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Distretti Miltari e Comando di Difesa Territoriale

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
I have attached a .pdf list of the Comando di Difesa Territoriale and Distretti Militari numbers and locations. Several times I have tried to find this information on web when I am away from my books with no results. By placing the information on CS, I at least will be able to reference the data when I am away for my library.

The Distretti Militari are important as the number is found on Italian piastrine di riconoscimento which is used to help identify the soldier. If one has the distretti number, they can then identify which Archive di Stato the soldier's records are currently maintained.

The information is taken from a wartime US Intelligence publication. If anyone identifies any errors or additional inform, please share in this thread and I will update the .pdf. (updated 19 Dec at 1500 CST)
 

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Jeff
The subject you dealt with is considerably more complicated than the article basically deals with. It is certainly true what was stated about the tasks of recruitment and training that the individual Districts and Territorial Defense Commands had to face daily but it is also true that they (especially the Defense Commands) were also the fulcrum of Italy's extreme defense in case of invasion (as indeed it was in practice though to a limited extent only to the period 9-15 September 1943). Therefore in this last area each Territorial Defense Command had static fixed defense formations in its head. Mainly coastal artillery, anti-aircraft, Carabinieri departments, GdF, territorial and coastal battalions as well as AP, GAF, garrison companies, departments at the depots and not least the Militia departments that even if not directly dependent on Territorial Commands made them "de facto" moreover, part in a non homogeneous and not fixed way. The argument, among other things, is not easy to reconstruct, both because it was constantly evolving throughout the conflict and also because many documents were irretrievably lost. However basically the article captures the essential traits .... but it deserves a considerable deepening ......
ALl the best
Maurizio
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Maurizio

Completely agree. The US manual has a bit more on the Cdo Diffese Terr. but I wanted to get the basic information posted. I will add the rest of what the manual offers, but please post any information you think is important.

The argument, among other things, is not easy to reconstruct, both because it was constantly evolving throughout the conflict and also because many documents were irretrievably lost.

Yes I have discovered all that while working on the GaF in A.S.

Whether or not it is worthwhile (or doable) to to assemble an OB for the Cdo Difesa Terr. at various points in time is worth discussing. I need to return to working the Sep 1943 OB that I started months ago. While likely with errors due to the reasons you provided above, it demonstrates the complexities of the organization.

v/r Jeff
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
I have updated the file above.
 
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