Overseas units

Around 60,000 Slovenes and Croats from the Julian March left their homes after Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940:
– they were conscripted into the Italian regular army and fought on fronts in the Soviet Union, Greece, France and Africa (around 25,000);
– they were incorporated into special battalions in central and southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia;
– some were already in prison or internal exile. Following the capitulation of Italy, those to the north of the front line in Italy returned home and joined the Partisans (although some were sent to concentration camps or labour camps by the Germans). Those south of the front line gathered at the Allied camp in Carbonara di Bari, decided to join the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and were incorporated as overseas units in regular units of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia. They were joined by those from Africa who had deserted from the Italian army and surrendered to the Allies. Overseas units (numbering around 35,000 fighters) consisted predominantly of Slovenes from Primorska and Istrians (around 27,000, of whom 22,000 were from Primorska). Their part in the national liberation struggle is important, not only because of their numbers, but also because they formed the nucleus of the first units in the new branches of the young Yugoslav army. They fought on battlefields throughout Yugoslavia: in Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, in the battle for Belgrade, on the Syrmian Front, in the Lika region, in Gorski Kotar, in Istria, in the battles for the Slovene Littoral and Trieste, and in Carinthia.
The decision of these overseas fighters to join the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia was a true plebiscite of Primorska Slovenes and Istrians in favour of Yugoslavia. A total of around 5,000 overseas fighters fell in battle.

NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY OF YUGOSLAVIA

In October 1943 conditions were ripe to establish a base of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ) in the liberated part of southern Italy. It was at this time that contacts were also established between the Allies and representatives of the NOVJ. The so-called overseas fighters first gathered at a temporary camp near Taranto, and then the Allies opened camps for refugees and POWs of all nationalities in Carbonara di Bari.

On 17 November 1943 the general staff of the British Army recognised the overseas fighters as part of an Allied army and proceeded to arm them and allocate them a camp in Gravina. This occurred after 2,600 Yugoslavs signed a declaration stating that they wished to enlist in the NOVJ. Around a hundred decided to enlist with the Allies, while roughly the same number opted to join the Royal Yugoslav army. From this point on, in the area of southern Italy under Anglo-American military administration, members of the Yugoslav nations openly defined themselves as members of the NOVJ, organised themselves militarily and were gradually incorporated into units of the NOVJ on Yugoslav soil.

FROM AFRICA TO THE NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY OF YUGOSLAVIA

In Africa the overseas units consisted of Primorska Slovenes and Istrians who had deserted from the Italian army and passed over to the Allies, and those who had retreated from Greece and the islands to the Middle East to escape the Germans following the capitulation of Italy. There they were initially enlisted into the Royal Yugoslav Army. However, when information reached them about the NOVJ, in December 1943, they decided to join that formation instead, a choice which the Allies disapproved of. They were disarmed and transferred to a prison camp at Gineifa-Fanara (Egypt), which was renamed “Yugoslav Camp (Partisans) – British Responsibility”. After the British recognised the NOVJ, the overseas fighters began to return home. More than 6,000 Slovenes from Primorska and Istrian Croats joined the NOVJ from Africa.

In Allied units

The Italian and Allied authorities tried to prevent Primorska Slovenes and Istrians with Italian citizenship from entering the Partisan base at Gravina. Those who had succeeded in escaping from Sardinia or who had left Sardinia with the Italian regular army (then commanded by Badoglio) and then escaped to the Partisan base of the NOVJ were enrolled in overseas units. The others were transported to Corsica and enlisted in units of the regular US Army. In this way, around 6,000 Primorska Slovenes and Istrians were organised into so-called Slav Companies, with their own officers and flag and incorporating a strong national liberation organisation. The Slav Companies formed an autonomous supply regiment of the US Seventh Army, with which they took part in the fighting in southern France. For political reasons (the question of the border between Italy and Yugoslavia) they did not return home until November 1945. A total of 400 Primorska Slovenes and Istrians are buried in Sardinia.