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Assistance - Alpini Julia Division WW2

Slaviero1

New Member
Hi everyone,

Firstly, I'm not sure if I have posted in the right area, so Mods please feel free to move or delate this post.

I'm writing from Australia and hoping I can get some expert insight on the Alpini in WW2. In particular, the Julia division that my Nonno served in. I don't have a lot of detail as he has unfortunately passed away and never felt comfortable sharing stories.

Does anyone know where I can find any potential photos, information on their deployments and activity during the war, and of course the best way to retrieve his military records? I often think about him and he would never share stories from the war. I know it's a long shot, but my dream is to find a photo of him during the war. Also, I would love to find his military records and share it with my other brothers & sisters.

I would be incredibly grateful if anyone could provide insight or advice on how to best source out this information.
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Good day Slaviero1

Welcome to the forum!

To start with, what information do you have that he served in the 3ª divisone alpina «Julia»? This will provide a place to start in researching your Nonno.

If he was a member of the Julia, then his reluctance to speak of his experiences is understandable. The alpini of the Julia fought in two very grueling and punishing campaigns, the Greek (1940-41) and Russian (1942-43) campaigns. The division suffered terribly and many alpini were lost.

While there is a wealth of books and such on the division in Italian, information is more limited in English. Below are two recent works that cover the campaign in which the division fought. I have only read one the two books listed.

THE ITALIAN ARMY IN THE BALKANS 1940-41
The invasion of Greece and Jugoslavia
https://www.helion.co.uk/military-h...-41-the-invasion-of-greece-and-jugoslavia.php

SNOW, ICE AND SACRIFICE
The Italian Army in Russia, 1941-1943

I have Snow, Ice, and Sacrifice and it is a solid work. It mainly reprints in English what is in the Italian Army's official history. My guess is that The Italian Army in the Balkans will be similar.

A book that touches directly on the experiences of the alpini in Russia is Sacrifice on the Steppes. It uses personal accounts to tell the story of that campaign. I have this book and recommend you read Snow, Ice and Sacrifice first so you have knowledge of the flow of the campaign.

Once I known what sources you currently have available, we can go from there to seek other sources.

Pista! Jeff
 
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