They were prisoners of war, but were treated with dignity and respect as they toiled on farmland during their time in a Cheshire village. As a thank you to the foreman of Camp 74 near Tarporley they carved a beautiful box from scrap wood.
Now it is hoped the box will lift the lid on what happened to Paolo Testori, Cristoford Camisasca, and Martino Michetti. In 1943 the trio presented it to Len Pearson who was in charge of the camp. Inside was a card with writing on the back in Italian which translates as "So that you remember the Italian prisoners of the 74 camp".
There was also a photograph dated 27th October 1942 of 15 POWs, which are believed to include the three. The box and its contents has recently been acquired by Nantwich Museum who now hope to trace relatives of the three.
READ MORE: The grisly history of Britain's biggest and worst World War Two internment camp
Graham Dodd, a volunteer at the museum said: "We acquired the box from Malcolm Pearson, the son of Len Pearson. It appears there was a good relationship between the Italian prisoners of war and local people.
"The three were so impressed they presented the box to Len, who they also clearly held in high esteem. In discussion Malcolm noted that the box was polished every week by his mother Mary, an indication of how much it was valued.
It is believed some of the Italian prisoners remained in the Cheshire and North West area, marrying local women, and making a new life for themselves, while others eventually returned to their homeland. While at the camp they were deployed as agricultural workers.
Graham said: "We hope to locate relatives of the three prisoners who made the box and others in the photograph. We would also like to hear from people who worked at the camp or was associated with it.
"It was used for Italian prisoners initially and later for German ones. My intention is to write a booklet on the camp eventually for the museum."
Camp 74 was located on the site of Tarporley Racecourse. A purpose built, standard type camp it included water towers, offices, mess, a canteen guard rooms, barrack huts, cell blocks, toilets and a camp reception station with medical facilities.
There was also a cookhouse, dining rooms and living huts or tents. Once the Italians left It functioned as a German working camp, where prisoners were sent out to work a labourers in the local area.
It is believed it could have been in use up until 1948. It had been demolished by 1953 and the only remaining signs of its existence are two emergency water supply ponds. The racecourse was first opened in 1775 and a grandstand built in 1939. It was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1939 as a POW camp and later a Royal Observer Corp post.
The camp was set back from the road by several hundred meters. Post war and following the demolition of the POW Camp part of the site was developed by the military into a logistics depot, called "Buffer Depot".
Tony Rea, of the Manchester Italian Association, said: "I was contacted in late April by Graham Dodd who told me the story of the little wooden box that had been so lovingly crafted by Italian prisoners stationed in Nantwich and Tarporley, Cheshire.
"Immediately my imagination jumped into overdrive about the war years. I was fascinated to listen to Graham tell me the story, how the little box came into being. The Italian prisoners crafted it in so much detail - typical of Italians to put their creative talents to such good use.
"The same thing happened up in Scotland in the Orkneys, when a group of Italian prisoners built and crafted a beautiful chapel. The prisoners presented the box to the Cheshire camp's superintendent with much affection.
"Italian prisoners were stationed in Warrington, Bellevue Manchester, Nantwich and Tarporley. Many of them met and married English girls and settled in the counties North of England, including Cheshire. The Italian prisoners were put to work on the farms in Cheshire and Lancashire, they were not seen as a threat to the wider community.
"Interestingly, some Italian prisoners did leave children behind that they had to English girls out of wedlock. Back in those days it was a crime to have a baby out of wedlock - I know of a couple of people that this happened to.
"When I wrote my book ''Ancoats Little Italy' in 1988 I received a letter from a young chap who was one of these children. His mother was an English girl and his father an Italian prisoner of war.
"His Italian father wanted his mother to return to Italy with him, but unfortunately, she didn't want to go. The young chap only wanted to find his father. I told the story to a great friend of mine at the time, my Italian language teacher, he said he would help him find his dad.
"I'm glad to say he was reunited with his family in Sicily, and wrote to tell me the good news. I was really touched at the time by the letter, it was such a moving story and I was so pleased that my little book had played a part in bringing about this wonderful outcome. Hopefully the story of the box will help do the same for others."
He added: "My Grandfather Marco Rea was interned along with his co-nationals on the Isle of Man during the Second World War, and the most ironic thing was that they all had sons serving in the British Army.
"My late father saw action in North Africa, Italy and Greece. He and his brothers all served in the British Army in the Second World War, and I have my father's campaign medals. I don't think enough is known about the Italian contribution to the British war effort."
Anyone with information about the Italian prisoners or Camp 74 can contact Nantwich Museum on 01270627104.
READ NEXT
