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Looking for someone to translate Italian postcards ,NZEF soldier


pukman

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Hi there, I have three postcards from a soldier who was Italian ,but served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in WW1.

I would like someone to translate them from Italian to English .His name was Mario Quarello and he jumped ship while he was on a merchant ship ,docked in New Zealand ,and then joined the NZEF .

Thanks Iain


Postcard number 3

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post-44632-0-65306300-1463861529_thumb.j

post-44632-0-20748400-1463861866_thumb.j

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Hi Iain

The first one reads as below. I will try to have a go at the others tomorrow but if others want to beat me to it....

Ian

Dear Lina (?)

A few words to tell you that I have been in London and tomorrow I leave for France. While I was in London there was one of the frequent storms of bombs thrown from the zeppelins...... Mario kisses to all

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Hi Iain

The first one reads as below. I will try to have a go at the others tomorrow but if others want to beat me to it....

Ian

Dear Lina (?)

A few words to tell you that I have been in London and tomorrow I leave for France. While I was in London there was one of the frequent storms of bombs thrown from the zeppelins...... Mario kisses to all

Thanks for that Ian ,I look forward to the other interpretations ,cheers Iain

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Iain

This is the card dated 28 June 1917. Oh dear - he wasn't happy when he wrote this! I am assuming that the last phrase is a proverb or joke but can't trace it. The text is clear (e spero che papa sia guanto).

I cannot make out one word which is in the sentence before he closes. It seems to read Ricevi i piu affri baci do Mario which would make "affri" an adjective - except there isn't one spelled like that! This is reflected in the translation below.

Another possible reading is Ricevi e piu offri baci do Mario even though the 2nd word looks like an i rather than an e. This would mean "You receive and you offer more kisses from Mario" which doesn't seem to make much sense either!

Ian

This little letter to inform you that tomorrow we leave for Featherston and I am very happy and I hope not to return here ever again. I have very much regretted being a soldier and I have no more hope of being free [released]. I hope that Toldio will help me until the end. You get more ??? kisses from Mario. Kisses to all. Write soon. I received your letter yesterday and I hope that father may be a glove.

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Thanks Ian ,This is painting a clearer picture of Mario .Featherston was one of the main army camps in New Zealand.

I think Mario was a rather reluctant soldier, having being in trouble with the law for jumping ship while in New Zealand ,and maybe given the option of jail or the army .

Mario survived the war ,but he contracted TB ,and died in Italy in 1920 .

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And here is the card dated 9-2-12. The script is difficult to interpret at points, not helped by the absence of punctuation!

The verb ???? seems to be presaolere or prezaolere, but I can't trace this

I was going to ask about his Army career and what happened to him during the war. Sad to hear that he did not survive for long afterwards

Ian

Dear Faustina

I write a few words to let you know that I have been in Wellington to ???? my suitcase and I will leave it in Auckland. I am happy that you have received the parcel.

I am not sure when I will go to Auckland but I believe that it may be some weeks, I do not know precisely. I thank you for all the letters that you have written to me. I do not have much time to write. You get a thousand kisses from Mario.

With the hope of seeing you again soon [last word illegible]

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Thanks Ian for your continued help and interest .Mario's file can be viewed online at New Zealand Archives on the Archway search engine .

There were a number of Italians in the 1st NZEF ,but most of them served in the New Zealand Tunnelers company ,as they were miners working over here ,and of course Italy was with the Allies in WW1 .

Mario was on a merchant ship docked in New Zealand ,when he decided to jump ship .A court report in a period newspaper states the then 17 year old (in 1915) was ordered back to his ship .Obviously he didn't and joined the New Zealand army instead in 1917.He served on the Western Front with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade as a Rifleman. He was wounded in the face, but recovered ,and then got sick with T.B .

It was reported to the British consul in Turin in 1921 that he had died in Italy , presumably from the effects of T.B

Cheers Iain

For more images of New Zealand serviceman ,I have a Face Book page ''Unknown Warriors of the NZEF'' which features portrait photo's from my small collection

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Edited by pukman
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I hope that Toldio will help me until the end. You get more ??? kisses from Mario. Kisses to all. Write soon. I received your letter yesterday and I hope that father may be a glove.

I hope that God (not Toldio but Iddio) will help me until the end. 'i piu affn bacci' - the most affectionate kisses, I think, ie 'affn' is an abbreviation.

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I hope that God (not Toldio but Iddio) will help me until the end. 'i piu affn bacci' - the most affectionate kisses, I think, ie 'affn' is an abbreviation.

Thanks for that

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This little letter to inform you that tomorrow we leave for Featherston and I am very happy and I hope not to return here ever again. I have very much regretted being a soldier and I have no more hope of being free [released]. I hope that Toldio will help me until the end. You get more ??? kisses from Mario. Kisses to all. Write soon. I received your letter yesterday and I hope that father may be a glove.

The last line, last phrase, should be: I hope that Dad (papa) will soon be better (sia guarito - literally might be cured - not guanto).

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