Original WWII Italian UNPA Unione Nazionale Protezione Antiaerea M33 Helmet with Great Stencil - Liner & Chinstrap
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Original Item. Only One Available. The Unione Nazionale Protezione Antiaerea, or UNPA ("National Union for Anti-Aircraft Protection"), was a civil defense organisation set up in Italy during the Fascist regime and active during World War II. It was tasked with instructing the civilian population about how to behave in case of air raids, managing air raid shelters, and participating in rescue efforts after the raids.
The UNPA was established on 31 August 1934 as a volunteer organisation, reformed on 14 May 1936, and militarized on 18 June 1940, eight days after Italy's entry into the Second World War. In 1937 it had about 150,000 members, organized into provincial, municipal, and district commands; the central headquarters were located in Rome. UNPA members were authorized to move freely within the cities during air raids; they were not armed, with the exception of provincial commanders, but were equipped with helmets and gas masks. The uniform usually consisted of a grey or blue overall with the letters "UNPA" on the chest or back, but sometimes no uniform was worn with the exception of an armband.
This is a great M33 helmet marked to the front with a stencil depicting a fasces with crossed axes behind it, with UPNA below it, denoting issue to the Unione Nazionale Protezione Antiaerea ("National Union for Anti-Aircraft Protection"). This is the first helmet we have seen marked this way, and the stencil is certainly original to the period.
The interior shows that the leather liner has very heavy cracking and wear, but it has held up well overall. The leather chinstrap is still intact but there is heavy wear and some oxidation to the buckle. There is perforation in the liner for the size, 58. The rear of the shell is stamped SRM. This denotes that the helmet is a war period helmet specially produced for the Navy, S being the manufacturer’s code and RM being for Regia Marina. We assume the UNPA included coastal artillery defenses, so they may have been issued a Navy-made helmet as a result.
A gorgeous Anti-Aircraft helmet, ready for display.
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