South Yorkshire Times April 16, 1949

Mexborough Widow to Visit Italian War Grave

First Mexborough war widow to visit her husband’s grave in Italy under a scheme organised by the British Legion, will be Mrs. F. H. Kirby, 12, Spencer Street, who will fly to Ancona, in Central Italy, this summer.

Mrs. Kirby will be one of a party from the British Isles who will travel by plane from London Airport probably in June. Her husband, L/Cpl. Frederick William Kirby, who was 18 is buried in the British Military Cemetery at Ancona. He was stationed in Ancona with the Royal Engineers and was killed a month before the end of the war when the vehicle in which he was travelling was involved in an accident

The cost of the journey (about £50) will be paid by the British Legion, apart from a small sum which will be paid by Mrs. Kirby.

Interviewed by a ” South Yorkshire Times ” reporter yesterday (Thursday) Mrs. Kirby said she expected to remain in Italy about a week. She had received a photoraph of her husband’s grave, but had always wanted to visit it. When she heard the announcement about the scheme she immediately applied to visit the grave of her husband and was accepted. ” I have always wanted to go, but I never realised it would come true,” she said.

From C.W.G.C.:

LANCE CORPORAL FREDERICK WILLIAM KIRBY
Service Number: 1921706
Regiment & Unit/Ship Royal Engineers 807 Road Constr. Coy.
Date of Death Died 05 April 1945
Age 37 years old

Buried or commemorated at ANCONA WAR CEMETERY IV. K. 8. Italy