THE story of a long-forgotten soldier buried in a Llanidloes cemetery has been brought to life thanks to the efforts of two friends from the town.

Trudy Davies and Joy Smout attended a ceremony at the site this week when a cross erected in memory of Osvaldo Bonacini - an Italian prisoner of war who tragically never returned home to his family.

The sad story of Osvaldo Bonacini had been lost for almost 80 years when Trudy and Joy began their work in unearthing the mystery in 2018.

As part of the 'Turn the town red for Remembrance' initiative, Trudy and Joy came across a World War Two grave in the burial records for the town cemetery but could find no record in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission archives.

Joy said: "Curiosity got the better of us and we tried to find out about it but there was no stone or marker."

After much investigating the pair discovered the sad fate of Osvaldo Bonacini, who was born in 1916 but destined to die in the Severn Valley.

Osvaldo was an Italian prisoner of war who arrived in mid Wales following his capture and sent to Glandulas Camp in Newtown.

In December 1943 he was discovered dead on the railway line near Newtown and buried in an unmarked grave in Llanidloes cemetery on December 20.

Trudy and Joy were determined to ensure the Italian prisoner of war was remembered and set about searching for his descendants.

"We wrote to the Italian Embassy to find a relative or someone in Italy to inform them and say that we would like to put a cross on the grave as it had been left with no marker since his death," Trudy said.

"Joy and I felt that he should have his name on grave."

However no descendants came forward and Trudy felt the Italian who died so far from home had been forgotten.

Yet the pair had not given up and last week a small service was held with a wooden cross erected with the name of Osvaldo Bonacini ensuring the long-forgotten Italian prisoner of war's name will live on.

Trudy said: "We now feel that we can rest at ease now that he has finally got a marker on his final resting place far away from his homeland.

"If only we could find a relative to share the story with. They may not even know that he is here or where he is .

"We would like to thank Shirley Owen, clerk to the burial board and committee for their help and support."