Thank you for the story Sid, the Eritreans were indeed the backbone of the Italian colonial corps. Like above mentioned, some of them were still serving in Libya when ww2 broke out there!Sid Guttridge wrote: ↑22 Jul 2018, 12:02There were, I believe, never any Libyan troops deployed in AOI.
However, the reverse was true in the 1920s and 1930s, when Eritrean troops played an important role in conquering Libya. They were also important in conquering Somaliland in the early 1920s. I believe all the Eritreans in Libya may already have been withdrawn home by the outbreak of WWII.
The senior Eritrean units were the only Italian colonial troops of any real substance, having been in existence for some 50+ years and campaigned successfully in Somaliland, Libya and Ethiopia. However, the Somalis, Libyans and Ethiopians had only been raised in the 1920s and 1930s and were not very reliable.
Cheers,
Sid.
Colonial POWs
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Re: Colonial POWs
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Re: Colonial POWs
Hi Bertamingo,
What specific units did the Eritreans in Libya in 1940 belong to?
There seem to have been no Eritrean units in the Ragruppamento Maletti in 1940. Were they in a different formation?
Cheers,
Sid.
What specific units did the Eritreans in Libya in 1940 belong to?
There seem to have been no Eritrean units in the Ragruppamento Maletti in 1940. Were they in a different formation?
Cheers,
Sid.
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Re: Colonial POWs
Hi Sid,Sid Guttridge wrote: ↑24 Jul 2018, 20:15Hi Bertamingo,
What specific units did the Eritreans in Libya in 1940 belong to?
There seem to have been no Eritrean units in the Ragruppamento Maletti in 1940. Were they in a different formation?
Cheers,
Sid.
According to Berto, possibly some Eritreans were still in Ragruppamento Maletti in 1940. Since you said no Eritrean units were inside that formation, I'd presume those serving were on an individual basis?
Rgs
Bertamingo
Re: Colonial POWs
Hi
I hope these are of some interest
http://samilitaryhistory.org/journal.html
ITALIAN P.O.W. IN SOUTH AFRICA (MEDICAL SERVICES)
and scroll down to Military History Journal Vol 1 No 4 - June 1969 and click on title listed above
ITALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA 1941 - 1947
and scroll down to Military History Journal Vol 1 No 1 - December 1967
Regards
Andy H
I hope these are of some interest
http://samilitaryhistory.org/journal.html
ITALIAN P.O.W. IN SOUTH AFRICA (MEDICAL SERVICES)
and scroll down to Military History Journal Vol 1 No 4 - June 1969 and click on title listed above
ITALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA 1941 - 1947
and scroll down to Military History Journal Vol 1 No 1 - December 1967
Regards
Andy H