A FAMILY is appealing for answers to a wartime mystery.

Ice cream seller Antonio Nardone died when the ocean liner taking him to an internment camp in Canada was torpedoed.

He was one of 613 Italian civilians and German prisoners of war, crew and guards who died when the Arandora Star was sunk by a Nazi U-Boat off Ireland.

The Arandora Star set sail from Liverpool, but was attacked two days later and sank within two minutes.

For the 1,178 on board, there were only 12 lifeboats, but three were unusable.

Antonio's corpse was identified because he still had his Newport, Middlesbrough, workingmen's club card in his pocket.

His wife, who lived in the Beechwood area of Middlesbrough, died in her 70s never knowing where her husband had been laid to rest.

The couple's son, Ernie, was 13 when his father died.

He is now 77 and his son, 44-year-old Peter, has turned sleuth to find answers to the mystery.

He has established his grandfather was buried in Ireland, but does not know where.

Peter Nardone, who lives in Stockton, with his wife, Louise, said: "We have just drawn a blank.

"We do not know if he is in a marked grave or in a mass grave, but if we found out, someone from the family would like to go and pay their respects."

Anyone who can help is asked to write to Mr Nardone at 97 Wimpole Road, Stockton.