Cassibile, Sicily, Summer 1943. A British amphibious Supermarine Walrus, X9498 “B”, of No. 284 Squadron RAF undergoing maintenance. Parked behind them and partly obscured is Hawker Hurricane Mark IIC, KW980, of the Mediterranean Air Command Communications Unit based at Maison Blanche, Algeria, while in the background can be seen the medieval tower which served as the airfield control tower. Cassibile is the little town, 14 km South of Syracuse, where on 3 September 1943 the General Giuseppe Castellano, for the Italian government, and Walter Bedell Smith for the Allied forces, signed the armistice which ratified the unconditional surrender of the Italy and the stopping of the his hostilities against the Allies. Note: although the photo, source IWM, depict a RAF’s plane, the same make reference to an important page of the Italy’s history. For this reason I post this photo in Italian Forces section. Best regards, Victor Sierra

Where the Italy signed the surrender

Manduria airfield, Apulia, 10 October 1943: the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel III reviewing the 5th Stormo Tufffatori (Dive Bombers) equipped with Reggiane Re.2002. On the right the general Renato Sandalli, Aeronautic’s secretary and Regia Aeronautica’s acting chief of staff. The Army general in background on the left is likely the General Vittorio Ambrosio, commander in chief of Italian Armed Forces. Only ten months separate this photo from the prior picture, but now the Italy, precisely the part not occupied by the Germans, is deployed on another front. The day after this photo the Kingdom of Italy, a Kingdom (the so-called Kingdom of the South) inward of the Allies (note the American high officer in background, will declare war to the Germany. But the fights between Italians and Germans are already begun just the day after the announcement of the Armistice of the Italy (8 September 1943). Victor Sierra

Ten month later

Bristol Beaufighter Mark VIFs of No. 600 Squadron RAF parked in dispersals among the olive trees at Cassibile, Sicily, Summer 1943. The Armistice signed by the Italy in this little town of the Sicily on 3 September 1943 was kept secret until the evening of the 8 September 1943 when the General Dwight Eisenhower and the Marshal Pietro Badoglio it announced publicly on the radio (for this reason the Italy’s surrender is usually indicated as Armistice of 8 September or “the 8 September). In the afternoon of the same 3 September Badoglio, during a meeting with the high ranks of the Italian Armed Forces, the Secretaries of the War, Sorice, of the Navy, De Courten, and of the Aeronautics, Sandalli, present also the Chief of Staff Italian Armed Forces, Ambrosio, and the Secretary of Royal House, Acquarone, not mentioned in the least the Armistice’s signature, but only talks in progress. In the same days, many Italian soldiers, was send to die in the darks of the events. The only to smell a rat was the Germans which entered in action few hours after the official announcement of the Armistice. Note: although the photo, source IWM, depict a RAF’s plane, the same make reference to an important page of the Italy’s history. For this reason I post this photo in Italian Forces section and also for another reason: the photo of signature of the Armistice are well known and this picture, as the previous, hare a strange sense of rustic peace which is in contrast with the dramatic events of this days. I think the WW2incolor’s friend agree on this choice. Best regards, Victor Sierra