Ivan Maurič was conscripted into the Italian army in January 1941 Over the next four years Ivan became a prisoner of war, switched sides in the conflict, serving in three different branches of the armed forces. And, according to him, still never fired a shot in anger!

1941

Conscription into Italian Army

Ivan Maurič was conscripted into the Italian army in January 1941. At that time, Brda, his home region of Slovenia, was under Italian control as a result of border changes after WW1. Like his Slovene countrymen in this region Ivan had been forced to Italianise his name. Consequently his Italian military service file records his name as "Giovanni Mauri".

Ivan was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Regiment, part of the Italian Army 4th Infantry Division, known as "Livorno" (all infantry divisions were named after Italian towns). The Livorno Division had been formed in October 1939 and prior to Ivan's time had been deployed in France. Sometime in 1941 or 1942 the Division became inactive, only re-forming in 1943 for the planned Italian invasion of Malta (see below).

Ivan with a cousin, Anna, probably taken while he was stationed in Rome

Ivan was first based in Livorno (on the west coast of northern Italy), then Rome. His service record notes that by March 1941 he was promoted to "crack infantryman", but this combat role apparently did not last. According to Ivan's recounting many years later he and other Slovene conscripts were always viewed as "unreliable” by the Italians (that is, their loyalty to the Italian cause was regarded as suspect). As a result these conscripts were consigned to manual labour. At this time the Italian army made extensive use of pack horses and mules for transport and a significant proportion of men in would have been engaged in maintaining these animals. There would have been many other menial tasks for these unreliable conscripts.

Ivan's non-combat role was formalised in September 1942 when he was assigned to a “special” company in September 1942 and transferred to the 48th Infantry Regiment, one of two regiments in the 23rd Infantry Division ("Ferrara"). Ivan's military records state that he was stationed in the town of Potenza (south of Naples) in January 1943. The Ferrara Division went on fight in Albania and Montenegro but Ivan was no longer with the unit then.

Sicily and Capture

As noted above Ivan's original unit, the Livorno Division, was reformed in March 1943 for the planned Italian invasion of Malta. When Italian plans for the invasion of Malta were abandoned the Division was transferred to the defence of Sicily. It seems that sometime by mid-1943 Ivan returned to the Livorno Division as he was sent to Sicily at that time.

U.S. and British forces landed in July 1943, crossing over from North Africa. Livorno Division was the only Italian division in Sicily with sufficient transport to move all of its infantry units simultaneously and was thrown into the battle. Its troops were also considered to be among the best in the Italian Army due to their previous training for the planned assault on Malta. They carried out a substantial counterattack on the Allied landing forces. The Division almost succeeded in re-taking the key Sicilian city of Gela, in one of the key battles of the early Allied campaign.

Eventually U.S. General Patton's famous Third Army gained the upper hand. The Livorno Division suffered heavy casualties as it was forced to pull back. Many more troops of the Division were captured. The Livorno survivors were withdrawn to mainland Italy in August 1943, with the remnants eventually surrendering to German forces in September 1943.

PoW in North Africa

Ivan was one of around 140,000 Italian and German troops captured by American forces in August 1943 during their advance through Sicily. Most of the Italian Prisoners of War (PoWs) were sent to the United States. Many stayed on, applying for American citizenship after the war. If that had been Ivan's fate the future direction of his life would have been very different as almost certainly he would never have returned to Kozana and his future wife, Danila.

Allied POW Camp, Tunisia.  Ivan, along with thousands of other Slovenes, was a prisoner at a camp like this. — Allied POW Camp, Tunisia. Ivan, along with thousands of other Slovenes, was a prisoner at a camp like this.

But instead Ivan was shipped to North Africa, first to an Allied PoW camp at Bizerte in Tunisia, then later to another camp in Algeria.

Many years later Ivan recalled that the Americans pretty much left him and other PoWs to their own devices. According to Ivan the PoWs were placed in a large compound which was only lightly guarded. They were supplied with ample tinned food and were expected to fend for themselves. Often the PoW's did not know what was in the piles of tins so, according to Ivan, they just kept opening up cans until they found something that appealed. After years of deprivation this plentiful food supply must have seemed like heaven. However not all was positive for Ivan as during this period he became ill with typhoid. He was hospitalised for six months.

