Landi, Carlo, b. 1872

History

The Admiralty was a British authority that oversaw the functions of the Royal Navy. During and after World War I, the British Admiralty Salvage Section, as dictated by the Admiralty, was responsible for the salvaging of ships stranded at sea. Salvage duties included refloating, towing, pumping, dredging and repairing damage to ships. Some ships suffered major damage from torpedoes, while others only required to be patched, pumped or tugged to another location.

Count Carlo Zanardi Landi (1876-1953) was an Italian nobleman who worked as a Marine Superintendent for the Ocean Salvage Company Limited, a marine salvage company based in London. During World War I, Count Landi was commissioned by the British Admiralty Salvage Section to recover ships primarily stranded in the British Isles and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Landi was responsible for organizing the crews on the salvage ships, such as divers, blacksmiths and carpenters, and ordering ship supplies. He also accompanied and managed crews traveling to various ports as dictated by the British Admiralty.

Landi was married to Countess Zanardi Landi, who claimed to be the secret daughter of Emperor Francis Joseph and Elizabeth of Austria and subsequently wrote the book “The Secret of an Empress”. Count Landi adopted his wife’s children, Tonio and Elissa, who was a film actress from the 1920’s to 1940’s.

From the guide to the Count Carlo Zanardi Landi Collection, 1907-1929, bulk 1917-1927, (California State University, Dominguez Hills Archives and Special Collections)