The following information provides a snapshot of the career of Giacomo CARBONI GENERALE DI CORPO D’ARMATA.
Born: 29 April 1889 in Reggio Emilia
Died: 2 December 1973 in Roma
Promotions:
Sottotenente: 19 May 1912
Tenente: 17 Jul 1913
Capitano: 1 Sep 1915
Maggiore: 13 Sep 1917
Tenente colonnello: 31 Mar 1926
Colonnello: 7 May 1931
Generale di brigata: 9 Sep 1937
Generale di divisione: 31 May 1940
Generale di corpo d’armata: 25 Jan 1943
Career:
26 Aug 1937 – 31 Mar 1939: Deputy General Officer Commanding, Division “Cacciatori delle Alpi”
31 Mar 1939 – 3 Nov 1939: assigned to Ministry of War for Special Duties
3 Nov 1939 – 15 Sep 1940: Chief of the Military Information Service
15 Sep 1940 – 1 Dec 1941: Commandant, Military Academy of Modena
1 Dec 1941 – 30 Nov 1942: General Officer Commanding, Division “Friuli”
30 Nov 1942 – 18 Mar 1943: General Officer Commanding, VII Army Corps
18 Mar 1943 – 25 Jul 1943: assigned to Ministry of War for Special Duties
25 Jul 1943 – 18 Aug 1943: General Officer Commanding, Motorised Army Corps
18 Aug 1943 – 10 Sep 1943: Commissioner of the Military Information Service
1 Feb 1945: Tranferred to the reserve
Awards & Decorations:
Cavaliere dell’Ordine militare di Savoia: 7 Jun 1923
Grand’ufficiale dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 10 May 1943
Commendatore dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 19 Nov 1936
Uffiziale dell’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro: 19 Dec 1940
Uffiziale dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 27 Oct 1935
Cavaliere dell’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro: 24 Jul 1919
Cavaliere dell’Ordine coloniale della Stella d‘Italia
Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia
Cavaliere dell’Ordine di Vittorio Veneto
Medaglia di bronzo al merito di lungo comando
Medaglia commemorativa delle Campagne di Libia
Medaglia commemorativa della guerra italo-austriaca 1915 – 18 (4 anni di campagna)
Medaglia commemorativa dell’Unità d’Italia
Medaglia commemorativa italiana della vittoria
Croce al merito di Guerra (x2)
Croce d’oro per anzianità di servizio
Grand’ufficiale dell’Ordine dell’Aquila (Germany)
Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito d’Ungheria con Stella (Hungary)
Commendatore dell’Ordine del Sol Levante (Japan)
Notes:
Graduated from the Royal Military Academy of Infantry and Cavalry in Modena. In June 1944 an arrest warrant was issued against him for the lack of defense of Rome, but he evaded the provision and became a fugitive thanks to the protection of the Allied Intelligence services, in particular the American OSS. The Commission of Inquiry asked for his referral and he was placed on absolute leave on 1 March 1945.
After the war he was tried in absentia and, on February 19, 1949, was acquitted by the military court of all charges, for having adopted “decisions aimed at the intention of arresting the invasion by the German forces outside the gates of the capital”. Despite this, Carboni was not reinstated in active service as another investigation was immediately launched that ended with the confirmation of the placement of Carboni on absolute leave. In 1951, by government order, this provision was cancelled and it was decided to transfer Carboni to the reserve.
Sources:
Bollettino ufficiale delle nomine, promozioni e destinazioni negli ufficiali e sottufficiali del R. esercito italiano
e nel personale dell’amministrazione militare;
Annuario militare del Regno d’Italia;
http://augusto.agid.gov.it/gazzette/index;
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Carboni;
https://www.roma8settembre1943.it/i-personaggi/i-personaggi-di-parte-italiana/gen-c-a-giacomo-carboni;