Page 41 - QARANC Vol 18 No 1 2020

deeply that what we had done was very special. They explained that the liberation of Italy from both the German occupation and from Facism was so important, and they truly recognised the sacrifice made on their behalf by those buried there in the cemetery. They were honoured (their word) that we had taken the time and made the effort to visit Fiesole and to pay our respects.
Fiesole was so quiet and so peaceful. The sun shone that day, at least for a while. For a short time I think we did succeed in creating a truly Anglo- Italian shared commemoration and perhaps for some of those who came, a greater understanding of what sets Army nurses apart from those with no military experience”.
I invited our presenters to write reflective accounts of their experiences at Fiesole. Fiona Mitford, who writes poetry and who has won prizes for her writing wrote this:
So young, too much grief, Lives cut short, so brief, Robbed in their prime, Well ahead of time.
Should one die away from home, This resting place quite near to Rome, Tranquil, thought-provoking, so sublime,
Behind which the Arno rolls through time.
Camillo Borziacchiello, Anna La Torre, Keiron Spires, Anna Rovani
These verses (part of a longer poem) were inspired by the side-by-side graves of a young married couple, who died in an air accident moments after their Hudson V1 FK608 took off from Peretola (Florence) Airport on Monday 19 February 1945. All ten on board were killed, including the two pilots. Diana Mary Manning was a cadet ensign with the Women’s Transport Service (FANY). She was returning from her honeymoon with her husband of 15 days, Flying Officer Ray Manning RAFVR. The inscription on their graves reads: ‘They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they are not divided”.
Olivia Barnes has always been interested in the work of the CWGC and had done some preparatory work on the women’s graves and RAMC graves in the cemetery. She was expecting a very low-key visit and like the rest of us was pleasantly surprised at the effort everyone had gone to to make our visit a success. Olivia continues: “When we arrived and I saw the young Italian soldiers with lances and flags lined up by the Stone of Remembrance, it was hard not to be moved. The sun was shining, sky bright blue, and the long shadows cast by the soldiers had a distinctly surreal feel. I could almost feel the ghostly presence of the long dead and it added something to the beautiful cemetery”.
Olivia placed crosses on the graves of the South African Military Nursing Service nursing assistants, Shirley
Williamson (aged 23) and Joyce Saville (aged 21). They died together in a road traffic accident on 21 December 1944.
I was fortunate to meet with the War Cemetery gardener, who had an amazing amount of knowledge about who was buried at Fiesole. The cemetery is one of the most beautiful and tranquil that I have visited, and it was a privilege to meet the man who was responsible for its care. He had made a special effort to come and watch our little ceremony, and had brought his young daughter along with him. She didn’t speak English, so her father had to explain to her what we were asking.
I have visited many war cemeteries over the years, and always make a point of writing in the Register of Visitors. My dedication is always the same ‘In memory of Douglas Brodie, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, missing in Singapore, February 1942’. An uncle I never met, but who lived in the memory of my mother all her life. Each serviceman and woman buried in Fiesole left behind a grieving family, and we remain eternally grateful for their sacrifice so that we can enjoy liberty and freedom.
Keiron Spires, Alison Spires, Olivia Barnes & Fiona Mitford Chair and members of the Association Heritage Committee
The Gazette QARANC Association 39
Our very grateful thanks go the Board of Trustees for generously supporting our attendance at the conference; to Anna La Torre, conference organiser for her invaluable assistance and friendship; to Colonello Antonio Zarcone for his help in organising our cemetery visit; to Anna Rovani, the Mayor of Fiesole; to the Italian Army; to the Carabinieri, and lastly to the wonderful gardener at the cemetery, whose name none of us knows!