Italy Italy - Commemorative Medal for 2d Army 1940-1945

[IrishGunner]

A medal in my collection that commemorates Italy's WW2 2nd Army, which took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and then formed the basis of the Italian occupation of Yugoslavia.

Edited January 3, 2014 by IrishGunner

[IrishGunner]

An image of the medal with its ribbon (not in my collection)

[RRA227]

Nice. Rich A. in Pa.

[claudio2574]

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

[IrishGunner]

claudio, thanks for sharing! Very interesting stuff...

[Cartaphilus]

Dear Claudio, Was there any legal difference between medals made ​​silver and bronze? Like bronze for soldiers and NCOs, and the other for officers? Or simply were manufacturing variants and there was only one category?

By yhe way, this medal was an oficial or and unofficial decoration?

Oh, I forgot one more thing: how can be well translated the words on the medal OLTRE LA META?

Thanks

Edited January 7, 2014 by Cartaphilus

[claudio2574]

These medals were unofficial, so bronze/silver was simply a matter of money for the buyer.

OLTRE LA META means BEYOND THE SCOPE

[Cartaphilus]

Ok Claudio. And, if these medals were unofficial, who gave the order for design and produce them? And were they legally recognized for be worn on the uniforms?

[claudio2574]

As many many regimental medals during all the wars (WW1, Spain, Colonial, Albania, WW2), this medal also was created by initiative of the unit: battalion, regiment, division, army corp or, as in this case, the army itself. They were tolerated even if they were not official. There are lot of pictures showing these medals weared by the soldiers.