A great-grandmother has tasted pizza for the first time after boycotting Italian food for seven decades because her prisoner of war husband was starved by Mussolini's troops.
Audrey Prudence ended her pizza abstinence and has now said she 'can't wait to try' other variations of one of the world's most popular foods.
The 94-year-old made the pact with husband Jack after he was released from an Italian camp at the end of the war where he had been surviving on just a bowl of celery soup a day.
He had joined the British Army aged 18 and the Desert Rat was captured by the Germans in North Africa in 1942.
Audrey Prudence (pictured above) tried her first pizza and opted for one with a ham and pineapple topping
Jack (left) and Audrey (right) had been married for 63-years when jack died ten years ago at the age of 89
Audrey Prudence pictured with a Hawaiian pizza at her home in Essex after abstaining from the treat
The soldier was well treated at camps in Germany for two-and-a-half years before being transferred to Italy.
But the wartime nurse and Jack, who were married for 63 years, still enjoyed German food such as apple strudel as they said the Germans were 'quite polite.'
After Jack's death ten years ago aged 89, the retired dinner lady has slowly embraced Italian dished such as spaghetti bolognese.
But after suffering a stroke in January, Audrey told her granddaughter from her hospital bed 'this is it now, I want it to end.'
Audrey (left) and Jack (right) pictured in the war. The pair were married for 63-years before Jack died
Audrey (left) had made a pact with her husband not to eat Italian food but after she suffered a stroke she decided to tuck into the treat (right)
Audrey Prudence her late husband Jack and their son Robert (pictured together above). Rovert said his father was called up for service in 1939
After making a bucket list, eating pizza came top and her choice of a Hawaiian with its ham and pineapple topping proved irresistible as after one bite she admitted she 'could not wait to try another.'
Mrs Prudence from Abridge in Essex who has three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren enjoyed a whole two slices and described the eating experience as 'like a whole meal on a big bit of bread.'
Their son retired bus driver Robert Prudence, 62, explained: 'My dad was called up to fight in 1939 but he wasn't captured until around 1942.
'He was captured in Northern Africa - him and a few other foot soldiers found themselves surrounded by the Germans and lots of tanks so they just surrendered.
'He was taken to Germany, then to Italy and was released at the end of the war.'
During World War II over 100 concentration camps were built across Italy, as well as occupied territories such as Croatia.
Between 1939 and 1943 the majority of camps held prisoners of war and political opponents, with many later becoming camps for Jews, Roma gypsies and homosexual men.
Benito Mussolini (pictured above) was the founder of Fascism
One of the most infamous camps is Fossoli, which is north of Modena and was established in 1942 as a prisoner of war camp for allied soldiers in North Africa.
In 1943 the camp came under German control and now remains in a state of ruin.
During the war Benito Mussolini’s soldiers murdered thousands of civilians, bombed the Red Cross, starved infants and dropped poison gas.
Mussolini was the leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He was the founder of Fascism and allied Italy with Nazi Germany and Japan in World War
