C.A.I. Italian Expeditionary Air Force in Belgium

[Paolo Marzetti]

The Italian C.A.I. (Corpo Aereo Italiano )in Belgium (late 1940-1941) was deployed on request
of Hitler to support the future invasion of England,
with Italian planes (bombers, recognition and fighters) and ground forces of the R. Aeronautica.
Mussolini agreed, but due to the extreme cold climate, the Italian ground forces
were supplied with German boots and long LW trousers.
Here's a complete uniform of an Italian NCO of this unit:


....... PaoloM

[Paolo Marzetti]

The Italian ground forces, the most part of the R.Aeronautica, were issued
with the usual M.33 helmets, in grey-green colour with front decal and right
side tri-colour shield with black fascio printed on. A very nice and smart helmet,
but frankly out of any mind if compared with the German one.



...... PaoloM

[Paolo Marzetti]

It seems that some bombers'crews used these decalled helmets if it is true
the photo below showing two British RAF officers looking at an helmet
of this kind found after the wreckage of a BR 20 bomber shot down
in England after an Italian raid:

The tri-colour shield decal should be glued on the right side of the helmet,
but do exist some specimen of these rare helmets with the shield put
on the left side:

and also on front, beneath the front Savoy eagle.

Ciao PaoloM

[Paolo Marzetti]

Another of these helmets:

Bye, PaoloM

[Jean-Loup]

That photo of the RAF men looking at the helmet after a crash is very interesting. Thanks for posting this info that I had never heard about before.

JL

[Paolo Marzetti]

Another photo coming from UK, published at the time for propaganda purposes: this m.33 worn by a British RAF pilot with a 'fiasco' of
Chianti wine on his left hand after having shot down a BR20 bomber.
Bye, PaoloM

[Paolo Marzetti]

Another variant of this helmet, this time blue colour.Bye, PaoloM

[Paolo Marzetti]

...

[flashider]

Paolo sorry....
But from the photos....IMO this last one is fake

Bad decals and paint job....

[Paolo Marzetti]

The only thing that maybe suspect is the slighty larger tri-colour shield.
Flashider are you sure they reproduce the CAI decals? I'm not aware of this.
I had seen in the past another CAI helmet blue colour, so I can't say by the
only paint job.However if you've more elements let us know.By the way the
photos, are not good and the front decal looks good to me.They're generally
very light decals, of poor quality, easy to fade and to be broken. PaoloM

[flashider]

The only thing that maybe suspect is the slighty larger tri-colour shield.
Flashider are you sure they reproduce the CAI decals? I'm not aware of this.
I had seen in the past another CAI helmet blue colour, so I can't say by the
only paint job.However if you've more elements let us know.By the way the
photos, are not good and the front decal looks good to me.They're generally
very light decals, of poor quality, easy to fade and to be broken. PaoloM

Paolo,
I saw in the last edition of militalia one fake C.A.I. helmet...So I can say for sure: "They build them!!!"

Do you have better photos of this last helmet?

You are right....I don't like the tricolour of the helmet you posted in the post #3(The frontal eagle of this helmet appears original but is very difficult to judge from that photo)

The last helmet appears completely rebuild to me.

I like the helmets you posted before ....Specially at the post number #2 and #4.

[Paolo Marzetti]

Unfortunately I don't have better photos.However the matter needs a deeper
search, expecially on the decals. If you've seen a faked helmet of this kind
they have made the decals! So also this field has become a mine field!
I don't know what we'll ever collect in the next few years...
PaoloM

[Lafitte]

I like that i #3 post!!!
With this pics i can't say nothing about this helmets, because i can't look some particolarities.
In every case is it right what say Flash, exist the copies of the decals but not from the last edition of Militaria but from lot of years, problably in the last times the quality can be better.
About the blue one IMO i don't like very much, looks artificially aged but all can be!
Unlucky this ones are rare birds!!