A Historical Review of the Italian Tropical

“Sahariane e Camiciotti Sahariani”

by J.Burd

 If you where to identify the Italian sodier of WWII with one piece of military clothing, it would have to be the Sahariana. Of all the Italian uniforms worn during the war, the tropical sahariana is the most well known and liked. Italy in contrast with Germany had several colonies in Africa dating back to the late 1800’s and therefore had always retained a keen interest and duty to develop tropical outfitting for their troops stationed there.

The beginnings of the sahariana can be traced back to the colonial uniform regulations of 31 January 1929 “Regolamento sull’Uniforme e Istruzioni sulla Divisa dei R.R. Corpi di Truppe Colonial”. This particular regulation established the Giubba Modello 1929 for the colonial enlisted men. The tunic was made in khaki cotton and was comprised of four pockets, a high collar as in the old WWI tunics and fixed shoulder straps. The buttons could either be of wood or metal depending on its use (sometimes the metal buttons bore a roman numeral denoting the specific colonial battalion) This tunic with some variations was used by native Italian forces in all of their colonies. Although eventually superseded by the sahariana, this tunic was used up to and including WWII.

In 1934, a new uniform which included an open collar tunic was establish for the metropolitan troops of the Regio Esercito named the Baistrocchi model. A tropical version of this uniform was also established by the Ministero delle Colonie with Circular 81014 on 18 January of the same. The tropical version was almost identical to the grey-green wool version with the exception of a few details. The collar was plain instead of the black velvet used in the grey-green wool version. Also, no color of arms striping was placed on the pant legs. The uniform was made into two version, one in brown wool for winter wear and a summer version in khaki cotton. The shade of the khaki cotton uniform varied from a tan, to a mustard color and even a greenish olive-khaki. This uniform however was still not very comfortable for wear in the hot desert temperatures of Africa. Provisions were made for the use of shirt-sleeves only during severe temperatures but this still did not solve the problem of establishing a standard utility uniform for everyday wear suited to the hot climate.

The sahariana was developed from the experience the Italians gained in Africa in particular from their Libyan troops. An exact date for when it was first designed is not known however photographic evidence illustrates Italian troops in Ethiopia and Libya wearing it around 1935. Two basic versions of what is typically called the Sahariana exist. The first is the officers version. Although it was used for years previously, this tunic was officially established in 1940 with Circular 904500 on 25 May 1940 by the Minister dell’Africa Italiana. This circular established the service uniforms for officers posted to the Italian colonies. The basic officers Sahariana was comprised of four pockets, was long-sleeved and was made of khaki cotton or linen (often mistaken for burlap). Standard colors were to be khaki and white for troops in lower East Africa (Somalia, Eritrea). The shades of khaki varied from tan, to a mustard brown and even an olive green. The tunics peculiarity stemmed from its loose fit and unorthodox configuration. All pockets were typically pleated with the bottom two being of the expandable type. The flaps to the upper two pockets were formed by additional material being sewn ontop of the tunic forming a caped like cover. This was also repeated on the upper rear of the tunic. This rear flap was generally shaped with a single, double or triple point. The rear of the tunic also contained a central pleat allowing a relaxed fit. Sometimes, the sides of the tunic from the waist down were cut in order to allow more freedom. The collars to the tunic were also generally long and pointed and the collar itself at times included a snap button or a metal hook and catch which allowed the user to close it tight. The rear of the collar often included a button to secure it with. The cuffs to the tunic were typically of two types: the first was comprised of two buttons with a thin strap of materially additionally sewn serving as sort of a tie-off allowing the cuff to be expanded; the second was simply comprised of two buttons placed vertically above each other thus not being expandable. The buttons to the tunic were typically made of wood and brown in color. However, green wooden buttons and also khaki painted metal buttons were used due to shortages. The front of the Sahariana was typically closed by a minimum of four buttons not to exceed five. The tunic also had a cloth belt which generally included a metal buckle but buttons were also used. Before WWII, rank insignia on the Sahariana for officers was comprised of shoulder boards bearing the rank in terms of stars and the coat of arms. The shoulder boards were underlayed in black and bordered in the battalion colors for those assigned to colonial troops. The bottom side of the boards were underlayed in the color of arm such as red for infantry, yellow for artillery and so on. The boards were of the slip-on type which consisted of a strip of cloth fixed to the bottom of the board which was slipped through two loops affixed to the tunic. The boards were then secured by a brass screw-back button which bore the coat of arms. Following Italy’s entry into WWII, all shoulder boards were abolished and cuff ranks were reintroduced. This version of the Sahariana included a fixed shoulder flap and ranks were thus sewn to the cuffs. However, this was not generally enforced and photographic evidence illustrates that most officers preferred the shoulder boards and continued to wear them.

