Tuesday, 28 May 2013

“AN ACTIVE MILITANT UNTIL THE END”


The SWF breaks the news of Silvio Corio’s death to comrades in Italy

(Written in French.)

c/o Syndicalist Workers Federation,

25a Amberley Road., London, W.9, England

 [undated]  [January 1954]

M. Mantovani  

Piazza G. Grandi, N.4,

Milan, Italy.


Dear Comrade Mantovani,

                It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the death of our dear old comrade, SILVIO CORIO,  He was 78 years old.

                He died on Monday 11th January. His body was cremated on 14th January at Manor Park, in north-east London.

                Apparently comrade Corio, two weeks before his death, received the news that his sister had died in Palermo.  As I believe you know, he had not been in good health in recent years and the shock of that unexpected news was too much for him to bear.

                Our good comrade Corio remained an active militant until the end of his life. On the 2nd of November he attended the sessions of the congress of our section of the IWMA (SWF), to which he had been affiliated since it was founded in 1950. He made several contributions to the conference debates, making  practical suggestions for developing the anarcho-syndicalist movement in Britain. That was the last time we saw Silvio Corio. He wrote to our group in London  after the Congress, however, and we didn’t know he was shortly to leave us for ever. We retain the best memories of him: his exemplary life, his friendship, his profound sense of solidarity.

                We expect you will wish to publish an obituary notice in Il Libertario. We should be very grateful if you would do us the favour of passing on this sad news to the other publications of the Italian anarchist press, in particular Guerra di Classe and l’Umanita Nova.

In great sorrow, comrade, and with our fraternal wishes.

(Ken Hawkes)

[Translation: Liz Willis]
IWMA = International Workingmen’s Association (in the terminology of the time, regrettable perhaps but not to be taken to imply male exclusivity). The French is AIT, Association Inernationale des Travailleurs.







No comments:

Post a Comment