holidays to see his sister. Bought their house in 1983 (previously £6-£7 rent per week). Better off in England, with their own house. Each child has done well here. (25 mins)End of Side B.END OF INTERVIEW Original Interview 55 mins.

29 January 2003

From: 1920 To: 2003

English. + Italian

item

Marston Valley Brick Company Limited,
London Brick Company

immigration, brick worker, Italians, agricultural land, World War Two, prisoners of war, Land Army, farm worker, Poles, Yugoslavs, cooking, wages/conditions, lodging houses, Limatola, Benevento (Province), Buenos Aires, Libya, Egypt, South Africa, Glasgow, Oxford, MARSTON MORETAINE