Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. World War Two Italian Regio Esercito (Royal Army) General of the Army uniform. The uniform is a Model 1934, in excellent condition: detailed bullion wire rank sleeve insignia, epaulets with silver embroidered Savoy Eagle with 2 stars, silver General Officer buttons. The General was well decorated with 4 ribbon bars (13 decorations total). The uniform is made with a high quality gabardine in "grigioverde". Also included are matching trousers and a General's Bustina cap, both in excellent condition.
The General’s Decorations Include:
-The Military Order of Savoy: The Military Order of Savoy was a military honorary order of the Kingdom of Sardinia first, and of the Kingdom of Italy later. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the order became the Military Order of Italy. The origin of the Military Order of Savoy can be traced back to the first honorary degrees granted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia to its soldiers. Later these degrees went into disuse because of the Napoleonic regime in Italy and especially in Piedmont. On 1 April 1815 these honorary degrees were used again by Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia and later abolished on the 14th of August of the same year. Later again, all of these honorary degrees became part of one, and became, the Military Order of Savoy. This military order was to be granted to the soldiers who fought in the Italian army of Napoleon and became part of the Legion of Honor (or either obtained the honorary degree of Order of the Iron Crown) due to military merit. This honorary degree was conceded to everyone no matter what religion or rank the soldier was. Another purpose this Order was created to reward all other kind of military merit, to the simple soldier and up to the high-ranked officer, that performed a special military feat during battle.
-The War Cross for Military Valor x3: Croce di guerra al valor militare is an Italian decoration for military valor. Established in 1922, the cross may be awarded only in time of war.
-Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus: The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, and it is one of the rare orders of knighthood recognized by papal bull, in this case by Pope Gregory XIII. In that bull, Pope Gregory XIII bestowed upon Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy and his Savoy successors, the right to confer this knighthood in perpetuity. The Grand Master is Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, since 1983. The order was formerly awarded by the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) with the heads of the House of Savoy as the Kings of Italy. Originally a chivalric order of noble nature, it was restricted to subjects of noble families with proofs of at least eight noble great-grandparents. The order's military and noble nature was and is still combined with a Roman Catholic character. After the abolition of the monarchy and the foundation of the Italian Republic in 1946, the legacy of the order is maintained by the pretenders of the House of Savoy and the Italian throne in exile.
The order is estimated to include about 2,000 members around the world, with about 200 in the United States. The Order also has roster consultative status with the United Nations, as part of the U.N.'s ECOSOC.
-The Order of the Crown of Italy-Commander: The Order of the Crown of Italy, Italian: Ordine della Corona d'Italia, was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civilian and military merit. Compared with the older Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572), the Order of the Crown of Italy was awarded more liberally and could be conferred on non-Catholics as well; eventually, it became a requirement for a person to have already received the Order of the Crown of Italy in at least the same degree before receiving the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. The order has been suppressed by law since the foundation of the Republic in 1946. However, Umberto II did not abdicate his position as fons honorum and it remained under his Grand Mastership as a dynastic order. While the continued use of those decorations conferred prior to 1951 is permitted in Italy, the crowns on the ribbons issued before 1946 must be substituted for as many five pointed stars on military uniforms.
-Italian Cross of Longevity of Service: The award is for 16 years of military service
-Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912: The Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911–12 was a medal instituted by Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy on 21 November 1912 for all civilian personnel and Italian and colonial troops who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911 to 1912.
-Italian Longevity of Service Medal: Awarded for 20 years of command service in the Army
-Italian War Merit Cross with 2 Gold Crowns: The Italian War Merit Cross was awarded to members of the armed forces with a minimum of one year's service in contact with an enemy who received the Medal of the Wounded, or to those who, when mentioned for war merit, received a promotion. Also, if an act of valour was deemed insufficient for the Medal of Military Valor, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead; from 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon showed this class of award. Successive awards, three awardings being the maximum, were indicated by one or two bronze royal crowns.
-Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918: The Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918 was the Italian campaign medal for World War I. The ribbon has 4 stars.
-Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy: The Italian Risorgimento was celebrated by a series of medals set up by the three kings who ruled during the long process of unification - the Commemorative Medal for the Campaigns of the War of Independence and the various versions of the Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy, which were granted by the Kingdom of Italy to those who had taken part in the military operations which had led to Italian independence and later to all who participated in the First World War, since at that time it was traditionally held that Italy completed its unification with the annexation of the Trentino. Its final awards were to participants in the March on Rome and the Impresa di Fiume.
The name of the General is nowhere to be found on this uniform, however, The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus has a very comprehensive list available on multiple websites. Since the award is rather prestigious, pinpointing this uniform to an Italian General should be rather easy.
The Jacket, Breeches and Bustina are all in very nice condition and are without any damage. The ribbons are a little faded but are still very easily discernible.
The uniform comes ready to display in your Pre-WWI to WWII Italian collections!
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to Shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to Sleeve: 20"
Shoulder to Shoulder: 18"
Chest Width: 16"
Waist Width: 18"
Hip Width: 20"
Front Length: 28"
Inseam: 24"
Waist: 26"
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle