ABSTRACT
If it is true that the strength of words is not enough to win a war by itself, it is not improper to state that between 1939 and 1945 a real ‘war of words’ burst out all over Europe, in which propaganda became a weapon to weaken enemies. The BBC played a vital role in this context, becoming the reference broadcasting label for both the Allies and those tuning into its frequencies in the occupied countries, thus eluding censure and reticence by the government radios. This chapter examines the ways in which the broadcaster managed the foreign staff. It focuses on the Italian Service, among the different Regional Services. The broadcasts of Radio Londra became very popular in Italy and were able to win over a wide audience from different social and political classes. The Italian emigrants started working as translators or writers and finally, once they proved that their voice sounded pleasant on the microphone, could become speakers.
