DAK D Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 (edited) Here is an nice example of the Italian/German medal issued to German soldiers in North Africa. This medal was only issued to German forces that served or had seen service in North Africa. The medal obverse shows two gladiators that represent Germany and Italy fighting with a crocodile that represents England. The reverse shows the famous Arco De Feleni and both countries national emblems. The medal itself is a type two version. The photo of the Heer soldier in Africa is a very interesting one, as he is wearing a later 1st pattern tropical field blouse with larger breast pockets and his cap still has a waffenfarbe soutache attached. He is also wearing 3rd pattern tropical boots that show hard wear and fading and I would place this photo as early to mid 1942. Edited March 29, 2016 by DAK D 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Great example!Dermot,let me tell you that Italy didn't change sides,that coward,lousy,bast ard,dwarf of a King left his place after arresting Mussolini.His Son Umberto Prince of Piemont (to become the last KIng of Italy in May 1945),brother to Amedeo,hero of the African Campaign (http://www.ilgiornaleditalia.org/news/la-nostra-storia/859746/Il-Duca-di-Ferro.html ),wanted to stay and try to reunite the disbanded Italian Army but the other worm that went by the name of General pietro badoglio reminded him that he (badoglio) was his Commander and that he'd have followed the orders and the fleeing mice! Italy was left to itself...the German came down from the Alps and (rightly) changed attitude,the red partisans started killing thousands of civilians with an ingenous way of saving ammo (one German killed =10 civilians shot or hung!),the REAL Italians wore an uniform again and fought alongside the Allies or the Germans,according to their beliefs and the rest is history! Again...cracking example! Cheers Manu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 P.S.;I'd suggest you to read Amedeo's history on the link I've posted...find a good translator though! Cheers Manu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAK D Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 3 hours ago, Manu Della Valle said: Great example!Dermot,let me tell you that Italy didn't change sides,that coward,lousy,bast ard,dwarf of a King left his place after arresting Mussolini.His Son Umberto Prince of Piemont (to become the last KIng of Italy in May 1945),brother to Amedeo,hero of the African Campaign (http://www.ilgiornaleditalia.org/news/la-nostra-storia/859746/Il-Duca-di-Ferro.html ),wanted to stay and try to reunite the disbanded Italian Army but the other worm that went by the name of General pietro badoglio reminded him that he (badoglio) was his Commander and that he'd have followed the orders and the fleeing mice! Italy was left to itself...the German came down from the Alps and (rightly) changed attitude,the red partisans started killing thousands of civilians with an ingenous way of saving ammo (one German killed =10 civilians shot or hung!),the REAL Italians wore an uniform again and fought alongside the Allies or the Germans,according to their beliefs and the rest is history! Again...cracking example! Cheers Manu Hi Manu, I have removed the part in my post that offended you. I have no desire to discuss politics in a thread about a medal in my collection, but I will state that I have the utmost respect for the Italian armed forces, who have been much maligned for there lack of fighting prowess during and since the end of WW2. D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Dermot, I wasn't offended at all my friend!I just wanted to pointed out that that coward called Vittorio Emanuele The Third,pietro badoglio and the others left Italy knee-deep in you-know-what!Italy as a whole was a total chaos and that band of traitors wrote one of the worst pages of the Italian History,and living here I've heard stories that are very,very sad and my late father and his brothers could have written a book full of episodes worthy of "the Great Escape" before joining the Allied Forces and fight against the GERMANS wearing an uniform! Cheers Manu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 (edited) There wasn't politics involved in my post,my friend,believe me,I just wanted to point out that the REAL Italians didn't think twice about fighting for their freedom. The "4 days of Neaples" was the beginning of the REAL resistance against the Germans.And if you will spare a few minutes I beg you t watch this clip...it's an episode about Gennaro Capuozzo,a 12YO who wanted to join the adults to fight against the Germans.He found a Breda MG and went from stronghld to stronghold asking "where the War was" until a former NCO took the weapon from his hands hoping to keep him out of trouble.At this point Gennaro looked for another weapon, found a grenade and attacked a few advancing German tanks with it and was mown down by MG fire.It's as real as it can be,with Neapolitans taking in their very peculiar way of the period! It begins with his mother looking for him in a hospital. Gennaro earned a postumous "Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare" (The Italian equivalent to a VC)! Cheers Manu P.S.;it doesn't matter if your Italian is not very good...they talk in Neapolitan and I can get 4% of what hey say! Edited March 29, 2016 by Manu Della Valle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAK D Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi Manu, Thanks for sharing this sad, but interesting clip. If I remember correctly there was an italian made colour film about El Alamein? D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi Dermot, have you seen that?And it's but one of the thousand episodes. Yes,there are two war movies on El Alamein,thje first hails back to 1954 and it's calle "Divisione Folgore"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCB4Zn408o4 And the other is a 2002 color movie called "Line of Fire..El Alamein"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfSv87ZuJf4 Both are full of true episodes,like the one in the first movie,when Sgt Bartolini deliberately drove his car into a British mine field to open the way to the rest of the column,after the Germans stopped it before entering the field. In the early movie there are many original WW2 Tropical uniforms worn and a few Germans wear what look like genuine LW tropical suidecaps! Too bad you don't speak Italian for they're very interesting movies with no rethorics! Sorry for digressing so much!Back to your medal,do you know if there was a ribbon for this medal being worn as the EK and OM ones? Cheers Manu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAK D Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi Manu, I will watch them anyway my friend As far as I know the Italian/ German medals were only ever issued with the standard ribbon, as shown on my example. I have seen one example with another ribbon in place of the standard combined national Italian and German colours, but this set belonged to an Afrika Korps soldat who was killed in action in North Africa. For reference purposes see the attached photo. Regards, D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 You must have an outstanding collection of anything DAK/Tropical Dermot!The more you post the more I drool like a dog! Cheers Manu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAK D Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 On 30/03/2016 at 19:50, Manu Della Valle said: You must have an outstanding collection of anything DAK/Tropical Dermot!The more you post the more I drool like a dog! Cheers Manu Hi Manu, No my friend I have a small collection D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Della Valle Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 4 minutes ago, DAK D said: Hi Manu, No my friend I have a small collection D Everything's relative Dermot...you call it small, others may call it IMPRESSIVE! Cheers Manu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAK D Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hi @Manu Della Valle, Thanks mate the same word comes to mind when I see photos of your collection D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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