Original Item: Only One available. This is a very nice Model 1928 (first version- pre-WW2) issued with a Fanteria (Line Infantry) cockade and a brass badge of the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment. The helmet is nicely ink stamped to the interior with Size 58. The original faux leather sweatband is fully intact with cork spacers and crown vent. The chinstrap is absent on this example, but the original black feather is still sitting in the small pocket.

During World War II the regiment was sent to Libya in December 1940, where it fought in the Western Desert campaign. Soon after arriving in North Africa the regiment was overcome during Operation Compass. The regiment was reformed in Italy and sent in November 1942 to Tunisia, where it fought in the Tunisian campaign and was overcome in May 1943. In June 1943 the regiment was reformed once more and fought the following month against allied forces landing in Sicily. By the end of July, the regiment was overcome for a third time and disbanded. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Bersaglieri units, on 18 June 1836, the day the Bersaglieri speciality was founded.

This is a gorgeous example of a very scarce helmet to a regiment that was annihilated during the Allied Invasion of Sicily. By the end of July 1943 the regiment was declared lost due to wartime events. Comes ready for further research and display.

On 9 December 1940 the British Western Desert Force commenced the Operation Compass to expel the Italian 10th Army from Egypt. The British offensive quickly devastated the 10th Army and on 13 December the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment was ordered to Libya to stop the rapid Italian retreat. On 5 February 1941 the regiment encountered British forces near Ajdabiya, which destroyed the regiment in two days of heavy combat. The regimental command escaped destruction and formed with the few survivors a provisional battalion, which continued to fight for another month, before the survivors were repatriated with the regiment's flag.

On 15 May 1941 the regiment was reformed in Palermo with the LVII and LVIII auto-transported battalions, and the LXIII Support Weapons Battalion. On 5 August 1941 the LVII and LVIII auto-transported battalions left the regiment and were sent to Libya to reinforce Italian units fighting in the Western Desert campaign. On 20 August the regiment reformed the XXXIV Battalion and XVI Battalion, which was soon renumbered XXXV Battalion. On 8 November 1942 allied forces landed in French Morocco and Algeria. On 14 November the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment arrived in Tunisia as part of the Run for Tunis. The regiment was then attached to the 1st Infantry Division "Superga" and fought in the Tunisian campaign against British forces in Southern Tunisia. On 27 March 1943 British forces flanked the Mareth Line and the Axis forces were forced to retreat. On 6 April the Battle of Wadi Akarit commenced and once more Axis forces were forced to retreat. By 24 April the 10th Bersaglieri Regiment and 5th Bersaglieri Regiment had suffered so many casualties that the two regiments formed one provisional battalion. Shortly before Axis forces surrendered on 13 May 1943 a company with survivors of the regiment was repatriated to Sicily with the regiment's flag.

On 15 June 1943 the regiment was reformed in Palermo with the CCCLXXXVI, III, and VII replacements battalions. Upon entering the regiment the three battalions were renumbered as XXXV, LXXIII, LXXIV battalions. The regiment was assigned to the XII Army Corps, which was tasked with defending Sicily to the West of a line from Cefalù to Licata. On 10 July 1943 the Allied invasion of Sicily began and the regiment moved from Chiusa Sclafani towards Agrigento. Over the next six days the regiment was annihilated in combat with American forces. By the end of July 1943 the regiment was declared lost due to wartime events. For its conduct and sacrifice at Agrigento the regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.