[Railway reconstruction Italy 1943-1946 published by Royal Engineers, 1946]

Chapter I
ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION EFFORT

Section II.
Regimental Organisation

9. - Prisoners of War and Surrendered Personnel.

When German forces surrendered in Italy it was found that there was an extremely strong force of troops stationed in the Brenner Pass area charged with the sole task of repair of the line after air attack. This organisation (consisting of about 12,000 men) surrendered virtually intact and it was immediately taken under M.R.S. control. In order to facilitate work, the internal organisation of the force was preserved and all direction of its efforts exercised through the German commander.

Owing to the danger of causing political trouble in Italy, it was not possible to make very extensive use of this force. At first they were confined entirely to the Brenner Pass area and given the task of making good winter-proof repairs to all the very extensive bomb damage in the area. Later detachments were sent to Line 71 (Udine - Pontebba) to assist in erection of Roth Wagner spans and to Line 85 (Bologna - Padua) to assist in reconstruction of the line.

[Railway reconstruction Italy 1943-1946 published by Royal Engineers, 1946]

Alessandro Tuzza