Italian Medals from the Ethiopian Campaign

Discussion in 'Axis Units' started by Salvage Sailor, Sep 18, 2006.

  1. Salvage Sailor

    Salvage Sailor Junior Member

    Aloha Everyone,

    While trolling through my father's warchest today, I came across two Italian medals that he 'liberated' while on occupation duty in Asmara, Eritrea.

    The ribbons were later destroyed in a fire, but the medals survived.

    The two medals are:

    Ethiopian Campaign October 1935 - May 1936

    and

    Medal of the Black Shirts Eritrean Army Corps

    A large number of the best fighters in the Italian forces were Askaris from Italian Somalia, or Eritreans from the then Italian Eritrea, and they were frequently used as shock troops. The medal is marked in Italian on the front, "CORPO D' ARMATA ERITREO," and is also marked in the local native script and language. The back lists the battles fought in the campaign. These people fought in the North, mostly battles in the mountains along primitive roads and harsh conditions, eventually reaching Adis Abeba.

    Anchor's Aweigh
    Craig
     
  2. Salvage Sailor

    Salvage Sailor Junior Member

    On October 3, 1935, Italy attacked Ethiopia without a declaration of war. Four days later, the League of Nations declared Italy an aggressor, but as usual, took no action against the country. Italian troops held back until December of that year, when a border incident in the city of Wal Wal gave Italy its much needed excuse to attack Ethiopia.

    The truth was that an outmatched, outnumbered Ethiopia was conquered by the Italians in a little over 7 months. Of the estimated 500,000 Italian soldiers Mussolini deployed to Ethiopia, only 1,537 were killed, less than 1% of the military. On May 2,1936, emperor Haile Selassie went into exile just before Italian forces entered the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. On May 7, Italy officially annexed Ethiopia.

    For more info on the net

    Second Italo-Abyssinian War
    Second Italo-Abyssinian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Timeline of the Second Italo–Abyssinian War
    Timeline of the Second Italo–Abyssinian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Ethiopia 1935-36: mustard gas and attacks on the Red Cross
    Ethiopia 1935-36: mustard gas and attacks on the Red Cross
     
  3. Lt Fontino

    Lt Fontino Junior Member

    Greetings!
    "War" in Ethiopia aside, this is a campaign medal -a participation medal! Yes, it does exist as does the "medal of shame" alias the medal for the campaign in Greece! Material=blackened bronze.The original ribbon is "azure" & black, 6 & 5 stripes respectively. Front has the usual bust of Vittorio Emmanuelle IIIrd & the back is well sculptured with the Fascio the mt. Ethiopia plus "Africa Orientale"+"Molti nemici-Molto onore"+signature of the Duce. Beware, there are fakes around!
     
  4. Lt Fontino

    Lt Fontino Junior Member

    Greetings!
    "War" in Ethiopia aside, this is a campaign medal -a participation medal! Yes, it does exist as does the "medal of shame" alias the medal for the campaign in Greece! Material=blackened bronze.The original ribbon is "azure" & black, 6 & 5 stripes respectively. Front has the usual bust of Vittorio Emmanuelle IIIrd & the back is well sculptured with the Fascio the mt. Ethiopia plus "Africa Orientale"+"Molti nemici-Molto onore"+signature of the Duce. Beware, there are fakes around!
    Lt.Fontino!
     
  5. Lt Fontino

    Lt Fontino Junior Member

    Greetings!
    "War" in Ethiopia aside, this is a campaign medal -a participation medal! Yes, it does exist as does the "medal of shame" alias the medal for the campaign in Greece! Material=blackened bronze.The original ribbon is "azure" & black, 6 & 5 stripes respectively. Front has the usual bust of Vittorio Emmanuelle IIIrd & the back is well sculptured with the Fascio the mt. Ethiopia plus "Africa Orientale"+"Molti nemici-Molto onore"+signature of the Duce. Beware, there are fakes around!-Lt Fontin
     
  6. Lt Fontino

    Lt Fontino Junior Member

    Greetings!
    "War" in Ethiopia aside, this is a campaign medal -a participation medal! Yes, it does exist as does the "medal of shame" alias the medal for the campaign in Greece! Material=blackened bronze.The original ribbon is "azure" & black, 6 & 5 stripes respectively. Front has the usual bust of Vittorio Emmanuelle IIIrd & the back is well sculptured with the Fascio the mt. Ethiopia plus "Africa Orientale"+"Molti nemici-Molto onore"+signature of the Duce. Beware, there are fakes around!-Lt Fontino!!!
     

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