Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa

Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa
Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa
	The obverse of the medal with gladius clasp.
Type	Commemorative medal
Awarded for	Service in military operations in East Africa
Presented by	Kingdom of Italy
Eligibility	Military and civilian personnel
Status	Abolished 15 December 2010
Established	27 April 1936; (effective 3 October 1935)
	; Ribbon of the medal.; ; Ribbon of the medal with gladius pin.
Precedence
Next (higher)	Badge of Honor for the "Volunteers of Freedom" Patriots
Next (lower)	Commemorative Medal of the African Campaigns

The obverse (left) and reverse of the medal..

The Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa (Italian: Medaglia commemorativa delle operazioni militari in Africa Orientale) was a decoration established in 1936 by the Kingdom of Italy for personnel who took part in Italian military operations in East Africa in 1935 and 1936, corresponding to major military operations during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The Italian Republic abolished the medal in 2010.

History

King Victor Emmanuel III established the Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa with Royal Decree No. 1150 of 27 April 1936.^[1] Originally, recipients were permitted to affix a Roman gladius to the ribbon, but Royal Decree Number 1584 of 23 July 1936^[2] rescinded the eligibility of recipients who served in non-combat roles to display the gladius.

Royal Decree No. 2463 of 10 May 1937^[3] restored the display of the gladius for non-combat service. It also abolished the Medal in Memory of the Campaigns and Service Provided in the Italian Colonies of East Africa and in the Related Areas of Influence (Italian: :Medaglia a ricordo delle campagne e del servizio prestato nelle colonie italiane dell'Africa Orientale e nelle relative zone d'influenza) — known until 1923 as the Commemorative Medal of the African Campaigns (Italian: :Medaglia commemorativa delle campagne d'Africa) — without prejudice to the rights of those who already had been awarded the medal, and replaced it with the Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa, with effect backdated to 3 October 1935, the first day of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

Deeming the medal obsolete, the Italian Republic abolished it with Presidential Decree Number 248 on 15 December 2010.^[4]

Eligibiity

Personnel who participated in Italian military operations in East Africa from 3 October 1935 (the first day of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) to 1936 qualified for the medal. Originally only military personnel qualified for the award, but the 1937 decree extended eligibility to certain categories of civilians.

Appearance

Medal

The medal consists of a bronze disc. The obverse depicts a portrait of King Victor Emmanuel III looking to the left with his head uncovered, with the inscription "VITT · EM · III · RE · D'ITALIA · IMP · DI · ETIOPIA" — an abbreviation of "Vittorio Emanuele III Re d'Italia Imperatore di Etiopia" ("Vittorio Emanuel III King of Italy Emperor of Ethiopia) — around the perimeter of the disc. The reverse depicts an East African scene of mountains and desert flanked on the left by a fasces. At the top is the inscription "AFRICA ORIENTALE" ("EAST AFRICA"). The motto "MOLTI NEMICI, MOLTO ONORE" ("MANY ENEMIES, MUCH HONOR") and the signature of Prime Minister Benito Mussolini lie below the scenery.

Ribbon

The ribbon has 11 stripes, with six blue stripes alternating with five black ones. A pin in the shape of a flaming gladius could be attached to the ribbon to recognize participation in active combat operations.

Clasps

Qualifying personnel could wear the gladius as a clasp on the ribbon from which the medal is suspended.

References

^ Royal Decree Number 1150 or 27 April 1936, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia ("Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy") Number 146 of 25 June 1936, pp. 2053-2054 (in Italian).
^ "Modificazioni al R. decreto 27 aprile 1936-XIV, n. 1150, istitutivo della Medaglia commemorativa delle operazioni militari in Africa Orientale". Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia (in Italian). Roma: Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato. 1 September 1936. pp. 2721–2722.
^ "Aggiornamento del R. decreto 27 aprile 1936-XIV, n. 1150, e del R. decreto legge 23 luglio 1936-XIV, n. 1584, riguardanti la concessione della medaglia commemorativa delle operazioni militari in Africa Orientale Italiana". Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia (in Italian). Rome: Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato. 14 February 1938. pp. 571–572.
^ Decree of the President of the Republic Number 248 of 13 December 2010, Regolamento recante abrogazione espressa delle norme regolamentari vigenti che hanno esaurito la loro funzione o sono prive di effettivo contenuto normativo o sono comunque obsolete, a norma dell'articolo 17, comma 4-ter, della legge 23 agosto 1988, n. 400 ("Regulation expressly repealing the regulatory provisions in force which have exhausted their function or are devoid of effective regulatory content or are in any case obsolete, pursuant to article 17, paragraph 4-ter, of law 23 August 1988, no. 400 "), published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica italiana, serie generale, n. 20 del 26 febbraio 2011, supplemento ordinario n. 18 ("Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series, No. 20 of 26 February 2011, Ordinary Supplement No. 18") (in Italian).

[1] Royal Decree Number 1150 or 27 April 1936, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia ("Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Italy") Number 146 of 25 June 1936, pp. 2053-2054 (in Italian).

[2] "Modificazioni al R. decreto 27 aprile 1936-XIV, n. 1150, istitutivo della Medaglia commemorativa delle operazioni militari in Africa Orientale". Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia (in Italian). Roma: Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato. 1 September 1936. pp. 2721–2722.

[3] "Aggiornamento del R. decreto 27 aprile 1936-XIV, n. 1150, e del R. decreto legge 23 luglio 1936-XIV, n. 1584, riguardanti la concessione della medaglia commemorativa delle operazioni militari in Africa Orientale Italiana". Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia (in Italian). Rome: Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato. 14 February 1938. pp. 571–572.

[4] Decree of the President of the Republic Number 248 of 13 December 2010, Regolamento recante abrogazione espressa delle norme regolamentari vigenti che hanno esaurito la loro funzione o sono prive di effettivo contenuto normativo o sono comunque obsolete, a norma dell'articolo 17, comma 4-ter, della legge 23 agosto 1988, n. 400 ("Regulation expressly repealing the regulatory provisions in force which have exhausted their function or are devoid of effective regulatory content or are in any case obsolete, pursuant to article 17, paragraph 4-ter, of law 23 August 1988, no. 400 "), published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica italiana, serie generale, n. 20 del 26 febbraio 2011, supplemento ordinario n. 18 ("Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series, No. 20 of 26 February 2011, Ordinary Supplement No. 18") (in Italian).

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