claudio2574

A.O.I. means Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian East Africa): Eritrea, Somalia, Etiopia.

This medal exists in silver and bronze.

My father was in Jugoslavia and his unit was under the 2nd Army.

The 2nd army was composed by the 5th army corp (divisions 154 Murge, 15 Bergamo, 12 Sassari), 6th army corp (division 18 Messina, 32 Marche) and others.

My father was in the 103rd btg machine guns, in the location of Bradina, the last place along the railway Mostar-Sarajevo under Italian control. After that place there is a long tunnel which leads to the Bosnian territory, under German control.

Almost all the places controlled by his battalion were destroyed during the battle of Neretva. From his unit (2nd comp, 2nd squad), 103 men, only 13 survived.

Here is a picture with the location of the italian divisions and the areas under the control of the partisans. The plot is obtained from a yougoslavian book merged with Italian infos.

A post card

The well known medal for the indigenous Corpo d'Armata Eritreo

There are many many unofficial crosses, which are not so common. Here two examples: 4th Corpo d'Armata (original, many late replicas around)

51st autogruppo

The classical commemorative medal for the AOI campaign, with the words "molti nemici molto onore" (many enemies, much honor). It exists in many variants, this one id from the royal mint. The sword on the ribbon was for the combatants.

Star for merit of the natives of the colonies. It's a silver star, quite scarce.

Hi, there are plenty of medals and badges about AOI. I don't have many. Just to begin: the colonial order of the star of Italy, class knight, and its diploma. It was awarded both to Italian and african people.

This is the first type of the medal for the volunteers in East Africa (I don't have it), which uses the same ribbon of mine. It was instituted on 26 oct 1939. Three variants exist:

P.MORBIDUCCI / S.JOHNSON MILANO

P.MORBIDUCCI / CGSA (not bronze, it was in poor war medal, "zama" in Italian, a zinc alloy)

no marks

I guess that your is the first variant

Hi RRA227, could you post a wider picture of the third medal, front and back, please?

Another topic was already opened about the medals to the Knights of Vittorio Veneto , a late official medal and cross instituted in 1968 to celebrate the 50 years after the victory: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/61208-italy-order-of-vittorio-veneto/

The badge for the mutilates, existing in more variants

Honor medal to the Army (all'Esercito e all'Armata, I don't know how to translate) and its diploma. The worn-out aspect of the medal was choosen by design.

Badge for the orphans of the fallen and its diploma

Back to official medals:

Medal for the mothers of fallen (there is already a topic about it http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/61204-italy-medal-of-mothers-and-widows-of-fallen/ )

Medal for the office for news to the families (with two stars and badge) and its diploma

Well, back at home.

Three different models with three different institutions.

27 Jan 1944: PER L'ITALIA / VOLONTARI DI GUERRA (no dates), Red ribbon (we call it "rosso solferino"). Given to all the soldiers who crossed the lines to join the Royal Army. Its correct name is "medaglia di benemerenza per l'attraversamento delle linee nemiche". This is a royal medal, even if it has no royal signes. There are three variants:

P.Morbiducci / F.M. Lorioli e Castelli

P.Morbiducci / S.Johnson Milano

P.Morbiducci S.J. / S.Johnson Milano

3 may 1945: PER L'ITALIA / VOLONTARI DI GUERRA (no dates), Red ribbon (we call it "rosso solferino") with red/white/green small stripes at both edges and the letters V L ("Volontario per la Liberta'", in metal or embroidered) in the middle. Given to the military who joined the "Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale" fighting for at least three months of being wounded. Honour badge for the freedom volunteers patriots. Actually it is NOT a medal, but a ribbon only, even if the ribbon has been quite often used with the same medal of the first type. Another royal object without any royal signes.

21 Apr 1948: PER L'ITALIA / VOLONTARI DI GUERRA MCMXL-MCMXLV. Same red ribbon of the first medal and of the WW1 medal. It is the only "true" medal for the volunteers - all of them - having fought during the whole time of the war. It's a republican medal absolutely equal to the royal one, but the years on the reverse. Two variants:

P.Morbiducci / Z (by the mint)

P.Morbiducci / years in digits (more common)

Actually there are no modern restrikes for this medal, as far as I know.

All these infos come from the book of Bini

Lot of time when wife/daughter are dressing/undressing...

In these days I'm on vacation, typing on the desk of the reception of the hotel (the WiFi signal is NOT the best I've ever found...). When back home I will dig into my books. Stay tuned.

Second world war, from Morbiducci, and its diploma. Please not that the volunteers medal for WW2 is far more scarce than the WW1 one.

3rd type:

Type Affer:

For th Spain war there are several variants, because at the date of its institution (1940) the model was not defined.

1st type:

The diploma for the above medal

Here is the medal for the volunteers in AOI (Africa Orientale Italiana), from Morbiducci:

Here are the diploma and the solid gold medal, given together with the (ugly) cross:

There are also medals for the armies, the great units, almost every command created its own. 1st army medal, bronze and silver:

8th and 10th Army cross and diploma: