IEAPC 008
Collection of 6 military propaganda postcards issued during the fascist period glorifying Italys invasion of Abyssinia in 1935. Many cards are devoted to specific Italian and Ascari Battalions and in some cases there is good information on the back of the card concerning the history of battles in Africa. The fighting spirit of the Ascaris is best summed by Mackenzie when he says 'Except for the German parachute division in Italy and the Japanese in Burma no enemy with whom the British and Indian troops were matched put up a finer fight than those Savoia battalions at Keren (Eritrea). Moreover, the Colonial troops, until they cracked at the very end, fought with valour and resolution, and their staunchness was a testimony to the excellence of the Italian administration and military training in Eritrea'. The heavy reliance of Italy on these Ascari battalions is indicated by the fact that in 1940, of the 256,000 Italian troops serving in East Africa, 182,000 were East African Ascari. Over 5,000 died in the 1935-6 war and a number of them were decorated with the gold medal for performance at the battles of Cheren and Amba Alagi against the British. ASK FOR AVAILABILITY
Price: $400.00