Stories of War. Stories of friendship.
The 20th century has been torn apart by the burden of misery and destruction caused by two World Wars. However, valuable lessons can be learnt from history: even in situations dominated by pain and desolation, faith can unite men - whether they be civilians or soldiers, and provide a beacon to light up their souls, despite diversity and circumstance.
On the 13th October 1939, the German submarine U47 torpedoed the British battleship HMS Royal Oak, at anchor at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, resulting in the death of 833 sailors. The gravity of the event convinced Winston Churchill to have sea barriers constructed in order to prevent any further attacks from the East. In order to recruit the labour for this project, 1200 Italian prisoners were transferred from the torrid heat of the North African front to the icy climate of the Orkney Islands. For the next five years they were employed in the construction of this imposing work of defence, today famously known as the ‘Churchill Barriers’. Never again would enemy submarines reach the Orkneys.
Even though the Armistice of 1943 brought about an improvement in the conditions of the prisoners, it did not succeed in removing the solitude they felt from being so far away from their loved ones and their nostalgia for their home land. Finding themselves in a foreign country, defeated and unsure of their allegiances, the prisoners looked up towards the heavens seeking comfort. It is this way that they found faith. Just when they seemed to be overcome by desperation, the prisoners found the strength – first spiritual then physical – to build a chapel, a sacred place where they could pray and thus find solace, even just for a few moments, from the hard life of imprisonment. The officer in charge of the camp, Major T.P. Buckland, agreed to the idea but only on one condition: that they build the chapel in their free time, after their shifts on the Barriers.
Although the prisoners only had a Nissen hut (made of prefabricated corrugated iron) and some concrete from the building of the Barriers, their ingenuity and creativity would overcome all obstacles. In a very short time, a team of young POWs Italians, gifted with artistic ability and led by Domenico Chiocchetti, were able to realise what was initially only an idea. Known today as The Italian Chapel, the small church, covered in frescoes by Chiocchetti, contains candelabra made out of tin cans and a tabernacle made out of wood recycled from a sunken ship. On the exterior, blocks of cement carved with admirable talent give shape to the amazing facade and to the bell tower next to it. The Italian Chapel, the most famous monument of the Orkney Islands, visited every year by about one hundred thousand tourists, stands out as an important symbol of hope and spirituality, which is intrinsic to the very nature of man.
“The Chapel is yours – to love and look after. I will take the memory of your kindness and great hospitality back to Italy .... I thank the authorities and all those who directly or indirectly have collaborated in order to realise this project and who gave me the joy of seeing this small chapel again, where I leave a piece of my heart.”
These were the words of Domenico Chiocchetti on his last visit to the Orkneys on the 11th April 1960. The simplicity of his words shows how the symbolic power of the chapel is able to restore a man’s soul. The feeling of peace which it exudes helps to create an affinity with the local people, which allows foreigners – including prisoners – to feel welcome and loved. The common values of faith form a solid basis on which to build sincere human relationships even in the most hostile circumstances.
This imposing manifestation of faith wasn’t an isolated phenomenon experienced by the Italian POWs who had been transported to Scotland. 1000 kilometres away from the Orkneys, another 1200 Italians, captured by the British in Libya and Tunisia, had been transported to Henllan in Wales. They too, in similar circumstances, felt a deep need to find comfort in faith which, independently from the prisoners in the Orkney, Islands, led them to build a similar expression of faith. The prisoners in Wales sacrificed one of their dormitories (another Nissen hut ) to turn it into a sacred place. As in the Orkneys, the building materials were obtained with great difficulty and adapted to uses very different from usual. For example, the beautiful fresco of the Last Supper, created by the prisoner Mario Ferlito, was painted using pigments extracted from carrots, berries, tea leaves and even onion skins.
The above film, in Welsh language, is the only film abailable showing the Italian Chapel of Henllan - presently in a poor state of conservation
One thing which binds the two experiences of the prisoners in Scotland and in Wales is expressed in a sentence which is simple but crammed with meaning:
“This is the house of God and the door to Heaven”.
This message, carved on the entrance to the Welsh chapel, seems to be urging man to ask himself what values he must aspire to in life. An innate sense of solidarity and equality, even in times of war can be evoked by looking up at the heavens, when communal understanding gives us strength and enemies can find themselves praying side by side.
These two chapels are a tangible symbol of a heritage the Italians left to the British people which is not only material but also spiritual. On the other hand, Stories of Friendship, the photographic exhibition organised by YOUMANTY, is an equally fascinating tribute, dedicated to the heritage left by the British in Italy during the Second World War.
More than one hundred photographs from the archives of The Imperial War Museum are an impressive testimony that even in times of great sacrifice, such as war, humanity and its most universal values transcend any cultural or linguistic difference. Stories of Friendship presents meaningful and emotionally charged fragments of everyday life, set amongst the larger framework of encounters between the local Italian population and the British soldiers during their time in Italy from 1943-1945. They are, indeed, stories of friendship, but also stories of love and events which have transcended culture, social status and uniforms. As a result, the region of Puglia, which had a notable role in the events which led to the birth of the Italian Republic, finds herself closely affiliated to the United Kingdom thanks to the ties which the war had powerfully shaped.
The exhibition which is the result of extensive research and planning by YOUMANTY and financed by Regione Puglia and GAL Puglia, aims to be a valuable portrayal of brotherhood and solidarity. This vision of war does not focus on winners and losers but wholeheartedly embraces those testimonies of friendship and solidarity which took place during some of the darkest times in our history.
Stories of Friendship was showcased at the Museum of the Order of St John from 21/07/2014 to 29/08/2014
The above article was researched and written by Mila Kemp, Raffaele Disanto, Pamela Villani, Francesca Rizzo and Annette Murphy.
