Alberto Stebel


Alberto Stebel was an Italian naval lieutenant, member of the Italian navy, second in command of the military in the concession of Tianjin. Temporarily, after being diagnosed with tubercolosis, he was also stationed as the commander of the units in the concession of the Italian fort in Shanhai Pass in 1943 up until his arrest by the Japanese Imperial Army as a prisoner of war of the Japanese-Italian war. He was born in Trieste's, during the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Life prior to enlistment

Stebel was born on 23 June 1909 in Trieste's VII District and was the son of Edoardo Stebel. He worked for the Trieste Harbor Office prior to his enlistment alongside his older brother, Luigi Arcangelo Stebel. Even after his brother was removed from his post due to abandoning sailing, he continued to work in the harbor.

Career

Alberto Stebel became part of the Italian naval command in the Far East since 24 December 1941, and had an important role in Italy's concessions within China during his career, being second in command after Carlo dell'Acqua. He also worked in the Shanghai International Settlement in a semi-prominent position up until its dissolution.
On 8 September 1943, he was stationed at the Italian fort of Shanhai Pass due to his deteriorating health caused by tubercolosis, and thus, his inability to fill his role as second-in-command in Tianjin. During this time he also assumed the role of medical reserve captain.
He was forcefully detained and sent back to the concession of Tianjin on September 11th, specifically the.
He soon after refused to adhere to the Italian Social Republic and thus was sent to Kiangwan internment camp in Shanghai on September 15, 1944. He'd stay there up until 9 May 1945. When his critical conditions for his untreated tubercolosis got bad he was sent to the hospital in the criminal prison of Shanghai. He'd stay in the prison's hospital up until July 1945 when he was transferred to another hospital where he remained until the end of September before being retrieved by the Italian embassy. On 15 March 1946, he was reinstated into service, and he continued to work up to 22 March 1946 from the Nantau Hospital.
He would finally return to Italy on a ship named "Sestriere" directed towards Naples on May 14, 1947.