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Oral history recording in English with Joseph ("Joe") Moruzzi.. Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Part 2 of 3 (AV 11447-11449)

00.00 During occupation German soldiers would take things from the family farm. The soldiers in Bardi were very prominent- he understood that the Bardi castle was a Gestapo headquarters. His mother was living on the farm at that time and experienced difficult times. Her younger brother was ill, he couldn’t get to the hospital and so he died at home due to lack of treatment. He presumes they lived on what they could grow, not much meat.

04.27 Joseph continues to talk about Partisan activity in the area. His uncle was in his teenage years during the war, too young for the army, and was always ambitious to work in the cafe in Wales. When his grandfather finally wanted to come over he had problems; during the war Joseph’s maternal grandfather’s cafe in Caerphilly was taken over by the government.

16.05 Joseph’s mother and grandmother moved to Wales in 1949. Joseph explains the difficulties for farming communities after the war; they worked on the Mezzadria system; renting land from landowners in return for half of the crops. Many of the South Wales Italians who still had farms had people working on them in Italy. His family kept their houses in Italy and would go over on holiday regularly. His three uncles on his father’s side would go over for a three month holiday every three years. He goes back twice a year.