| FOLGORESECTION |
The Origins: The birth of "Folgore"
Forerunners of the national para units were the " Libyans air troopers", which have been strongly wanted by the then Libya General Governor, Italo Balbo. Coming over every kind of difficulties, Balbo succeeded into founding a Jump school at Castel Benito airport, near Tripoli, in March 1938. The idea was of to give birth to a " Libyans air troopers" Battalion size unit, with Italian Cadres, under the command of one of the bravest and experienced colonial Commissioned Officers, Ltc. Gold Medal to Military Valor Goffredo Tonini.
They were working in a brand new field, they had to resort to ingenuity fairly often, the training was very difficult and, moreover, they were to overcome the natural diffidence of the colored troops about the aircraft.
Flight Lt. Prospero Freri came to Libya, and started to train in the use of the Parachute "Salvator" D/37 (he himself invented it ) the Italian Officers, who should have to play the cadres of the newly born battalion. Everything was done in a big hurry, and the Ascari (colored troopers) , once they got acquainted with the aircraft and the jump techniques, became very good at it. Unfortunately, the unit underwent the first trials using S/81 aircrafts, which were quite unapt to that purpose. The unit had its first dead and casualties count, totaling 15 killed and 72 wounded in training.
Anyway, on they went, and a second Battalion sized unit was created on 23, may 1940; this time it was fully manned by Italian soldiers, under the command of Maj. Arturo Calascibetta. After the first, painful experiences, more care was dedicated to the technical aspect of the matter; they used now the S/75 aircraft, specifically modified for jump purpose, and as jumping material was introduced the I/40, a bit bigger in canopy, giving so a softer landing to the user. The training of both the units was under way, when the II WW ignited.
The two battalions, altogether with other units, were assembled as "Mobile Task Force Tonini", whose main task was to slow down the British in their progress. Some fighting went on during the rest of '40, and during '41 some of these men braved a lot. The few Italian survivors went back to Italy, to the Tarquinia Jump School, born in the meantime. This place will eventually become the cradle of all the Italian Paratroopers in the years to come. The Tarquinia Boss was Flight Col. , airborne, Giuseppe Baudoin de Gillette, who will play the spiritual father of all the Italian Airborne. Bunches of youngsters came to the school from every service of the Army, Navy and Air force, so that the selecting teams had a lot to choose from: the 60% of the volunteers was declared unfit for the training, but the ones who passed this first phase were really the bravest and fittest.
Hardships, as usual, were overwhelming; in Tarquinia existed only a runway, some lines and nothing more. Baudoin anyway could count on a selected training wing. As by some kin of magic, they realized serious lines, giant sized tents, and everything that was needed. They even stole, nighttime during, a metallic tower 150 feet high from the parade ground in Rome, and set up again in Tarquinia. From the gates of this pioneer school, out got the Paratroopers of Folgore and Nembo divisions, the Carabinieri Battalion, the San Marco Bn. , the Tenth Arditi Bn. and ADRA Bn. The school was then phisycally moved to Viterbo on Jan '43, but always remained in the heart of them all.
The Folgore Division was -sadly- used as line infantry in the trench war down in el-Qattara sandholes, Africa. The Nembo Division, after the 08 September '43 truce crisis, played an active role in the Italy Liberation war.
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