Jump to content

WWII Italian Army Coat ?


vintageproductions
 Share

Recommended Posts

vintageproductions

I found this in a large collection I am sorting.

 

Is this WWII Hungarian army?

 

If so, or if not, what is it?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Bob

hng1.jpg

hng2.jpg

hng3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it is Italian.  Based on the collar insignia if you look on the attached chart it is listed under their Infantry of the Line, Training Brigade for Infantry "Acqui".  

 

 

Italian_Army_Collar_Patches (1).png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found this on the Internet.  If the above listed Inf "Acqui" is this particular unit called the 33rd Mountain Infantry Division "Acqui" it has an interesting history which was made into a movie staring Nicolas Cage due to the murder of over half of the division after their defeat and capture by the Nazis.   

 

World War II

Main articles: 33rd Mountain Infantry Division "Acqui" and Massacre of the Acqui Division

In 1939 the name "Acqui" was given to the newly formed 33rd Mountain Infantry Division. After the entry of Italy into the war on 20 June 1940 the division entered France in the area of Argentera.

After the Italian invasion of Greece in October 1940 bogged down under stiff Greek resistance the "Acqui" Division was dispatched in December 1940 to Albania to augment the Italian forces under pressure by the Greek counteroffensive. The division saw heavy combat near Himarë and Vuno when the Greek army managed to break through the Italian lines after the Battle of Himara. The division participated in the Italian Spring Offensive in 1941 and in marched into Greece following the German invasion of Greece.

In May 1943 the division transferred for garrison duties to the Greek island of Cefalonia. After Italy's surrender to the Allies on 3 September 1943 the divisions commanding general Antonio Gandin was left without clear orders from his superiors. Therefore, Gandin decided to let his soldiers vote on 13 September 1943 as to what to do to next. The troops voted overwhelmingly to fight their former allies the Germans, thus the Acqui became one of the very few Italian units to actively resist the Germans. After defeating the Acqui's resistance the Germans summarily executed over half of the divisions soldiers and all of its officers during the Massacre of the Acqui Division.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Here's Cage from the movie, a good job with the uniforms it seems. Cage, he's an Artillery Officer in the Acqui Infantry Division,33rd Artillery Regiment , and wears the Collar Insignia in the correct manner, the Single Black Flame of the Artillery over the Divisional Tab, this was the way Divisional Artillery wore their Collar Insignia, their Arm sewn on top of the Divisional one.  Army or Corps Level Artillery would wear just the Black Flame by itself.

CptCorrelli.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

When the trailer came out for this movie, I just knew Hollywood made up that uniform.  I really didn't know anything about Italian uniforms, cap badges or insignia.   MOST of the world uses RED to donate Artillery.  So I would expect some RED on the piping on his collar and on his cap badge.  Not Italy.  Red designated the elite units such as armored or engineers and I think Bersaglieri.    Instead YELLOW designates the artillery.  And his cap badge donates what I call the divisional artillery which is heavier than the regimental(light) artillery.  A regimental artillery would be numbered.  

 

Also, Hollywood seems to have gotten the correct weapons and artillery ammo pouches that were typically worn by the artillery.

CaptCorelli1.jpg.54b8280b83879ae775b6a6ab8b5433a0.jpg

 

Boy!  Do I wish I had a bustina!!

 

@vintageproductions Back to your uniform.  Are those brass buttons?  The lighter gaberdine uniforms had gray plastic buttons.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...