Re: Italians as Allies
Thousands of Italian POWs also worked in agriculture in Britain from 1941 onwards. They were originally brought in small numbers to both help free up manpower for the harvests and reduce the security risk for the 8th Army in North Africa, but proved so adept that they were brought over in ever increasing numbers.
Only other ranks and those classified as anti-fascist were allowed to volunteer. Under the Geneva Convention officers couldn't be forced to work.
The POWs were only allowed to work in sectors not directly related to the war effort.
Two new problems were created by the Italian armistice in September 1943; the Allies couldn't allow prisoners from North Italy to be repatriated, since the area was still German-held. This resulted in a major block in numbers being released. And the Allies would only allow ex-POWs to be reclassified as 'co-belligerents', which created friction with the new Italian government.
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