Italian Army gorget patches
Italian Army gorget patches (Italian: Mostreggiature or Italian: Mostrine) are worn by all army personnel on the collars of the shirts and jackets of their service uniforms and formal uniforms. The gorget patches identify the arm (Infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineer, signals, transport and material), corps (Health, commissariat, engineers), or speciality within an arm or corps a soldier belongs to. Generals wear golden stars instead of a gorget patches, while army recruits wear silver stars until they are assigned to a unit after basic training. Originally made from colored cloth, respectively embroidered cloth for Granatieri, Carabinieri and general staff members, gorget patches have been made since 1973 from enamelled metal.[1]
- All patches below are worn on the left side as seen by the reader.
Multi-arm units
Multi-arm units (Italian: Unità Pluriarma) combine personnel from different arms and corps of the army and are therefore grouped separately from other gorget patches.
Officers in the Army General General Staff 28th (PSYOPS) Regiment "Pavia"Note 1 17th Volunteer Training Regiment "Acqui"Note 2 80th Volunteer Training Regiment "Roma"Note 2 85th Volunteer Training Regiment "Verona"Note 2 235th Volunteer Training Regiment "Piceno"Note 2 NBC-defenseNote 3 Army AviationNote 4 Electronic WarfareNote 5 Autonomous unitsNote 6
- Note 1: originally the 28th Infantry Regiment "Pavia", retains the regiment's patch with a superimposed yellow chess knight
- Note 2: originally infantry regiments, but now considered mutli-arm units as they train troops for all arms and corps of the army
- Note 3: originally part of the artillery, therefore the patch retains the artillery's black and yellow
- Note 4: has the rank of a speciality of the army (i.e. ranks below the arms and corps of the army, but is set apart from them)
- Note 5: originally part of the artillery respectively the signal arm, therefore the patch combines the artillery's yellow and the signal arms' electric blue
- Note 6: includes army archives, army penitentiary units, etc.
Infantry
Line infantry
Line infantry regiments wear rectangular gorget patches with a unique color combination for each regiment. Line infantry regiments were always raised in pairs, forming together a brigade and from 1936 a division. Originally the gorget patches of units from other arms and corps assigned to the division were overlaid on the gorget patch of the two regiments of a brigade or division. However, as after World War II infantry regiments with different gorget patches made up the army's divisions this practice was abandoned. Today the only exception is the Mechanized Brigade "Sassari", which still fields its two original regiments. Infantry personnel not assigned to a regiment wear a scarlet patch with two points. The 66th Infantry Regiment "Trieste" modified its gorget patch once it became an airmobile unit.[2]
5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" 9th Infantry Regiment "Bari" 62nd Infantry Regiment "Sicilia" 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" 151st and 152nd Infantry Regiment "Sassari" Unassigned infantry personnel
Infantry specialities
Infantry specialities are units that differ from the line infantry in their recruiting, equipment, headdress, tasks and training:[3][1]
- Granatieri: originally grenadiers attached to every line regiment of the Royal Sardinian Army they became a royal guard regiment. Today the minimum height to join the speciality is 190 cm and members of the regiment wear a bearskin cap. Granatieri wear a double-sized, rectangular scarlet gorget patch with a stylized silver Austrian knot. The gorget patches of units from other arms and corps assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" are overlaid on the Grantieri's patch.[1]
- Bersaglieri: originally skirmishers, scouts and sharpshooters of the Royal Sardinian Army. Members were chosen for their shooting skills and stamina. During the Cold War they were employed as mechanized infantry. Bersaglieri wear a red fez with their service uniform and wide-brimmed black hat with a bushel of wood grouse feathers to their ordinary and ceremonial uniforms. Bersaglieri wear a crimson gorget patch with two points.[1]
- Alpini: originally mountain infantry recruited locally in the Alpine valleys. Alpini wear a brown felt cap with their service uniform and the Cappello Alpino with to their ordinary and ceremonial uniforms. Alpini wear a green gorget patch with two points. Unlike the Granatieri and Bersaglieri the Alpini have branched out and artillery, engineer, signals, transport and material, medical, etc. units have acquired the Alpini's headgear and traditions, which led to gorget patches that combine the Alpini's gorget patch with other arms and corps' gorget patches.[1]
- Paracadutisti: the first paratrooper units were raised shortly before World War II and were an all-volunteer formation. Today the paratroopers retain above average requirements for recruits. Paracadutisti wear a red beret and azure rectangular gorget patches with a golden wing with seven feathers, a white parachute, and a silver Gladius with scarlet crossguard. Like the Alpini the Paracadutisti have branched out and units from other arms and corps assigned to the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" and the Army Special Forces Command wear now a combination of their gorget patch and the Paracadutisti's patch.[1]
- Lagunari: are the armies youngest speciality and were raised to defend the Venetian lagoon (Italian: Laguna di Venezia). Originally they were recruited from Venice and the communities surrounding the Venetian lagoon. They wear a green beret and scarlet rectangular gorget patches with a tapered top, below which the winged golden Lion of Saint Mark with a white aureola, holding a sword in his right paw and resting his left paw on a closed bible. Behind the lion are two crossed rifles and an anchor and above him a golden crown.[1]
Until 1 June 1999 the Carristi (Tankers) were a speciality of the infantry, which on that date was transferred to the cavalry.
