Margaret Anderson, centre, makes a "wee speech" after returning the Faenza ceramic plate to the Museum International of Ceramics and the Faenza community in the City Hall on 14 October 2008. From far left: a Faenza lawyer's wife, Museum President Pier Rivola, Monica Gori, Faenza resident Enzo Casardio - a great friend of Nelson man Arthur Gladstone, Mrs Anderson, Colin Anderson, Mayor Casadio, Commdt Carboni, David Anderson and Franco Bertoni.

Returning a piece of history

By Margaret Anderson (aged 92)

Pictures by the Anderson family.

My late husband 215346 George Colin Anderson (d. 2007 aged 90) served in Italy with the Regimental Headquarters of 7th Anti-Tank Regiment.

	215346 George Anderson on leave in Naples 1944-45.

7AT replaced 27 Battalion on the outskirts of Faenza during the struggles against the enemy on 17 December 1944. George and his mates were domiciled in a two-storey house, which probably belonged to a family of good standing.

George set himself up in room with a view but when the Germans began putting a few bombs into the area he thought it would be quieter on the other side of the house. He moved hs bed there and must have slept very soundly for when he awake next morning that side of the house he had moved from was missing!

He discovered he had lost some of his possessions including his eating gear, for which there were no replacements available just then. Not far away stood the Faenza Museum of Ceramics, most of which had been destroyed by German bombs. George went and searched amongst the rubble and ruins and found one whole plate, bread and butter sized and beautifully decorated. This was the only piece of pottery to survive intact and it served his needs until he replaced his eating gear.

	The plate that hung on Mrs Anderson’s wall for 40 years but proved so precious to Faenza.

George brought the plate home in January 1946 and gave it to his mother, who put it with her everyday kitchen crockery. To me it was a precious piece and when I eventually acquired it I hung it on a wall of our home where it stayed for 40 years.

Early in 2008 me and my family put our heads together and decided it would be a good idea to contact the Faenza Museum of Ceramics to see if the plate was of interest to them. I wrote and told the Museum the story, also sending photos of the front of the plate from which the Museum established it had been crafted by a firm that existed from 1925-53. Though not of great monetary value the Museum felt the plate’s story was so intriguing, exciting and unique that they wanted very much to add it to their collection of 20th Century ceramics. But how would we get it to Faenza?

A trip to make a personal presentation was mooted so myself and our sons, Colin and David, made a brief trip to Italy for one week in October last year. We stayed 40km away in Bologna travelling by train to meet ceramics expert Franco Bertoni and his secretary Monica Gori at the new Museum International of Ceramics (MIC), built on the old museum site.

They are a delightful pair and the only people among the Museum’s staff of 25 who spoke English. It was arranged that we would meet at 4pm on 14 October with the ceremony of gifting the plate to take place at City Hall at 5.30pm. We were accorded a very friendly welcome by Museum President Pier Rivola, Claudio Casadio Mayor of Faenza, Mr Bertoni, old soldier Commandante Guiseppi Carboni, some other gentlemen and several news reporters.

We returned the plate to the Museum and also presented the municipality with a lidded bowl turned from swamp kauri and several pictorial books of beautiful New Zealand. Mr Bertoni thanked us for the great pleasure we had given Faenza and the Museum by making such an arduous journey to bring the plate home. It was obvious to us everyone held New Zealanders in very high regard because of the effort our soldiers made to free Faenza from the enemy.

Faenza is a very beautiful city with friendly, proud citizens. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, which gave our unique story such a happy ending!