Why Italy

When did Mussolini give all British nationals 48 hours to leave Italy ? Anyone know the precise date ?

My Ma was touring Italy with a troupe of chorus girls (Bluebell Girls from the Folies Bergere) when Italy declared war (this is WW2) on Britain (or was it the other way round?) and the girls - mostly English - had 48 hours to leave the country. I've known this story all my life and never thought much about it, but now she is nearing the end of her life (92) and can no longer speak, I'm thinking about that extraordinary train journey across the Alps to Gare du Nord, then the boat train home with a dozen other peroxide blondes ! I'd just like to know what time of year, date, etc., and can get no help from wikipedia

Public Comments

1. Italy declared war on Britain on 10 June 1940. I would think that the expulsion of British nationals was declared at the same time.
2. Mussolini did not actually hate the British. Of course it is true to say he was a self-styled strutting toe-rag of a dictactor, but he knew the common sense of treating the British with a good degree of good manners. After all, there has always been a very large Italian community here in UK. And, as Michael Caine said in "The Itlian Job" - touch any of us and every Italian cafe and business in London will be smashed up". Words to that effect anyway. Problem for Mussolini is that every single Italian national living here in UK during WW2 was rounded up and put into camps on the Island of Man. Mussolini was a bad guy but not nearly so bad as Hitler. At least Mussolini has no plans to kill all the Jews and as far as I know never said anything much about thinks like that. On the hole he was a stupid prat who even today is still held in high regard in some Italian quarters. I mean, just how daft is that?
3. It's pretty standard practice in a declared war.