German/Italian WW2 RSI – Military Training Course in Germany Badge
A rare piece of late-war Axis history: the official badge instituted for troops of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) who completed military training courses under Wehrmacht instructors in Germany 1944.
Features crossed gladius swords, a central Roman fasces, a mobile swastika, and oak leaf accents—symbolizing the military pact between the RSI and Germany.
Features the intact reverse vertical pin-and-catch mechanism attached via the original circular base plate.
A rather large badge 50 x 30 mm.
Because these late-war RSI badges were produced in limited quantities exclusively for Italian troops trained in Germany, they seldom seen for sale.
While the majority of the four RSI army divisions trained by the Wehrmacht (Monterosa, San Marco, Italia, and Littorio) fell under standard German Army (Heer) oversight, there are two key ties to the Waffen-SS:
Training of the 29th Waffen-SS Division (Legione SS Italiana): Italian volunteers were heavily recruited directly into the 29th Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (italienische Nr. 1). Many of these troops underwent training at German grounds (such as Münsingen) during the exact same 1943–1944 timeframe.
Combined SS & Wehrmacht Instructors: German cadres assigned to train Italian RSI units in Germany included personnel transferred from Waffen-SS instructional units, particularly for counter-insurgency and specialized anti-partisan warfare tactics.
84 EURO
