The division served as occupation force on Corsica and fought German units after the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.

The division then served with the Italian Co-belligerent Army and remained active into the early stages of the Cold War.

[1] The Friuli was a reserve force in the Germanasca and Pellice valleys during the Italian invasion of France in June 1940.

After the Allied landings in French North Africa Italy and Germany occupied Vichy France on 11 November 1942 and the Friuli was ferried from Tuscany to northern Corsica.

[1] After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the Italian forces and French partisans on Corsica fought the German Sturmbrigade Reichführer-SS, 90th Panzergrenadier Division, and Italian XII Paratroopers Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment "Nembo",[8] which had crossed over from Sardinia and retreated through Corsica towards the harbor of Bastia in the island's north.

On 13 September elements of the Free French 4th Moroccan Mountain Division landed in Ajaccio to support the Italian efforts to stop the 30,000 retreating German troops, but during the night of 3–4 October the last German units were evacuated from Bastia leaving behind 700 dead and 350 POWs.

[9] Now part of the Italian Co-belligerent Army the Friuli was transferred in July 1944 to San Giorgio del Sannio in southern Italy.

On 20 September 1944 the division was reorganized as Combat Group "Friuli" and equipped with British weapons and materiel.

From there the Friuli advanced with the allied armies to liberate Imola, Castel San Pietro and Bologna.