War was declared between France and Germany in September 1939, although at this stage Italy remained formally neutral. On 16 March 1940 a judge announced that Turroni's case would not proceed to trial: he was served with a deportation order, despite which he was released from the Marseilles military prison two days later, on 18 March 1940. Italy invaded France towards the end of June 1940. On 8 July, without any obvious reason, the police arrested Turroni in Vichy. At about this time a collaborationist government was being established in the town to administer the southern half of France, but it is not apparent whether either Turroni's presence in the town or his arrest were in any way connected with these developments. He was imprisoned at Saint-Pierre till 29 July 1940, when he was transferred to the internment camp at Villemagne (Gard). It was probably at the end of August that he was moved again, this time to the collection camp for foreigners ("Centre de rassemblement des étrangers") at Remoulins. On 22 October 1940 he was moved to the Le Vernet concentration camp. Four days later, however, on 26 October 1940, he managed to escape, apparently in the course of another transfer.