Special forces
The army's three special forces regiment's combine the infantry speciality gorget patch with two points and the paratroopers symbol, with the color of the speciality they descend from. Green for the Alpini, Azure for the Paracadutisti, and black for the Arditi, a World War I infantry speciality disestablished in 1920.
Disbanded line infantry regiments
The gorget patches of disbanded regiments are an integral part of each regiment's traditions and insignia. In case one of the regiments listed below is reformed, then the corresponding gorget patch will be issued to regiment's personnel. Italian infantry regiments were always raised in pairs, which formed together one brigade. The regiments were initially only numbered and identified as "[regiment's number] Regiment of the Brigade "[brigade's name]"". Only during World War I did the brigade's name pass to the regiments. Before World War II the army formed binary divisions with sister regiments, which in some cases received the name of the division they were assigned to. If such a renaming occurred during World War II the division's name follows the regiment's name in brackets: i.e. the 65th and 66th Regiment "Valtellina" entered the 101st Motorized Division "Trieste" and were renamed "Trieste". Therefore, in the list below these two regiments are listed as: "65th and [66th] Regiment "Valtellina" ("Trieste")".[4][5][6][7]
The regiments 1 to 18 were formed before 1848 as units of the Royal Sardinian Army. The regiments 19 to 94 were formed between the First Italian War of Independence and 1884. The regiments 95 to 282, with the exception of the 182nd, were raised during World War I. The 182nd Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" is the only Italian infantry regiment raised after World War II and the only regiment of the army to not have received gorget patches. The regiment's 233 to 282 were raised in 1917 and received gorget patches divided horizontally twice. The 291st and 292nd Infantry Regiment "Zara" were raised during World War II. The regiments of the 300 series were raised during World War II to augment some of the binary divisions. Regiments which are currently active are in square brackets.[4][5][6][7]
1st and 2nd Regiment "San Giusto" ("Re") 3rd, 4th and 303rd Regiment "Piemonte" [5th] and 6th Regiment "Aosta" 7th and 8th Regiment "Cuneo" [9th], 10th, and 309th Rgt. "Bari" ("Regina") 11th, 12th and 311th Regiment "Casale" 13th, 14th and 313th Regiment "Pinerolo" 15th and 16th Regiment "Savona" [17th], 18th and 317th Regiment "Acqui" 19th and 20th Regiment "Brescia" 21st, 22nd and 321st Regiment "Cremona" 23rd and 24th Regiment "Como" ("Isonzo") 25th and 26th Regiment "Bergamo" 27th and 28th Regiment "Pavia" 29th and 30th Regiment "Pisa" ("Assietta") 31st, 32nd and 331st Regiment "Siena" 33rd and 34th Regiment "Livorno" 35th, 36th and 336th Regiment "Pistoia" 37th and 38th Regiment "Ravenna" 39th, 40th and 340th Regiment "Bologna" 41st, 42nd and 341st Regiment "Modena" 43rd, 44th and 343rd Regiment "Forlì" 45th and 46th Regiment "Reggio" ("Sabaudia") 47th and 48th Regiment "Ferrara" 49th, 50th and 350th Regiment "Parma" 51st and 52nd Regiment "Alpi" 53rd and 54th Regiment "Umbria" ("Sforzesca") 55th and 56th Regiment "Marche" 57th and 58th Regiment "Abruzzi" ("Piave") 59th, 60th and 359th Regiment "Calabria" 61st and [62nd] Regiment "Sicilia" ("Trento") 63rd, 64th and 363rd Regiment "Cagliari" 65th and [66th] Rgt. "Valtellina" ("Trieste") 67th and 68th Regiment "Palermo" ("Legnano") 69th and 70th Regiment "Ancona" ("Sirte") 71st and 72nd Regiment "Puglie" 73rd and 74th Regiment "Lombardia" 75th and 76th Regiment "Napoli" 77th and 78th Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" 79th and [80th] Regiment "Roma" ("Pasubio") 81st and [82nd] Regiment "Torino" 83rd, 84th and 383rd Regiment "Venezia" [85th] and 86th Regiment "Verona" ("Sabratha") 87th, 88th and 387th Regiment "Friuli" 89th and 90th Regiment "Salerno" ("Cosseria") 91st and 92nd Regiment "Basilicata" ("Superga") 93rd and 94th Regiment "Messina" 95th and 96th Regiment "Udine" 98th and 97th Regiment "Genova" 99th and 100th Regiment "Treviso" 111th and 112th Regiment "Piacenza" 113th and 114th Regiment "Mantova" 115th and 116th Rgt. "Treviso" ("Marmarica") 117th and 118th Regiment "Padova" 119th and 120th Regiment "Emilia" 121st and 122nd Regiment "Macerata" 123rd and 124th Regiment "Chieti" 125th and 126th Regiment "La Spezia" 127th and 128th Regiment "Firenze" 129th and 130th Regiment "Perugia" 131st and 132nd Regiment "Lazio" 133rd and 134th Regiment "Benevento" 135th and 136th Regiment "Campania" 137th and 138th Regiment "Barletta" 139th and 140th Regiment "Bari" 141st and 142nd Regiment "Catanzaro" 143rd and 144th Regiment "Taranto" 145th and 146th Regiment "Catania" 147th and 148th Regiment "Caltanissetta" 149th and 150th Regiment "Trapani" [151st] and [152nd] Regiment "Sassari" 153rd and 154th Regiment "Novara" 155th and 156th Regiment "Alessandria" 157th and 158th Rgt. "Liguria" ("Cirene") 159th and 160th Regiment "Milano" 161st and 162nd Regiment "Ivrea" 163rd and 164th Regiment "Lucca" 165th Regiment "Liguria" ("Taro") 201st and 202nd Regiment "Sesia" 203rd and 204th Regiment "Tanaro" 205th and 206th Regiment "Lambro" 207th and 208th Regiment "Taro" 209th and 210th Regiment "Bisagno" 211th and 212th Regiment "Pescara" 213th and 214th Regiment "Arno" 215th and 216th Regiment "Tevere" 217th and 218th Regiment "Volturno" 219th and 220th Regiment "Sele" 221st and 222nd Regiment "Ionio" 223rd and 224th Regiment "Etna" 225th and 226th Regiment "Arezzo" 227th and 228th Regiment "Rovigo" 229th and 230th Regiment "Campobasso" 231st and 232nd Rgt. "Avellino" ("Brennero") 233rd and 234th Regiment "Lario" [235th] and 236th Regiment "Piceno" 237th and 238th Regiment "Grosseto" 239th and 240th Regiment "Pesaro" 241st and 242nd Regiment "Teramo" 243rd and 244th Regiment "Cosenza" 245th and 246th Regiment "Siracusa" 247th and 248th Regiment "Girgenti" 249th and 250th Regiment "Pallanza" 251st and 252nd Rgt. "Massa Carrara" 253rd and 254th Rgt. "Porto Maurizio" 255th and 256th Regiment "Veneto" 257th and 258th Regiment "Tortona" 259th and 260th Regiment "Murge" 261st and 262nd Regiment "Elba" 263rd and 264th Regiment "Gaeta" 265th and 266th Regiment "Lecce" 267th and 268th Regiment "Caserta" 269th and 270th Regiment "Aquila" 271st, 272nd and 273rd Regiment "Potenza" 274th, 275th and 276th Regiment "Belluno" 277th, 278th and 279th Regiment "Vicenza" 280th, 281st and 282nd Regiment "Foggia" 291st and 292nd Regiment "Zara"
Cavalry
The Cavalry (Italian: Arma di Cavalleria) is divided since 1 June 1999 in two specialities: line cavalry and tankers (= personnel of tank regiments). On 1 June 1999 the three traditional cavalry specialities Dragoni (Dragoons), Lancieri (Lancers) and Cavalleggeri (Chevau-léger) were united in the new speciality "Line cavalry". On the same date the tankers speciality was transferred from the infantry to the cavalry.[8][9]
