Remember my funny hat?
Alpini Hat .................... 6th Alpini Regiment, 2nd Battalion
This style hat was worn by the Alpine or Mountain troops in the Italian Army
(also was worn by Frontier Guards). There were twelve Regiments that were
formed up into six Alpine Divisions; 2 infantry regiments and 1 artillery per division.
DETAILS:
Material: heavy wool, green
Eagle Insignia: bullion thread with a metal "6" in the center.
Red pom-pom: Identified the 2nd Battalion.
Chevron: Rank insignia worn under pom-pom.
Well, I wanted to verify that the insiginia on this hat was correct. Then find out what it meant. I went to the site Commando Supremo and dropped some questions on their forum. Here is what I learned from the experts on Italian militaria.
The "2nd Alpine Division TRIDENTINA" division had been formed in 1934 and consists of the 5th and 6th Alpine Regiments and the 2nd Alpine Artillery Regiment. The 2nd Alpini TRIDENTINA Division fought on French front in June 1940, the Greek front from November 1940 to April 1941 and on the Russian front from September 1942 to January 1943. Its best known action was the breakthrough of Soviet lines at Nikolajewka, on January 26, 1943.
The 6th Alpini Regiment took part in the retreat at Stalingrad, Russia where it was the spearhead of the Tridentina coloumn, the one with which also included the German XXIV PzK Command and the Alpini Army Corps Command. It was that column that managed to break out of the encirclement. Col. Signorini (CO 6th Alpini Regiment) was the one tasked with the job of opening the route for everybodyelse. The 6th Alpini Regiment was practically destroyed in its victorious task. And after the exit from the encirclement, Col. Signorini had a heart attack and died, as a consequence of the fatigues he endured and of the sadness of the losses suffered by his Regiment.
Regarding the chevron insignia and the red pom-pom(“nappinaâ€) on my hat. The inverted chevron on the left side is a rank insignia for a Lieutenant. The cloth stripes were used during the war in lieu of metal devices.
In a Division (i.e. two Alpini Regiments), there were three battalions with different colors for the nappina. Usually the colors of the nappina were white, blue and green. However, the names of the battalions and the colors of the 6th Alpini Regimentwere Verona wore white (probably), Vestone with blue and Val Chiese is unknown(?). So was there a red nappina for this regiment?
There indeed was one unit of the 6th Alpini Regiment that had a Red nappina during their service in Russia. It was the 216a Compagnia Armi di Accompagnamento (216th Heavy Weapons Company) .
This company was originally a Bersaglieri 47/32 AT Company, of the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment. It was headed towards North Africa when at the last minute, the Company (soldiers from Valtellina and Brescia) was transformed into an Alpini unit and attached to the 6th Alpini Regiment. In order to preserve the memory of their Bersaglieri origin, they called themselves "Bersalpini". They were authorized to sew the Bersaglieri collar patches on the reverse of the collar (they have the same size and shape, Alpini green and Bersaglieri crimson) and they were issued red Nappine, i.e. the Alpini color that more closely matched the Bersaglieri one. During rear front "free time" the Bersalpini could also wear a pin representing a Fez (i.e. the Bersaglieri hat ).
Interesting. Just hope all of it is original and authentic to the hat.
Steve