A PAIR of motorcyclists are travelling to Italy to track down villagers who harboured a prisoner of war.

Rob Edwards and Rob Taylor are used to epic journeys with their Hospice Angel motorcycle team.

But their latest journey isn’t a fund-raising voyage – they’re fulfilling a dying request, while paying homage to a relative who produced his own “great escape”.

Mr Edwards, aged 28 and from Bosbury, wants to thank villagers who looked after his great uncle, George Hall.

The bombardier from Dudley was caught in North Africa in 1942 and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Italy.

The soldier – who endured appalling conditions and was presumed dead or missing in action – escaped the camp at his second attempt.

He was smuggled to a remote town called Trevi nel Lazio, about 40 miles east of Rome, where he stayed until the liberation.

George, who died in the mid-1990s, returned to the village in 1984, while this year marks the 65th anniversary of his escape.

The pair started their 3,000-mile journey on Saturday at Wyevale Garden Centre in Hereford. They were given a send-off by other Hospice Angels, who followed the pair to Cirencester.

Mr Edwards said:“It was very emotional speaking to my great aunt about this, but I just want to pay my respects to a very brave guy.

“It’s going to be a poignant journey, but an interesting one.

“Neither of us speaks Italian, we don’t know anybody there, and the weather isn’t looking good. But I’ve been given a photo of the lady who looked after him, so that should help.”

The pair’s journey has extra poignancy, as their friend, Gerald Powell, from Fownhope, recently died from cancer. The pair visited the 59-year-old shortly before his death, and have vowed to fulfil his dying wish.

“As he was lying there he said ‘have a good trip – you’ve got to go, but stay safe and enjoy yourself’,” said Mr Edwards.

The pair should return on Saturday, May 23, ahead of the Angels’ fund-raising journey to northern France in September.