Line cavalry personnel wear regiment-affiliated colored gorget patches with three points. Personnel of the cavalry that is not assigned to a regiment wear an orange gorget patch with three points. Tankers, whose speciality was founded as part of the infantry, continue to wear a two-pointed gorget patch, which has traditionally been the patch for infantry specialties. The tankers' gorget patch is red with two points in a light blue field.[8][9]
Unassigned cavalry personnel Tank units
Disbanded cavalry regiments
The gorget patches of disbanded regiments are an integral part of each regiment's traditions and insignia. In case one of the regiments listed below is reformed, then the corresponding gorget patch will be issued to regiment's personnel.[8][10]
Regiment "Lancieri di Vittorio Emanuele" (10th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Foggia" (11th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Monferrato" (13th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria" (14th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lucca" (16th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Caserta" (17th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Piacenza" (18th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Roma" (20th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Padova" (21st) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Catania" (22nd) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Umberto I" (23rd) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Vicenza" (24th) Regiment "Lancieri di Mantova" (25th) Regiment "Lancieri di Vercelli" (26th) Regiment "Lancieri di Aquila" (27th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Udine" (29th) Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Palermo" (30th) "Cavalleggeri di Sardegna"
Artillery
Artillery (Italian: Arma di Artiglieria) personnel wear black gorget patches with one point and a yellow edge. Currently five variations and one speciality (Anti-aircraft artillery) are officially sanctioned.[11][12][13]
Artillery Self-propelled artillery Mountain artillery Airborne artillery "Granatieri" brigade artilleryNote "Sassari" brigade artilleryNote Anti-aircraft artillery
Note: As of 2020 no units wear these insignias.
Engineer
Engineer (Italian: Arma del Genio) personnel wear black gorget patches with one point and a crimson edge. Currently one speciality (Sappers) and four variations thereof are officially sanctioned. The Sappers Speciality's gorget patch symbol is a black grenade from which a five-tongued red flame emerges, with a metallic gladius over flame and grenade. The other three specialities of the engineer: pioneers, bridge engineers, and railway engineers wear the standard engineer gorget patch.[14][15][16]
Engineers Sappers Alpine troops sappers Airborne troops sappers "Granatieri" brigade sappersNote "Sassari" brigade sappers
Note: As of 2020 no unit wears this insignia.
Signals
Signal (Italian: Arma delle Trasmissioni) personnel wear electric blue gorget patches with two points and an amaranth edge. Currently four variations are officially sanctioned.[17][18][19]
Signallers Alpine troops signallers Airborne troops signallers "Granatieri" brigade signallers "Sassari" brigade signallers
Transport and Material
Transport and Material (Italian: Arma dei Trasporti e Materiali - TRAMAT) personnel wear black gorget patches with two points on azure background. Currently four variations are officially sanctioned.[20][21]
TRAMAT personnel Alpine troops TRAMAT Airborne troops TRAMAT "Granatieri" brigade TRAMATNNote "Sassari" brigade TRAMAT
Note: As of 2020 no unit wears this insignia.
