South Yorkshire Times, September 24, 1949

A Young Pilgrim

Visit to Mexborough Father’s Italian Grave

Back from Italy last week, where he has been visiting the war grave of his father, was 9-years-old George Douglas Jones, of The Hill, High Melton. In an interview with a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter on Wednesday he told of his experiences.

He left England by the Dover-Calais boat on August 27th with Mr. and Mrs. Moxon, of Clayfield Road, Mexborough, friends of his mother. Mr. Moxon made friends with several Italians when he was posted there during the war, and last year went back to carry on the friendship. rips year, as he was going again with his wife, he offered to take Douglas, so that he might see the grave of his father who was killed while serving with the Welsh Regiment in September,1944, when Duggie was only four.

The young traveller wrote a full account of the route from Doncaster to Arezzo, where he stayed for three weeks. In the white housed town in which he lived with the Moxons and their friends, he found things very different from Melton. When asked what impressed him most, and what he most preferred, he replied that it was the food. He had had either chicken, rabbit, pigeon or partridge every day, although he had been rather upset to find that the people ate the heads and ears too. With wine (watered down) every day, and an abundance of grapes, peaches as big as grapefruit, and other delectable foods, he was perfectly content with lunch and dinner, the only meals he had.

Although, as he said, he couldn’t understand much, he got on very well with the Italians and became firm friends with the boy next door, one of his own age.

On the day that the party went to see his father’s grave, which has been given a new headstone by the Government there, they had to hire a car, as the cemetery, at Coriano, was 120 miles away.

Douglas intends to return some day, the only difficulty, so far as he can see, being the crossing, for he was very sea-sick coming back.

Back from Italy last week, where he has been visiting the war grave of his father, was 9-years-old George Douglas Jones, of The Hill, High Melton. In an interview with a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter on Wednesday he told of his experiences.

He left England by the Dover-Calais boat on August 27th with Mr. and Mrs. Moxon, of Clayfield Road, Mexborough, friends of his mother. Mr. Moxon made friends with several Italians when he was posted there during the war, and last year went back to carry on the friendship. rips year, as he was going again with his wife, he offered to take Douglas, so that he might see the grave of his father who was killed while serving with the Welsh Regiment in September,1944, when Duggie was only four.

The young traveller wrote a full account of the route from Doncaster to Arezzo, where he stayed for three weeks. In the white housed town in which he lived with the Moxons and their friends, he found things very different from Melton. When asked what impressed him most, and what he most preferred, he replied that it was the food. He had had either chicken, rabbit, pigeon or partridge every day, although he had been rather upset to find that the people ate the heads and ears too. With wine (watered down) every day, and an abundance of grapes, peaches as big as grapefruit, and other delectable foods, he was perfectly content with lunch and dinner, the only meals he had.

Although, as he said, he couldn’t understand much, he got on very well with the Italians and became firm friends with the boy next door, one of his own age.

On the day that the party went to see his father’s grave, which has been given a new headstone by the Government there, they had to hire a car, as the cemetery, at Coriano, was 120 miles away.

Douglas intends to return some day, the only difficulty, so far as he can see, being the crossing, for he was very sea-sick coming back.