The flowers were given by his family in thanksgiving for the life of Graham Baly, 1918-1994. The colours of the flowers - red roses, white lilies and a variety of bright green foliage were specially chosen because they are symbolic of his story. Born in London, Graham served with the Royal Signals during WW2, and was captured and taken prisoner in the North African desert. Shipped to Italy, via the stone quarries of Sicily, he was interned as a POW in the Marche region. Once there, his captors were convinced that he had special signalling information, and he, in the best British tradition, delightedly kept them guessing as he drew for them intricate - and entirely imaginary - diagrams. He went on to 'recycle' tins from Red Cross parcels (punctured by the guards so as to be useless), and created a forced air oven, and a clock that kept perfect time. Escaping by mind over matter, however, was not enough. He could not rest until he escaped into the mountains, where he hid for 3 days in a ditch. Hunger eventually forced a risky encounter. He was taken into hiding by Italian farmers, who stood to lose both life and property, if discovered harbouring Allied POW's. The whole community was involved - signalling via washing lines with pre-arranged items or patterns of laundry when Fascist troops were searching. At this point he fled into the mountains, where the echo of heavy artillery rumbled from over 100 miles away, Trapped between the lines of opposing forces, he eventually broke through and rejoined his regiment - to be met with the time-honoured words 'What kept you?' from his C.O.

In June 1945, he married a local girl in Bradford Cathedral, and settled down, trying to put his experiences behind him, barely speaking of it all for 30 years. Then retirement loomed, and he suddenly bought a caravan and towed it with a Renault 5 across Europe and over the Alps, taking his wife, to try to find his friends in Italy. Now white-haired, he made it to the village and walked along the street, where he was immediately recognised and taken to the people who had cared for him so remarkably.

I, his daughter, went with him later, and stood inside the prison camp, and met his many friends. The village rang with conversations beginning 'Recordi …. Do you remember?....' And suddenly my own family's stories were being told by another family, in another language - two sides of the same coin. That is why the flowers in the colours of the Italian flag are placed in the Peace Chapel - a symbol of the great human family, and the strength of friendship and compassion, which can overcome even the fear of death.

He didn't entirely escape though. The effects of his wartime experience marked him for the rest of his life as he struggled with serious illness. The difficulties of aging and illness are all too often the things that we are most conscious of when we lose someone. But now, 10 years on, in this 60th anniversary year, perhaps it's time to say 'Recordi?' Do you remember? And to think about the small signals that indicated the man he really was.

Caroline Moore
(Lay Chaplain, Education, Pilgrimage and Visits, Bradford Cathedral)

Caroline goes on to say: Bradford Cathedral is a place where past and present and future are all celebrated and valued. The Cathedral is a place full of stories - to move, to inspire, to make us laugh, to change our perspectives. We would like to invite you to visit, and discover Bradford's hidden treasure for yourself. You will be warmly welcome.