Italy WW2 M1928 Artillery Pith Helmet - 21st Field Artillery Regiment "Trieste"

Italy WW2 M1928 Artillery Pith Helmet- 21st Field Artillery Regiment "Trieste"

Khaki covered cork helmet with khaki painted top boss.
Missing the chinstrap.
Very good overall shape that has not been crushed.

21st Artillery Helmet rosette badge to the front.
On 10 June 1940, the day Italy entered World War II, the regiment consisted of a command, command unit, one group with 100/17 mod. 16 howitzers, two groups with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns, and an anti-aircraft battery with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns. The regiment was assigned to the 101st Motorized Division "Trieste", which also included the 65th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" and 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste", which were all based in southern Albania. In November 1940 the division's command and the 21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste" were sent to Albania to shore up the crumbling Italian forces during the Greco-Italian War. The division's command formed the Special Alpine Division with a mix of reinforcements from Italy, while the artillery groups reinforced other artillery regiments. In March 1941 the division's units returned to Italy.
In preparation for the division's deployment to Libya for the Western Desert campaign the regiment was reinforced in June 1941 with the IX Group with 105/28 cannons, the XXI Mixed Anti-aircraft Group with two batteries equipped with 75/27 C.K. anti-aircraft guns on Lancia 1Z trucks and one battery with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns, and the 301st Anti-tank Battery with 47/32 mod. 35 anti-tank guns.5 In September 1941 the division disembarked in Libya and was immediately employed in the Siege of Tobruk.
After the British Operation Crusader in November 1941 and German-Italian Panzer Group Africa counterattack in January 1942 towards Ain el Gazala the regiment was reorganized. On 1 April 1941 the regiment consisted of a command, command unit, the I and II groups with 100/17 mod. 16 howitzers, the III and IV groups with 75/27 mod. 06 field guns, the LXII Anti-aircraft Group with 7.5cm PL vz.37 (75/50) anti-aircraft guns, and the 146th and 411th anti-aircraft batteries with 20/65 mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns.
In May 1942 the division took part in the Battle of Gazala and in June in the Axis offensive to capture Tobruk. In July 1942 the division fought in the First Battle of El Alamein and in September in the Battle of Alam el Halfa. On 23 October 1942 the British Eighth Army commenced the Second Battle of El Alamein, during which most of the Trieste division was annihilated. The division's remnants retreated with the rest of the German-Italian Panzer Army to El Agheila.
At the end of November the Trieste division incorporated the survivors of other Italian divisions and the division then fought in the Battle of El Agheila, after which Axis forces retreated into Tunisia, where the Trieste participated in the Tunisian Campaign. In Tunisia the division fought in the Battle of Medenine, the Battle of the Mareth Line, and the Battle of Wadi Akarit, before retreating to the Enfidaville Line. There the division and its regiments surrendered on 13 May 1943 to allied forces.8
For its conduct and bravery in Albania and its sacrifice in North Africa the 21st Artillery Regiment "Trieste" was awarded on 18 April 1992 Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor, which was affixed to the regiment's flag and is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms.

Code: 28