WAR PRISONERS .1 ..1ll
EXCHANGES REPORTED There will probably be some speculations concerning the background of the report that 862 British from Italian war prisons have arrived at Alexandria, “thus completing the first recorded exchange of able-bodied combatants in the history of warfare.” It is stated that the men themselves are puzzled to know why able-bodied prisoners were exchanged, and one theory is that the Italians themselves are very short of naval personnel, particularly submarine crews. If that were really the case it would seem the obvious thing to deny them the return of personnel they are badly in need of. This unprecedented departure from the established war-time practice of detaining all able-bodied prisoners for the duration of hostilities raises considerable curiosity as to the real reason, and it would not be surprising if official explanations were sought in the House of Commons. The news, moreover, will have been read with great interest in this country, as many New Zealanders have been interned in Italian war prisons, and there will be a very natural desire for further information.
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Bibliographic details
Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5599, 31 March 1943, Page 4
Word Count
178WAR PRISONERS .1 ..1ll Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5599, 31 March 1943, Page 4
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