Italian Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano uniform question.

[johnz138]

Hello,

I needed some clarification on shoulder boards that are on this Italian tunic. Checking through my books and the only thing I could find on these are they state these are rank insignia, National Republican Army. Would you agree?



If so, that means it wouldn't use the star in the flame correct?



Maybe I'm mistaken. Book is not really clear enough for me, so that's why I'm askin.

Thanks.

[Semovente]

Jonhz138 ...RSI Gladio's..in place of the Royal army stars on your tunics mostrine !??.

[johnz138]

Thanks, I did think the gladios, but wasn't sure if I was missing something here. There no holes in the flame for the gladios prongs, just one hole for star screw...

[Semovente]

Oh odd then??...yet those epps look to be RSI...

[Dennis S]

They look RSI to me too. Maybe collar tabs or changed later. I have seen the Royal Army stars carried over , but mostly early RSI period.

Can we see the complete tunic. Is it by any chance named?

[comune1aclasse]

Hi,

to me this uniform is perfectly OK!
As we all know the Regio Esercito got split after September 43. Uniforms and rank insignia changed in the newly established armed Forces.
Nevertheless Rank insignia on the shoulderstraps of the Officers of the 2 italian Armies were ALMOST similar.
Senior Officers had in both armies the golden bullion stripe around the strap....BUT in the RSI "Version" the bottom was closed while in the italian army of the Regno del Sud the bottom was left open as it was then used further on in the post war repubblican era Army until the of the 1970s...
So I think this is a uniform which belonged to a Colonel of the Regio Esercito
Also it is reported that greygreen tunics/uniforms were still worn by quite a number of officers well until the end of the 1940s ... and so again my modest opinion is: this tunic is genuine.

Cheers,

Alex

[johnz138]

Alex,

Thanks for the info. I totally wasn't thinking about the southern kingdom. I just did find another picture of an alpini uniform with the same stripe with the open bottom and had the star on the alpini flame. Stated it was regno del sud.

Dennis,

Tunic is not named.

All in all its a very nice lookin tunic. I did find it weird that the pocket buttons were sewn on the flap over the button slot and not on the pocket itself.

[ARDITO]

As has already been said, (Excellent Alex!) is not a RSI tunic,
but, of the army of the co-belligerent of the "Regno del Sud",
it is normal to find the rank on the shoulder straps.

[Dennis S]

I stand corrected

[Ironcrown]

I confirm!
Bersaglieri corps. Regno del Sud or early postwar.
Can you show a picture of the whole uniform?
Is there any patch on the left shoulder?

[johnz138]

Here are some pictures. No patch on the left shoulder.

[Semovente]

I stand corrected

Yep me too...you live n learn !!...and it's still a nice tunic Jonhz138

[comune1aclasse]

Wow!!!! That is some BEAUTY!! you have there!!! I love it!
Great piece!

Cheers,

Alex

>>>note the ribbon of the Ordine della Corona d'Italia that the
Crown has been substituted by a Republican five pointed star...so this gives
for sure the use of this tunic even after June 1946.....

[Ironcrown]

So this is a M40 tunic modified and used early postwar. Maybe even by the Southern Kingdom, but for sure straight up to the Republic.
Why I'm sayng this?
The crowns from the ribbons were removed and in one case replaced (on the knight cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy) by a star, as prescribed in the new republican army!

[Ironcrown]

Ops! Not a knoght cross, but an officer cross (just the grade above)