An investigation into who was responsible for cleaning up the graves in Bathurst Cemetery started in October when member for Macquarie Bob Debus wrote to the Italian ambassador.

The ambassador’s office subsequently wrote to Mr Debus informing him that it appears that in 1961 the remains of two young Italian soldiers Piero Monfredi, 24 and Stefana Mola, 26 were transferred to Murchison in Victoria, a town with a significant Italian quarter in its cemetery.

A mausoleum dedicated in 1961 houses the re-interred bodies of Italian prisoners-of-war who died in the local prison camp and in other Australian detention centres. The cemetery complex also includes an Italian war memorial and a chapel.

“The tombstones nowadays appear untidy because the graves were emptied back then and never levelled out since,” Gianludovico de Martino wrote.

Mr de Martino said this conclusion was drawn from Bathurst Regional Council documents and various Italian witnesses.

Earlier the Italian ambassador Stefano Starace Janfolla suggested council tidy up the graves, however, Mr Debus reminded the ambassador that in Australia the Italian Government arranges for the maintenance of Italian war graves.

“I would be grateful if you would consider extending this arrangement to the graves at Bathurst,” he said.

The two Italian soldiers were killed in a mortar bomb explosion at the Bathurst Army Camp on June 3, 1946.

It is believed the men were cutting wood when the bomb, which was partially covered by wood chips, exploded.

A third Italian man Adelmo Rondinini was also critically injured resulting in the amputation of both his legs.