Original Italian WWII Model 1923 Regia Aeronautica Air Force Pilot Officer Sword With Scabbard, Sword Knot, and Hanger
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare Model 1923 Italian Air Force pilot officer's sword. This is a high quality private purchase sword featuring a double sided etched blade The guard is a fantastically detailed eagle wing with the bird's crowned head topping the handle. This example has the original sword knot and the hanger, the first time we’ve had either!
Measures overall approximately 36" in length. Blade length is 29 ¾”. The blade retains much of its original nickeled finish but there are areas of loss. The grip is nicely intact, with the lacquered leather still exhibiting its original sheen and brass wire wrap. The guard has a slight wobble, but the fold up guard is intact, although the piece it snaps onto is gone.
The sword is in excellent condition with some areas of light wear from honest use. The leather and brass scabbard is in excellent condition, with intact stitching. The sword knot is white and blue and is in good shape with a gold bullion knot. The hanger is a bit tattered but a great thing to see.
This is a great example of a rare sword! Ready to display!
Specifications:
Overall length: 37”
Blade length: 31 1/8”
Scabbard Length: 32"
The Regia Aeronautica and World War II
On 28 March 1923, the Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service by King Vittorio Emanuele III of the Kingdom of Italy. This air force was known as the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force). During the 1930s, the fledgling Regia Aeronautica was involved in its first military operations, first in Ethiopia in 1935, and later in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. After a period of neutrality,
Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940 alongside Germany. The Regia Aeronautica could deploy more than 3,000 aircraft, although fewer than 60% were serviceable. It fought from the icy steppes of Russia to the sands of the North African desert, losing men and machines.
After the armistice of 8 September 1943, Italy was divided into two sides, and the same fate befell the Regia Aeronautica. The Air Force was split into the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force in the south aligned with the Allies, and the pro-Axis Aeronautica Nasionale Repubblicana in the north until the end of the war. On 8 May 1945, the hostilities ended, beginning the rebirth of military aviation in Italy.
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