From the Italian Army to the British Air Force

The Allies meanwhile had realised that Slovenes like Ivan had been unwilling Italian conscripts. They were all released and given the opportunity to join the Allied forces. On 1 June 1944 Ivan enlisted the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and served until November that year. His RAF service record shows he was recruited through Base Personal Office of No. 214 group of the RAF, which formed part of the Mediterranean Air Command and located in Naples. During this time he was based with No. 144 Maintenance Unit, an aircraft repair depot, at RAF Maison Blanche, about 15 miles just outside the capital city, Algiers. 144 M.U. formed part of No. 218 Group of the Command.

Today this base is on the site of Algiers main international airport.

Such M.U.’s repaired and maintained aircraft, both of the RAF and the USAF, as well as test flying the repaired aircraft to ascertain if they were fit to re-enter service.

The Balkan Air Force

While nominally in the R.A.F, Ivan actually served as part of the newly formed unit, the "Balkan Air Force". The BAF was a late-World War II Allied air formation under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. It operated mainly in Yugoslavia, supporting the Yugoslav (Communist) partisans under their leader, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, against German forces as well as supporting Greek and Albanian partisans in their countries.

British Spitfire supplied to the B.A.F & Yugoslav air force

The BAF was headquartered in Bari, Italy. It’s specific role was to supply the partisans and rescue wounded and Allied escaped PoWs and crashed aircrews who had been bombing German military targets all over Eastern Europe. In Slovenia the BAF operated in this role at Semic and Metlika in the Bela Krajina (White Carniola) region located in south eastern Slovenia.

While in the BAF Ivan learnt some english. At first he worked as an officer's "batman" (effectively the officer's servant or assistant). Ivan then began training as a cook. Ivan was not to know at the time that both his english and culinary training were to be important in influencing the course of his early years in Australia after the war.

Last days of the War and Aftermath

Ivan was discharged from the RAF / BAF in November 1944.

Ivan's discharge papers from the RAF, November 1944

He was transferred from the RAF to the Jugoslav National Army of Liberation (JNAL), the newly formed regular armed forces created from an amalgamation of all the Yugoslav Partisans, under Tito, and supported by the Allies.

The Partisans were widely regarded as Europe's most effective anti-Nazi resistance movement. Tito went on to become the founding president of the new Socialist (communist) Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the War.

The JNAL did have its own small airforce and so it is possible that Ivan served in this branch of the new Yugoslav army. In any case he was sent to Yugoslavia's capital, Belgrade, arriving soon the city had been liberated by the JNAL in late October 1944. He remained there until being finally discharged from military service in July 1945.

Ivan later recounted that in more than four years of war he managed to serve on both sides of the conflict in three different branches of the armed forces, and still never fired a shot in anger!

Ivan soon after his return home, about 1946.  Note the "Kozana" sign partially visible behind him. — Ivan soon after his return home, about 1946. Note the "Kozana" sign partially visible behind him.

Going Home

After the War Ivan returned to his home village of Kozana in the Brda region.

Brda had been occupied by the German army from 1943 (when Italy surrendered). During this time the district was strongly pro-Partisan and anti-fascist, leading to clashes with the occupying German forces (see the story Old Kozana and family History Intertwined). From 1945 onwards Brda remained under nominal Italian jurisdiction; but in practice it was administered by US and British armies. It was not until 1947 that a formal settlement of borders was completed. Brda formed part of territories returned to Yugoslavia from Italy under the Paris Treaty signed that year.

While Ivan ended the War in the JNAL it is possible that he still had problems with the new communist government. It was deeply suspicious of all veterans who had served with the Western Allies during WW2. Many of these as well as others suspected of harbouring anti-communist sentiments were harassed, imprisoned or murdered.

Ivan never spoke of this time in his life and it is impossible to know whether he personally faced such threats. Whatever the case Ivan did eventually find a job with the new regime, becoming what he later described as a "customs official" working in the Brda region.

Whether it was this easy access to border with Italy, the fear of harassment on account of his Allied war service or just a determination to find a better life but by 1949 Ivan had decided to escape from Yugoslavia. In October of that year he paid a smuggler to lead him and his fiancé, Danila, through the mountains and down to the nearby town of Gorizia in Italy. From there their journey would eventually take them to Australia.

Maurice-Robinson Family

Ivan Maurič at War