The Slightly Italian Sounding Margaret Smith of Shanghai

A fascinating little historical detail from Caroline Moorehead’s jbiogust published biography of Edda Mussolini (wife of Count Galaezzo Ciano, the former Italian Consul to Shanghai). In late 1943 after the Armistice of Cassibile signed on 3 September 1943 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies resulting in Italy joining the Allies and what the Germans believed to be the betrayal of Germany by Italy, Count Ciano and Edda fled to Germany – Munich to be precise. There, they thought, Hitler would provide them with identities and smuggle them out to South America. They did take new passport photos – Ciano, with a fake moustache, was told he would be an Argentinian of Italian descent. Edda was to have a new life as “Margaret Smith”, an English woman born in Shanghai. As Edda had loved their time in Shanghai (though not Ciano’s constant womanising) she might just of got away with it – though her resemblance to her father might have been an issue!