The second type of Sahariana was that worn by the enlisted troops. Two general versions existed. The most commonly worn version was called the Camiciotto Sahariano. The Camiciotto was first officially established for the enlisted troops with Order 390 on 21 April 1939 by Comando Superiore Forze Armate Africa Settentrionale. The tunic had been worn for some time previously unofficially. The tunic was basically a pull-over shirt in nature and generally of the same loose fitting design as the officers Sahariana. However, the Camiciotto differed in a few details. The front of the tunic came in two styles. The style issued pre-1940 was almost identical to the officers Sahariana except that the front only opened to the waist with three buttons thus making it a pull-over and it had plain slip-on enlisted epaulettes. The style issued after 1940 was modified in that the front pockets were plain and did not have the caped flaps. This style seems to have been issued in the largest quantities based on photographic evidence. The use of the pre-1940 model seems to have been limited mainly to colonial native troops. The difference in the two basic styles of the Camiciotto is not great but the pre-1940 model most closely resembles the officers Sahariana. No official orders differentiate the two but official records from the Depots of Tripoli and Bengasi indicate in 1940 the issuance of two enlisted types: “Camiciotto cachi-oliva per coloniali” and “Camiciotto sahariano per coloniali”. This would indicate that the pre-1940 was a true Sahariana as intended for enlisted men and the post-1940 just being a simple utility pull-over or general tropical overshirt. An alteration of the post-1940 (named as tipo 2 in Fig. 3) also seems to have existed in which the camiciotto opens full length rather than being of the pull-over type (named as tipo 1 in Fig. 3). It is not know which of these two were produced in the largest quantities and it is difficult to tell them apart in period photographs.

The second version of the enlisted Sahariana basically consisted of the officers version issued post-1940 but of lower quality. Very little photographic evidence exists of enlisted men wearing this type. Typically the majority of photographs illustrate enlisted men either wearing their old standard 1934 tropical tunics or various styles of the Camiciotto.

In conclusion, the Sahariana was one of the most favored uniforms of the italian soldier as can be evidenced by its widespread use by all branches of the Italian armed forces to include its use also by PNF members (in black), by paratroopers in its collarless form, and during the RSI period. The Sahariana in its various forms served the Italian soldier very well throughout WWII and even after. Few collectors realize that the Italians served as a protectorate to Somalia up until the early 1960’s. Many of the wartime tropical uniforms and equipment were used by Italians stationed in Somalia up until that time. Several tropical Sahariana’s have been making the collectors circuit and have been classified as reproductions due to the postwar date stamps and “Made in Italy” stamps. I have no official evidence to deny this accusation but I would like to make collectors aware that large quantities of Italian wartime material has been and still is stockpiled in military depots to this date. Considering Italy’s critical postwar shortages of material, I believe that it is possible that many wartime tunics were reissued to troops in Somalia in postwar days. This may be supported by the letter S found in all of the stamps found on these tunics. If anyone has additional information regarding this particular detail or any corrections to this article please contact the author.

References:“Uniformi e Distintivi dell’Esercito Italiano nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale” by Andrea Viotti, Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito, Roma 1988