Army Commissariat Corps
The Army Commissariat Corps (Italian: Corpo di Commissariato dell'Esercito) was formed on 1 January 1998 by the merger of the Army Commissariat Corps and the Army Administration Corps. Before the merger Commissariat Corps personnel wore violet gorget patches with one point, while Administration Corps personnel wore black gorget patches with one point and a sky blue edge. The personnel of the Commissariat Corps tasked with the role of food supplies wore sky blue gorget patches with one point. These three gorget patches were combined with the gorget patches of specialities of other arms and corps, resulting in dozens of variations. After the merger personnel wore black gorget patches with one point and a double-colored edge in violet and sky blue. This gorget patch was also combined with other gorget patches resulting in dozens of new variations. In 2003 the Commissariat Corps introduced a rectangular blue gorget patch with a golden laurel wreath, which is not combined with any other patch.[22][23][24]
Commissariat Corps personnel
Examples of the disestablished Army Commissariat Corps and the Army Administration Corps gorget patches and their variations:
Commissariat personnel Armored troops commissariat personnel Supply role personnel Alpine troops supply role personnel Administrative personnel Infantry Division "Aosta" administrative personnel
Army Health Corps
The Army Health Corps (Italian: Corpo Sanitario dell'Esercito) is the result of the merger of the Army Medical Corps and Army Veterinary Corps on 1 January 1998. The corps' personnel wears two different types of gorget patches: amaranth with one point for medical personnel, and sky blue with one point for veterinary personnel. The medical corps also distinguishes between medical officers and personnel. For each type of patch five variations are officially sanctioned. In 2009 the medical officers gorget patch was differentiated to include pharmacists, dentists, and psychologists.[25][26]
Medical officer Alpine troops medical officer Airborne troops medical officer "Granatieri" brigade medical officer "Sassari" brigade medical officer Army aviation medical officer Medical personnel Alpine troops medical personnel Airborne troops medical personnel "Granatieri" brigade medical personnel "Sassari" brigade medical personnel Army aviation medical personnel Veterinarian Alpine troops veterinarian Airborne troops veterinarian "Granatieri" brigade veterinarian "Sassari" brigade veterinarian Army aviation veterinarian Pharmacist Dentist Psychologist
Army Corps of Engineers
The Army Corps of Engineers (Italian: Corpo degli Ingegneri dell'Esercito) was formed on 9 October 1980 by unifying the army's technical services. The Army Corps of Engineers conducts technological research, tests and evaluates the army's acquisitions, and maintains and updates the army's geographic data. All members of the Army Corps of Engineers are officers and wear rectangular black gorget patches with a colored border and a profile of the head of Minerva facing inward.[27][28]
Armaments engineer Geographer Infrastructure engineer
The army's technical services wore rectangular black gorget patches with a colored border.[23]
Artillery technical service Geographic technical service Chemical-physical technical service Engineering technical service Motorization technical service Signal technical service
Special Voluntary Auxiliary Corps
The Italian Army Special Voluntary Auxiliary Corps of the Association of the Italian Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Italian: Corpo speciale volontario ausiliario dell'Esercito Italiano dell'Associazione dei cavalieri italiani del Sovrano militare Ordine di Malta - Corpo Militare EI-SMOM) is a volunteer corps providing medical support to the Italian Army. Members of the corps wear Italian Army uniforms with a Maltese cross instead of the Italian flag and one of four approved gorget patches:[1]
- a rectangular red patch with a white border for troops and NCOs of the Order
- a rectangular red patch with a white border and a violet point for commissariat officers
- a rectangular red patch with a white border and an amaranth point for medical or pharmacist officers
- a rectangular red patch with a white border and a black point with a bright yellow edge for officer commanders of hospital units
Troops and NCOs Commissariat officers Medical and pharmacist officers Officer commanders of hospital units
External links
References
- "Regolamento sulle uniformi dell'Esercito" (PDF). Italian Army General Staff - III Department. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Arma di Fanteria e Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Arma di Fanteria - Le Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Arma di Fanteria". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Reggimenti di Fanteria dal 1° al 96°". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Reggimenti di Fanteria dal 97° al 208°". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Reggimenti di Fanteria dal 209° al 292°". Italian Army. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Arma di Cavalleria e Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma di Cavalleria". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Arma della Cavalleria". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma di Artiglieria e Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma di Artiglieria". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Arma di Artiglieria". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma del Genio e Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma del Genio". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Arma del Genio". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma delle Trasmissioni e Specialità". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma delle Trasmissioni". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Arma delle Trasmissioni". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma dei Trasporti e Materiali". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Arma dei Trasporti e Materiali". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Mostreggiature - Corpo di Commissariato". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Militaria Storico - Corpi e Servizi". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Corpo di Commissariato dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Corpo Sanitario dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Corpo Sanitario dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Corpo degli Ingegneri dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "Corpo degli Ingegneri dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 12 December 2019.