Decimo Paolini Found - WWII
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Thanks for visiting our gofundme.com page. Joanne Paolini and Rebecca Valentine are the American granddaughters of Pietro Paolini and Quinto Paolini who immigrated to the US around 1910 to start a new life in America. This gofundme.com campaign is about a famous WWII story of the disappearance of Decimo Paolini (brother of Quinto and Pietro), which will help fund, the expenses to send the children and close family of Decimo to his memorial site to bring closure to this 73 year old mystery.
In Montecatini Italy in 1939 Decimo was married, had two boys and remained in Italy unlike four of his siblings who immigrated to the US. During WWII Decimo disappeared without any trace until I found evidence on line about his death just recently. The Italian family with help from the American Paolini family. is now asking to raise funds so Decimo’s children, who are now in their 80’s – still in Italy, can travel to the memorial of this now famous WWII story of his death to pay tribute and bring closure. The story of the disappearance of Decimo starts here.
Maybe Decimo Paolini was allowed on the deck of the RMS Nova Scotia at 7 AM on November 28, 1942. Maybe he peered at the growing South African coast with a mixture of dread and hope—dread of the fate that awaited him as an Italian prisoner of war and hope of finally being reunited with his wife and two sons.
He and his family had been sent under the direction of Mussolini to aid in the development of Asmara and convert the Ethiopian territory into Piccola Roma or “Little Rome. ” When the British invaded Ethiopia, Decimo was separated from his family who were sent back to Italy. He and 765 other POWs were to be interned in South Africa for the duration of the war.
Decimo had been at sea for thirteen days, a journey made longer due to the ship’s zig zag course meant to allude German U-boats. Thirty-one miles from coast, maybe he felt a sense of relief at finally reaching port. Maybe the British would treat him well in South Africa.
At 7:15 AM, German submarine U-177 fired three torpedoes at the Nova Scotia . Of the six lifeboats on board, only one was intact and dispatched in time. Maybe Decimo made it onto that boat. If not, maybe he was one of the passengers who grabbed a life jacket and jumped overboard before flames engulfed the entirety of the deck. Maybe he was among the initial survivors the U-boat came across. Captain Robert Gysae, horrified at the devastation he had caused, called out to the survivors clinging to the wreckage over and over again in English. “I am sorry. Gysae did radio for help and received the reply, “Continue operating. Waging war comes first. No rescue attempts.”
It took just seven minutes for all 6,796 tons of the Nova Scotia to sink into the ocean forever. Maybe Decimo was trapped below deck and drowned. Or maybe one of the fuel tanks exploded near him. It may be that he died of hypothermia.
But maybe not. Maybe Decimo made it through the night. Maybe he floated with the others in the frigid water, discussing the things they would eat and drink as soon as they were rescued. Maybe Decimo was a victim of one of the largest mass shark attacks in recorded history, killed by a 370-pound oceanic whitetip who cared nothing about nationalities, treaties, or wars. Maybe he was spared all of these fates and was instantly killed by one of the U-boat’s torpedoes.
Decimo’s two sons will never know how their father ultimately died, their thoughts of him resigned to infinite maybes. We now ask for your help to raise the $19,500 needed to send Decimo’s family to the memorial in South Africa commemorating the 858 lives lost that day. Such a visit could give Decimo’s family the closure they have lacked for the past seventy-three years.
In Montecatini Italy in 1939 Decimo was married, had two boys and remained in Italy unlike four of his siblings who immigrated to the US. During WWII Decimo disappeared without any trace until I found evidence on line about his death just recently. The Italian family with help from the American Paolini family. is now asking to raise funds so Decimo’s children, who are now in their 80’s – still in Italy, can travel to the memorial of this now famous WWII story of his death to pay tribute and bring closure. The story of the disappearance of Decimo starts here.
Maybe Decimo Paolini was allowed on the deck of the RMS Nova Scotia at 7 AM on November 28, 1942. Maybe he peered at the growing South African coast with a mixture of dread and hope—dread of the fate that awaited him as an Italian prisoner of war and hope of finally being reunited with his wife and two sons.
He and his family had been sent under the direction of Mussolini to aid in the development of Asmara and convert the Ethiopian territory into Piccola Roma or “Little Rome. ” When the British invaded Ethiopia, Decimo was separated from his family who were sent back to Italy. He and 765 other POWs were to be interned in South Africa for the duration of the war.
Decimo had been at sea for thirteen days, a journey made longer due to the ship’s zig zag course meant to allude German U-boats. Thirty-one miles from coast, maybe he felt a sense of relief at finally reaching port. Maybe the British would treat him well in South Africa.
At 7:15 AM, German submarine U-177 fired three torpedoes at the Nova Scotia . Of the six lifeboats on board, only one was intact and dispatched in time. Maybe Decimo made it onto that boat. If not, maybe he was one of the passengers who grabbed a life jacket and jumped overboard before flames engulfed the entirety of the deck. Maybe he was among the initial survivors the U-boat came across. Captain Robert Gysae, horrified at the devastation he had caused, called out to the survivors clinging to the wreckage over and over again in English. “I am sorry. Gysae did radio for help and received the reply, “Continue operating. Waging war comes first. No rescue attempts.”
It took just seven minutes for all 6,796 tons of the Nova Scotia to sink into the ocean forever. Maybe Decimo was trapped below deck and drowned. Or maybe one of the fuel tanks exploded near him. It may be that he died of hypothermia.
But maybe not. Maybe Decimo made it through the night. Maybe he floated with the others in the frigid water, discussing the things they would eat and drink as soon as they were rescued. Maybe Decimo was a victim of one of the largest mass shark attacks in recorded history, killed by a 370-pound oceanic whitetip who cared nothing about nationalities, treaties, or wars. Maybe he was spared all of these fates and was instantly killed by one of the U-boat’s torpedoes.
Decimo’s two sons will never know how their father ultimately died, their thoughts of him resigned to infinite maybes. We now ask for your help to raise the $19,500 needed to send Decimo’s family to the memorial in South Africa commemorating the 858 lives lost that day. Such a visit could give Decimo’s family the closure they have lacked for the past seventy-three years.
Organizer
Joanne Paolini
Organizer
Scottsdale, AZ
