Italian Forces

Nembo paratrooper

Bundesarchiv

Paratrooper of the Nembo regiment on the Anzio-Nettuno front. Note that he has removed from his collar the stars, symbol of the Royal Italian army, but the stars have not yet replaced with the gladios, symbol of the new fascist Republican army. This fact permits to date the picture not later than january or february 1944, when the gladios were regularly introduced. Before that time the RSI troops continued to wear the stars, or simply removed them, or replaced them with the fasci of the former MVSN or with other irregular insinia like little skulls. This paratrooper wears the "samurai" ammo pouch, in the less common version with the down-belt for handgranades. DVX