Leo’s Ticket on the Italia Line
Leo said the boat was prevented from making the trip from Lisbon to the U.S. because of Italy’s declaration of war on France and Britain on June 10, 1940, which prevented an Italian line from operating ships between Europe and the U.S. However, the departure date on this ticket is June 4, 1940 — before that declaration. I have been able to find very little about the activities of this ship in this time period.
I did find this:
“For the rest of the Thirties, the Augustus continued her popular service as a combined liner and cruise ship. These happy days ended in 1939, when Germany’s Adolf Hitler attacked his neighbours, the Polish. At the start of Armageddon, both Roma and Augustus were laid up. Before the war, the Italian Line had planned extensive refits for both ships, but at the outbreak of war this was shelved. After some time in lay-up, the Italian Navy took over the two sisters.”
http://thegreatoceanliners.com/articles/augustus/
Leo said the boat was prevented from making the trip from Lisbon to the U.S. because of Italy’s declaration of war on France and Britain on June 10, 1940, which prevented an Italian line from operating ships between Europe and the U.S. However, the departure date on this ticket is June 4, 1940 — before that declaration. I have been able to find very little about the activities of this ship in this time period.
I did find this:
“For the rest of the Thirties, the Augustus continued her popular service as a combined liner and cruise ship. These happy days ended in 1939, when Germany’s Adolf Hitler attacked his neighbours, the Polish. At the start of Armageddon, both Roma and Augustus were laid up. Before the war, the Italian Line had planned extensive refits for both ships, but at the outbreak of war this was shelved. After some time in lay-up, the Italian Navy took over the two sisters.”
http://thegreatoceanliners.com/articles/augustus/
I notice at the bottom it says, “This voucher will not be honored on board ship and must be exchanged for the regular Passage Contract at one Company’s Office at the Port of Embarkation”. Is it possible that the ship was already “laid up” when Leo paid for his passage, and whoever sold this to him knew or should have known that it would never be honored?
Leonid Hurwicz Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Box 23, File: Emigration documents and related papers, 1939-1946 and n.d. [not dated]