THE daughter of an Italian prisoner of war is trying to trace the man she believes could be her secret half brother.

Anna Onori, who lives in Rome, said her dad Benedetto, who died in 2003, was forbidden from talking about his "English son" Edward even after they were reunited briefly in 1976.

Now she is on a mission to track him down. Here's her story...

"My father, Benedetto Onori was born in 1917 and was called up to the Second World War. He was taken prisoner in North Africa by the British in 1943 and taken to England in 1944.

"The camp where he was a prisoner was Camp 621, which was located at Bonita Stables near Ogbourne Maizey. The camp was a satellite camp to the larger POW camp at Wanborough.

"Benedetto remained as a prison worker in the Wiltshire area until April 1946. During this time, he was sent to work on a farm where we believe he had an affair with the lady of the farm. We do not know if this lady was married or single. The result of this affair was a son named Edward, who must have been born around 1945-46.

"Family rumour suggests my father’s family were receiving parcels after the war from a British lady called Barbara - but we do not know for sure if this was Edward’s mother.

"After my father’s death, among his papers, I found photos of him with a young man of about 30 years old. Behind the photo was written “May 1976.” The photos were taken in Rome and in Magliano Romano, my father’s birthplace.

"A cousin of Benedetto believes the young man in the photo is Edward, who tracked his father down in 1976. Sadly, my mother forbid my father to tell the rest of the family about his long lost, English son and I very much regret this decision as I would love to have known my half-brother."

Elaine Barker, who is helping Anna in her search, said: "There were several POW camps around the Wiltshire area and Italian Prisoners working on the farms were a common sight. Anna is certain that her father mentioned Swindon when they were talking just before he passed away.

"The local daughter of a land girl has told us her mother used to help drive the prisoners to the farms. The Italians were known for being hard workers, good natured and cheerful. They would sing in the trucks and often try to pass love-letters to the land girls.

"Our hope is that this story might jog somebody’s memory."

Anyone who thinks they may be able to help can email finding.edward@hotmail.com for more.