ITALIAN MILITARY SKULL BADGES AND INSIGNIA - 1915-1945

By Rudy A. D'Angelo - Military Historian

Probably no other single insignia or badge quickly attracts the collector like that of a skull and crossbones, or a skull with a dagger or sword in the design. Skull 'n' bones of course, has been around for centuries and most of us as young boys became acquainted with such an insignia or symbol when first seeing it in pirate movies, the "Jolly Roger" flag and other such movies, TV programs and literature. By the time World War II came along and the skull and bones of the dreaded German SS became headlines around the world, the Italians had already been wearing such a badge and insignia since World War I. It would be almost impossible to explain the many types and patterns designed, as well as issued and worn by the Italians, both before and after fascism, but suffice to say the "death" badge has had a long life in Italian insignia. The word for "skull" in Italian is "teschio", pronounced "tes-key-oh". The word for "death" is "morte" pronounced "more-tay". The Italian word for "badge" is "distintivo" pronounced "dees-teen-teevo". The same word applies to "insignia". While the skull badge or insignia has been around for hundreds of years, the Arditi first applied it to the uniform and headgear as an item of issue. These assault troops (the title "Ardito"and "Arditi!' mean "daring" and "bold") knew very well that they faced death and soon they adopted a variety of mottos that have been seen and added to some skull insignia. These were "A NOI!" which means "To US" which was the reply to the question "TO WHOM ITALY ?". Trying to prove that they were not afraid to die in assaults, the Arditi also used the motto "OLTRE 'LA MORTE!' which means "Beyond Death". Battle cries such as "VIVA 'LA MORTE" meaning "Long live Death" were soon made famous by D'Annunzio's legionnaires, and finally adopted by the first fascist blackshirt Action Squads, which in effect, most were World War I ex-Arditi and veterans that felt Italy did not get its due for its participation in the Great War. (Italy's contribution: 655,000 dead and 1 million wounded). Italian skulls come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. The first skull insignias were made of silver, nickle, steel and bronze. Through the rise of fascism and the organization of the MVSN, the original designs of the skulls used by the Arditi were adopted by the MVSN units with some minor changes. After the fall of fascism and the organization of the RSI forces, the skull was once again re-adopted to show the fierceness and daring resolve of the RSI units and the fact they faced instant death at the hands of Allies, occupation forces and partisans. The most famous of these RSI units of course were the Decima MAS (Xa MAS) and the Black Brigades (Brigate Nere - BB.NN.) both of which adopted the skull as part of the official insignia and not just as an item of decoration. As the war trudged on, the skull badge is found in fabric, embroidery, bullion and aluminum and tin as raw materials became more scarce. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that while some reproductions of the skull badge is inevitable due to its morbid design and popularity, not all specimens should be considered "fake" or "repro". Use caution and know the person or dealer you are buying from. Many dealers and collectors think any skull badge or insignia is automatically "Italian SS" or "Moschettieri del Duce" (Mussolini's Bodyguards) to make the item more desireable, more costly, and more attractive to the buyer.

Therefore, as has always been the thrust of this writer to be informative and to set the historical record straight wherever possible, I have gathered the skulls in my own collection of 30 years and the proper identification should put this question to rest. While the following collection of skulls and the many varieties and designs shown are as complete a collection of such badges and insignia, it is by no means ALL that exist in this interesting field. Indeed, during the pre-March on Rome years, many such badges and symbols were designed and made privately and many never became items of military issue. The same situation repeated itself during the RSI period when the use and wear of the skull badge was meant to make a statement and not merely an item of use. There is ample photographic evidence that shows the skull badge and insignia being worn by combat units and brigades which had no authority to do so. It was a time when "death" was neither feared nor was it avoided. The skull is still in many of today's units!

IDENTIFICATION OF ITALIAN MILITARY SKULL AND BADGES 1915-1945:

1. Badge of the Musketeers - "Moschettieri del Duce" - Mussolini's personal bodyguards. The badge (actual size photo) was a two-piece badge. The badge is silver. The skull and bones are one piece and the crossed rapiers of the Musketeer style are separate. This badge was worn ONLY on the FEZ. It was NOT worn on the helmet. The SKULL ALONE was worn on the helmet. It is extremely rare and the detail is fantastic.

2. This is a World War I Arditi badge. It is silver, but some are also found silver plated. It was worn on the collar of the Arditi open tunic. However, these skulls (one piece) with the dagger in its teeth, were also worn on headgear, on the breast pockets of the tunic, and in some cases, sewn onto the sleeve of the tunic. This size is for the collar.

3. Arditi style skull & dagger, silver metal, adopted by the first fascist Action Squads in 1919, was worn on the fez and tunic. This came with the dagger on both sides of the skull.

4. Skull with both bones and dagger worn by some Blackshirt units and RSI units on the fez, beret, overseas cap, helmet, and tunics. This pattern is quite scarce. These were affixed by prongs soldered to the center of the skull stamping on the reverse. It is NOT Italian SS! This badge with both bones and dagger is very scarce.

5. Basically, this is the same "pattern" as the Arditi badge in #2, however, this is an RSI issue, late war production, in aluminum. These were also affixed to the M43 cap and in some cases of staunch, die-hard fascists, to the grips and scabbards of daggers!

6. Another variation of #3 - this is an RSI issue, made of tin, greyish metal. This was worn by some units of the RSI; in individual cases, photographic evidence shows it was also worn on the M43 cap of Italian SS volunteers, and some units of the Black Brigades.

7. This silver stickpin shows the original Arditi skull & dagger in its teeth, but as it was adopted by the Fascists, the hard motto below on the black enamel reads "ME NE FREGO" (slang for "I dont give a %$#$").

