2nd Blackshirts Division "28th October"

[Fabio]

Hello there.
My first thread in this wonderful brand new Forum.
Well, this is my official beginning here so I have to share with you, guys, something SPECIAL.
And I am doing it.
Enjoy this nice cross of the 2nd Blakcshirts Division "28th October"!

Look at the details, please.
I am too lazy to do it, but Raffaello will tell you the story of this Division and of this Cross ...

[Fabio]

La Ferrea

The backside, please

Read the words "La Ferrea" (The Iron One) was the nickname of the Division who fought in Africa durin Ethiopian and second world wars

[Fabio]

award

Well gents, the cross is quite common (and I invite the other Forum Member who own one to share it with us here!) but the thing that I am going to show now is ... really but really RARE!
Lads and Gents the

DOCUMENT AWARD of the previous cross.
Not easy to see ..... Imo
"Summa audacia and virtus" the Division anthem!

[Fabio]

backside

The other side of the same small but precious piece of papaer ....

Hope you like it.
The 28th October medals parade of my collection will continue in the next days.
Take care

[Raffaello Carola]

Dear Fabio,

stunning cross rare to find with the document award
The 28th October division (the date of fascist revolution)
make part of the Abysinia war 1936 the divisional motto
"Summa Audacia et Virtus" ( highest daring and virtue)
the commander is the general Umberto Somma was composed
from numerous units (see below) this division are denominated
"LA FERREA" (similar IRONSIDE) because is the strong
blackshirts èlite fighters division in the Abisynia war.

114a Legione "Garibaldina"
CXIV Btg CC.NN.
CXV Btg CC.NN.
114a Cmp mitraglieri lombardi
114a Batt. sommeggiata CC.NN.
116a Legione "Alpina"
CXVI Btg CC.NN.
CXXV Btg CC.NN.
116a Cmp mitraglieri
116a Btr sommeggiata CC.NN.
180a Legione "Alessandro Farnese"
CLXXX Btg CC.NN
CLXXIV Btg CC.NN.
180a Cmp mitraglieri
180a Btr sommeggiata CC.NN.
and other minor units.

During the Abyssinian Campaign 1936 or the Invasion of Ethiopia, the
Blackshirts were able to raise seven field divisions:

I (1st) Division 23 Marzo " Implacabile" (implacable)
II (2d) Division 28 Ottobre "Summa Audacia et Virtus" ( highest daring and virtue)
III (3d) Division 21 Aprie " Roma nomen et omen" (Rome omen and name)
IV (4th) Division 3 Gennaio " Chi osa Vince" ( who dares win)
V (5th) Division 1 Febbraio " Col cuore e col ferro alla meta" (with heart and iron to the goal)
VI (6th) Division "Tevere" "Molti nemici molto Onore" (many enemies many honour)
VII (7th) Division "Cirene" is an special division in Libya

There is the medal of my collection of the 80th Legion "Alessandro Farnese"
make part of the 28 Ottobre blackshirts Division
with friendship, Raff

[Raffaello Carola]

2

[Fabio]

More medals !

Very nice medal, Raff.
But now I wanna share with the Waf guys some other beauties.
More 28th october blackshirts Division rare stuff.
Let's start with this one.
Black medal (!) with Duce big head and the name of the Division:
enjoy!
Please note the same ribbon of the previous one.

[Fabio]

backside

The other side.
A giant M, for Mussolini, with a Fascio Littorio inside a flame (the Fatherland), then the division motto "Summa audacia and virtus" and roman numbers that means some years of the fascist age (E.F. means Era fascista).
Not bad, I think ...

[Fabio]

machine gunners

Same ribbon but different music ....
What we got here, guys, is the medal of the Second Battalion machine Gunners of the same Blackshirts division.
I think that the design is very very clear.
Hope you like it.

[Fabio]

retro

The other side shows the city symbols of the 3 cities where the 3 legions that gave men to the Battallion which formed part of the Division come from: Genova Savona Imperia, all in Liguria, in Northern Italy.
Here we go.

[Fabio]

legione garibaldina

This one got a different ribbon: black and blue like the official Africa campaign Medal, but still belongs to the same blackshirts division we are talkin about.
It is a medal of the 114th Garibaldi Legion for the Africa Orientale campaign.

[Fabio]

motto

But the real special thing is the backside.
Not much for the design of the medal but for the words on it.
You all know that the hero of the Unity of Italy was Giuseppe Garibaldi that with an army of patriots called "I Mille" (the Thousand ones) helped the Army of the King Victor Emanuel II of Savoy to make the military reunion of Italy.
Well Garibaldi and his men wore a red shirt but weren't socialist for sure!
This black shirts legion got the name of Garibaldi and that's why on the medal you can read this typical fascist mottO:
TO THE LEGION GARIBALDI THAT OWNS AN OLD VALOUR OF RED SHIRT, WITH A NEWER IMPULSE OF BLACK SHIRT ...

Imo, simply .. FANTASTIC.

[Fabio]

pics

But just to give you an idea about the people we are talkin about when we see this medal. here's a pic of some balckshirts leaving for Africa ... Could be army too, but the meaning is the same: ready to face the death!

[Fabio]

pics

Here the ship is full and ready to go ...

[Fabio]

pics

Once in Ethiopia, time for marchin.
This is a press pic, in postcard size, of Istituto Luce.
A nice shot, IMO