Fabio's small collection

[Fabio]

Hello mates
I collect Italian fascist and German Third Reich stuff from the beginning of Mussolini and Hitler stories to the end of WWII and beyond (there are some wonderful RSI veterans items).
I will use this thread to show little by little my few things. I feel like David against big Goliaths!
Hope you won't get bored.
Best regards
Fabio

[Fabio]

RSI stuff

Let's start with 4 RSI veterans medal.
Is necessary a prologue. At the end of the war RSI soldiers were hated by civilians because they rapresented the world of the losers. Like ss were the alibi for the german atrocities, so RSI members were (and still are) the alibi for 20 years of fascism. Millions of fascists became antifascists in a day!
Personally, I have a big respect for those guys who knew that war was lost but still followed their Chef, faithfully. A lesson of dignity to all the italians jumped immediately on the winners car.
RSI members were massacred with their families by partisans for almost a couple of years after the end of the war. The communists were very strong and they asked for fascist blood: they had it. Hundred of thousands of men, women, teen agers were killed just beacuse they believed in Mussolini. For that terrible situation RSI soldiers, tryin to erased their past, destroyed or hided their military signs (badges, patches, uniforms and so on).
This is the first reason way RSI collectionables are very very RARE!
Second reason is that RSI territory became smaller everyday because of the Allied occupation of central and northern Italy, so firms and materials for producing them were really scarce!
The medals I am going to share with you are post war propaganda items made by veterans associations. But they wear these medals like they were the true medals that they deserve for their bravery and nobody ever gave them officially.
I know some of those old men and I respect them a lot: their are good people and young generations would have much to lern from them.
But stop talking, now, and let's see the first medal:
a war valour cross of RSI

[Fabio]

Front

In the front you can see the typical fascist eagle with the fascio on the talons (the national RSI emblem)

[Fabio]

Back

On the other side you can read "Al valore militare" and see a gladio (old roman sword) with inside the word "Italia".
Differently from kingdom's crosses there are no crown and king's insignas.
Please remember that during the RSI this cross has never been produced. At that time they used original kingdom's crosses where they erased the crown and the king insignas.
So if somebody try to sell one of these babies pretendin is original of war period, please call the police ... is a thief.

[Fabio]

Military valour in argent medal

Now we can see this military valour medal in argent that is very similar to the cross we have just seen and to the kingdom's military valour medal.
This kind of medal was really produced and given during RSI time. The best ones are those with the name of the Milite (soldier) on it. If you find an original of the Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana (the RSI airforce) with the name of the pilot you can pay easily more than two thousand dollars!
This one I got from a member of UNCRSI (Unione Nazionale Combattenti RSI) and is for sure a post war item. But the first owner was into the GNR (Guardia Nazionale Republicana, the RSI security milice)

[Fabio]

Other side of the same medal. No name on it, unfortunately!

[Fabio]

Benito's head

This one is very typical propaganda medal. But it has been designed by Lotti, a famous italian medal designer and I think has a nice look.

[Fabio]

Front

Stylized Duce head. Looks like Giulio Cesare, isnt'it?

[Fabio]

Eagle

the back side with a variation of the RSI emblema. A close up

[Fabio]

Ribbon

Last but not least this cross for the celebrations of the 40 years of RSI, always made by a Veteran Association.

[Fabio]

Front

The RSI military motto "Per l'onore d'Italia" and the two years of story.

[Fabio]

Backside

The Laurel and the Gladio. Forever.
That's all for today, folks.
More items will follow in this neverending thread.
Thank you for looking
Ciao
Fabio

[PZIV]

What an excellent looking collection! I have never even seen any of these medals.

[Chet Sowersby]

Fabio,
Thank you for sharing something that most all of us know little or nothing about. I enjoy looking and learning about the various countries awards that sided with Germany during the war. Since your father flew for Italy during this time will you be sharing any of his awards?

Chet

[Abzeichen]

Thanks Fabio

Thats for the interesting info on the RSI and Benito. There is a real dearth of info on the Italians.