This interesting invitation from the National Archives at Boston, located on Trapelo Road in Waltham:
In 1944, at the peak of World War II, thousands of Italian POWs were transported to Greater Boston to help relieve the national labor shortage in the home front port.
Unsurprisingly, the Italian POWs garnered much attention, leading to a local debate over how they should be treated.
While some local residents felt the Italian men were being “pampered,” others praised the men for their labor contributions and even welcomed them into their homes.
On Thursday, June 20 at 6 p.m., historian Anne Marie Reardon will present a free program, “POWs or Paesani? Italian Service Units on the Boston World War II Home Front” at the National Archives at Boston (in Waltham).
The talk will introduce the history of the Italian POWs brought to Boston in 1944 and explore the POWs’ impact on Greater Boston through their work and non-work interactions with local residents.
Registration is requested. To register for the program “Boston’s Italian POWs in WWII” on June 20th at 6:00 P.M, please call toll free 866-406-2379 or email boston.archives@nara.gov