At the beginning of June 2021, I received an e-mail from Italy concerning the evacuation ship the MV Isonzo. (See my post below, ‘Are you a fellow MV Isonzo Refugee?’) which transported me and many others from Port Harcourt in what was then Biafra, to Lagos, at that time the capital of Nigeria. The writer informed me he had been a member of the Isonzo crew on that voyage.
His name is Luciano Trevisan and he was, at that time, the ship’s third engineer and only 25 years old. (I was the same age). I was so delighted to receive his email, which at least gave me the opportunity, after 54 years, to thank one member of the crew for safely delivering us all from the food shortages and heavy fighting that was fast encroaching on Port Harcourt.
We exchanged several e-mails and he disclosed the existence of a Pathe News film, taken at the time, of the Isonzo entering Lagos harbour on 22 July 1967. I had never seen this film before and it was with some emotion, despite the passage of 54 years, that I viewed it for the first time. I could not see myself on board the ship, there were far too many people and the film quality is a little grainy, but there was a short clip of Mr Trevisan standing with his chief engineer (the man in glasses) watching us all disembark.
Mr Trevisan told me that after the Isonzo trip he went on to study to be second engineer on passenger liners to Australia and other destinations for some years and then achieved his Chief Engineer’s ticket and served aboard container ships until he retired.
It means a great deal to me when people respond like this so thank you again Mr Trevisan for your service on that voyage and for making contact. Are there any more Isonzo crew members out there?
This is the link to the film.
For the full story of the evacuation and much more, read my memoir The Up-Country Man featured below.
(Photographs of the Isonzo courtesy of Mr Trevisan)
African Tales 