8. This is a truly "original" Arditi badge also adopted by the first fascists. It shows the Arditi skull, the early style "Republican" fasces with the axe blade coming out of the top of the Victorian bundle, and the motto "TO US!". Note that this Arditi skull has crossbones instead of the usual seen dagger in its teeth. Variations never cease!

9. This aluminum skull with dagger is a more sinister looking pattern, and it has the Roman style laurel leaves around the crown of the skull. This is a pinback style, probably used during the RSI period on the tunic.

10. Arditi style skull on a lapel pin, worn on the civilian dress. Silver plated. NOTE: The Italian SS wore the German issue skull & bones and the Italian issue style as shown in #6. Wartime photos show both being worn by officers and enlisted men.

11. Pair of skull & bones badges worn on the collar FIAMES during the RSI period. The skull and bones of this style were adoptedby many units during the RSI including the Black Brigades, the Republican National Guard (G.N.R.) and a variety of others who wore it even though it was not regulation on their particular uniform.

12. These are small collar badges worn on the flames of the Decima Mas, and also worn as a "dog tag" by some members of the Decima Mas who engraved name, year_of birth (Classe) and other vital data on the back of this tab. These are made of brass. The badge of the Decima Mas was a skull, semi-profile, with a rose in its teeth, with the large Roman numeral for 10 in the background. The "X" is usually found painted red. These were sewn onto the fabric.

13. This is the OFFICIAE badge of the Black Brigades of the RSI. It is made of greyish metal, and it is stamped, and carries a prong on the back to affix to the beret and the M43 style caps both worn by the Black Brigades. The detail is dramatic. These Official Black Brigade skulls are quite rare. (Actual size).

14. late production RSI skull and bones, worn by Black Brigades, and the "'Leonessa" tank troops on the leather tank crash helmet as well as all types of headgear worn during the RSI period. Note that it is almost identical to the skull badge ONLY (not the rapiers) of the Musketeer badge of the Bodyguards, which had been disbanded by the late 1943 period. Occasionally, some of these are found with red-painted eye sockets.

15. Another variation of the Black Brigades skull, also made of greyish stamped steel with prongs to affix to beret or M43 cap. While this is a "typical" design, it is a very scarce variation. This is also slightly convexed and cannot be "flattened" thus is was stamped in that fashion for headgear, the leather crash helmet or motor- cycle crash helmet of the RSI GNR forces.

16. Smaller size skull & bones, silver plated, worn on collar flames, breast of tunic, and some M43 caps. This style has excellent detail, including the cranium crack and missing teeth! This is a pin-back. Also worn by some MVSN Blackshirt units in the 1930's (such as the 240th legion).

17. This profile skull with the Alpini feather in the background is part of the "Bassano" Battalion badge, which was assigned to the RSI Alpini Division "Monterosa". Besides the unique profile skull design WITHOUT bones or dagger, it carries the motto "VIVA LA MORTE!" adopted by this RSI Alpini Division. Very rare badge of the RSI.

18. This profile skull with the rose in its teeth with the red X and small "a" is the centerpiece of the rare breast badge of the RSI's 10th Flottiglia MAS (Decima MAS). The X is red enamel on a blue enamel background, the badge is gilted brass.

**One final skull badge is that of the 363rd Blackshirt Battalion, which sports a skull with two crossed BAYONETS in the background. The skull & bayonets are white enamel on a black sleeve shield style background. Obviously quite rare since it was battalion strengt GOOD HUNTING

Breast Badge of the 363rd Blackshirt (CC.NN.) Battalion These blackshirts volunteers were from CAIABRIA. ( Special thanks to mio fratello, BILI YOUNG

