Italian fallschirmjager divizione julia battle of the bulge !!! ???

[pouspous]

Hi guys,

Here i'm showing you one of my most praised attic finds, which i made several years ago in the sector the 5th FJ Division near Bastogne, this canteen bears the symbol of the Luftwaffe belt buckle and the mention DIVIZIONE JULIA, which to the best of my knowledge was an italian mountain division.... there are also Edelweiss etched on it as well as numerous locations and "mamma ate ritornero para presto ti abbracierro"

Can you please give me some opinions / information about that piece, which up till this point is still a complete mistery to me.

Canteen is not for sale or trade.

Thanks for watching,

All the best to all

[mayer]

This was a GJ division (Alpini) and not paratroopers, they have fought in Russian and almost all annihilated over there. Very intresting this piece, as Italian a can say it!

[pouspous]

Ok, but how can you explain the LW marking on it and the fact it was lost in an FJ sector during the battle of the Bulge ?

Also, the number 8. doens't match with the Julia division number wich was 3

Best regards

[mayer]

Ok, but how can you explain the LW marking on it and the fact it was lost in an FJ sector during the battle of the Bulge ?

Also, the number 8. doens't match with the Julia division number wich was 3

Best regards

I can't explaine this, but it is very curious, who can know why About the 8 Julia div. i don't know, also if during my army service in the 80's i was in this GJ division, sorry for my ignorance, but i can't remember...

[Luca Ongaro]

After 8 september 1943, between the 12 and the 14 september the 8 Julia alpini division died.
I can not explain why a LW eagle is there but maybe was added later if original.
Luca

[Dennis S]

Possible surviving member of Divisione Julia and after September 8 he may have opted to join RSI Forces . Some were absorbed into the Luftwaffe or conscripted into flak units. He may have even volunteered directly to the Germans . He decorated his mess tin as he saw fit.

[PBR]

The Fasces look like erased, but the Swastika is still there...make me think to some of the many italians unsatisfied by fascism that were looking to the Third Reich like theirs new nation during the last years of war...