Friends at Wa r , published by Pont Books is a heart-warming story of friendship and loyalty amidst the adversity of war.

It is the summer of 1940, the country is at war and three young boys in the South Wales Valleys, Robert and his friends Aldo and Freddo Moretti, are all desperately waiting for news of their fathers. All three are born and bred in the valleys but Aldo and Freddos family is Italian.

No one has heard from Roberts father since a naval battle with the Germans off the coast of Norway. When an official-looking letter arrives, he is desperate to open it, but scared of what it might say.

Aldo and Freddo are also waiting to hear from their father when news arrives that a large ship, the Arandora Star has been torpedoed by a German U-boat

War is complicated and so is friendship. Roberts loyalty to his best friends is tested when a German prisoner of war helps the Moretti brothers.

In June 1940, when Italy declared war on the British and French forces, Italians who lived in the UK were branded as enemy aliens. In time of war, fear and insecurities often led to anger and hatred and life changed for many Welsh-Italian families in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh-Italian men, both young and old, were arrested and taken from their homes and interned, tearing families apart and splitting communities. On the 2nd of July 1940, the Arandora Star, was attacked by a German U-boat whilst transporting a number of internees to Canada, and more than 800 people tragically lost their lives.

In July 2010, and 70 years since the tragedy, a memorial was unveiled at St Davids Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, Cardiff in memory of the innocent Welsh-Italians who lost their lives when the ship sank off the coast of Ireland.

A valuable resource for schools, Friends at War, would be an ideal text to use as part of WWII themed lessons. Not only does the story give a strong sense of history and highlights a forgotten wartime tragedy the sinking of the Arandora Star, children between 9 and 12 years old will be able to identify with the three boys. The story would also be ideal to use as inspiration for creative tasks.

Readers were first introduced to Robert and Freddo in Alan Lamberts first novel for children, Robertos War. The rough treatment experienced by some of the Italian families living and working in the Valleys during the Second World War inspired Alan to write the original story, Robertos War and the themes of friendship and growing up in a close community are present in both novels.

Alan Lambert grew up in the Merthyr Valley but now lives in London. He is a former teacher and has also worked for the BBC as Commissioning Executive for primary school programmes. His first novel, Robertos War, was published by Pont Books in 2009.


Friends at War is available to buy from all good bookshops and online retailers.



Bibliographical Information:

Friends at War ISBN: 9781848514669 Price: 5.99 pb

Alan Lambert