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1914-18 War • Italian Soldier

• Photographs of Allied troops have found their way into family albums through wartime friendship.

Recognising Italian soldiers:- Look for the five pointed Savoy star on each collar.
145th Battery 3rd Artillery
All Italian soldiers wear the large five pointed Savoy star at the throat of each collar.
They had two basic uniform styles for those below Officer rank ; one for mounted troops and another for those on foot.
Both uniforms had no external buttons or pockets.
The uniform for mounted troops shown on the left had shoulder straps, riding breeches, and leather gaiters. The chevrons on his cuffs show his rank as a sergeant.
Foot soldiers as on the right, had padded ridges on the shoulder seam to prevent equipment from slipping and no shoulder straps.They wore puttees and ankle boots.


Cap badge insignia with a regimental number and crossed rifles for infantry, crossed cannon for artillery a horn for light infantry etc give us more detail. Coloured collar patches would tell us the arm of service to which a man belongs but in monochrome the information is lost.

Caution: Many armies use stars to indicate rank and a six pointed collar star may indicate an Austrian soldier