1937 Italian Colonial troops videos

[italwars]

  an  "Istituto Luce" shot from 1937 to celebrate the Conquest of the Empire and thanking the Askaris both Eritrean, Lybian and Somali that participated at the conquest of Ethiopia...a great parade was staged among Roman ruins of the center of Rome and though Arc of Triumph and Colyseum..the same path of Roman Legions...my uncle as boy assisted at it and was, as all roman citizen extremely amazed and happy to see those exotic soldiers...he told me that every askari out duty was invited by roman ladies and people to have a coffee in the very elegant coffee bars of via Veneto in the center of my city...you can imagine also the amazment and smiling of those soldiers to see for the first time Rome and carrying camels into the city.

Before andin preparation of the parade a camp was set ant the NE border of Rome, Nomentano , were the video was taken...in this video  you can detect Lybian cavalry Savari, cloaked Lybian  Spahis, Saharian Camel troopers , dismounted Eritrean Bande irregular Muslim Cavalry in hawk plume turbans, regular Eritrean Cavalry and Eritrean askaris with red fezzes...see the African way , above all for the Dubats, to  hold their rifles from the barrel when parading ..the parades were for Colonial troops practically always  carried at run ...as inspired by Bersaglieri which, on parade and even inside barracaks , even today their officer during the Accademy time  are asked to make deplacements at run...

the video,  shot very close to my actual house and from my window while i write you i can see the park where the review took place and the first houses at the end of the video... you can also detect the Colonial troops regimental 's padre who was a Coptic Priest for Christian troops (in that case the unit should have been recruited in Ethiopia not in Eritrea) omaging the chief of The Government  ..the music is the traditional "nuba type"military one made out of Eritrean instruments..at the end the Askaris troops which were dashing and very good soldiers (better than Italians in Africa theater) but prefer to "interpretate orders"instead to follow them ... totally broke the protocol (and ranks) and follow the Government Chief and other personalities untill the entrance to Roma..




the second one is less atmospheric but you can see rare life shots of famous Somalian Dubat Irregular units ..they were called the "black bersaglieri" and participated at 1935 Ethiopian Campaign and fought with valour Vs South African and Belgian troops and the borders of Italian East Africa during WW2. From SA and Belgians account i read that they were particularly feared for heir ambush skills...during a small fight a SA flanking unit supported by Marmon Herrintons Armoured Cars and Motorcycle carried infantry ended lost in the Juba River Elephant grass  bush to be ambushed  by hiding Dubat sniping from trees and others attacking from close bush with improvised Molotov type incendiary jerry cans..



hope you enjoy and feel the period trough them

[Driscoles]

Thanks.
Interesting find.