Sleeve Shields of the Fascist Youth

By Rudy D'Angelo

As previously detailed in the article of the Fascist Youth in a previous AMICI article, this vast and complex organization was re-organized from the initial Opera Nazional Balilla (O.N.B.) into the Gioventu Italiana del Littorio, the GIL G.I.L. on 29 October 1937. All Italian children, male and female, were then organized into its sections, from the Children of the She-Wolf, right up to the Young Fascists. The G.I.L. came under the command of the MVSN with its officers assigned to the GIL ranks for training and instruction, physical, moral, religious and paramilitary, of Italy's youth. These were formed into Zones in Italy, of which there were 14 commands located in principal cities. The ranks were the same as those of the MVSN - squads, companies, legions and commands. The Fascist GIL organizations ceased to exist after July 1943. In 1937, the sleeve shield (scudetto) was authorized for the ranks of the Young Fascists "Giovani Fascisti" and the Vanguard "Avanguardisti". The younger boys, in the Balilla groups, were not authorized a sleeve shield, although a special shield existed for the city or youth legion which was hand-picked for ceremonial and parade functions for special military rallies or visits by Mussolini and other high leaders during the Fascist regime. The sleeve shield was worn on the left sleeve of the tunic, both the black dress tunic and the grey-green service tunic. The shield came in FIVE varieties. These are brass, tin, bakelite, aluminum, and less common, in fabric. The shield of the GIL has the colors of the Youth - yellow on the left and red on the right. On the top portion of the shield is the symbol of the GIL, the fascist Lictorian bundle and axe, the roman shield and gladio (short sword). In the center of the shield is a large M in cursive lettering in gold color. Below the M are the initials of the GIL separated from the M by a short bar. The shields of the older G.I.L. have the wording GIOVANI FASCISTI on the yellow left section. The shields of the younger Vanguard have AVANGUARDISTI in the same section. The right side carries the name of the city. The non-fabric shields have three tiny holes, top left, top right, and bottom center, to sew onto the tunic sleeve. The fabric shields naturally were either sewn to the tunic at each corner or fully around the shield.

The identical shields were worn by both officers and enlisted ranks. The officer's shields, however, no title or city name was on the shield, only the symbol at top, the center M and the GIL initials below.   Officer's shields made of bakelite were stamped with GIL and General Command (Commando Generale) on the reverse as well as the name of the maker, of which there were several. The majority of the bakelite shields carry the firm name of Castelli-Gerosa of Milano. Other shields also have the firm names of Pagani and Lorioli, also of Milano. The question most often asked is: How many GIL shields are there? Italian books have, no such answer and Italian collectors are divided as to whether there were 100 Italian cities or 96 cities. These represent the major city of each province. However, there are 96 for certain. In addition there are shields for at least three cities in Libia, then under Italian rule. In addition, there was a shield worn for the children of all Italian residents abroad in the Colonies of Ethiopia, Libia, Eritrea and Somalia where no main city was authorized with a command. These special shields carry the wording GIOVENTU ITALIANA DEL LITTORIO ALL'ESTERO and the initials GILE under the M. Translated, this stands for YOUNG FASCISTS OF THE LICTOR ABROAD. In addition to the THREE types of GIL shields noted above, there were a series of special GIL shields for GIL in training for the Alpini, the Air Force and the Navy. The Youth of the Alpini Unit is basically the same style shield and coloring, however, in the center of the shield is and eagle swooping down onto a mountain top, with the initials GIL in roughly the same area as the regular shield. On the left is the wording REPARTI (Unit) and on the right is ALPINI (Alpine, mountain troop training). The eagle is highlighted in green paint. The Youth in Air Force or Aviation training wore a shield with the wording REPARTI on the left, and PRE-AVIERI on the right and in the center of the shield is a blue high-lighted propeller.   The Youth in Naval training had the wording REPARTI on the left and PRE-MARINARI on the right with a blue fouled anchor in the center of the shield.

Two additional shields existed for GIL in Motorized Training and the Personnel who conducted the training. These were all blue and they carry the wording MOTORIZZAZIONE and have a geared wheel in the center with the GIL symbol. A diamond shaped shield existed as well for the Youth Labor Service, "SERVIZIO DEL LAVORO" and in addition to the youth colors, yellow on top and red on the bottom, the center sported the GIL symbol with three shovels coming out of the top of the bundle and the SERVIZIO DEL LAVORO on the yellow top portion-," of the diamond shaped shield.   No doubt, with its endless variety of units, autonomous groups, and special training sections, other shields with different wording may exist, but this represents the regulation and official shields of the Fascist Youth.

This writer would be interested in knowing as part of my research and documentation, if any members have any other GIL or Vanguard or Youth shields with different wording. Fortunately for the novice collector, GIL shields are still within economic reach and they make an attractive and historical display. I have found that many collectors want a representative shield in brass, tin, and bakelite, or a favorite city, or perhaps the city where immigrant parents or grandparents came from. Another question raised is why are some cities harder to find than others ? Obviously, GI's that concentrated and set up command posts in major cities would have had the opportunity to retrieve those shields as war souveniers from the population, prisoners, etc., while there are some cities that GI's never reached, as well as those shields that were destroyed after 1943, 1945, and the usual passage of some 50 odd years. Listed below are the 96 main "central cities" that had shields as well as the colonial cities:  

GOOD HUNTING !!

Former Italian Cities:                                                            Cities in the Colonies:

FIUME                                                                                   BENGASI

LITTORIA                                                                             DERNA

X LEGIO (Bologna)                                                              TRIPOLI

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