Somali Medals - a Postscript.

Owain Raw-Rees

Following the publication of my article on Somali awards in the September-October 2003 issue ofJOMSA, I was delighted to enter into correspondence with Franco Scandaluzzi of Milan. Mr. Scandaluzzi, a collector and scholar of Italian awards, was able to shed further light on the awards of the Italian Fiduciary Administration (IFA) in Somalia. I am pleased to detail below the key elements of our correspondence.

The IFA existed from April 1, 1950 to June 30, 1960, and during this period the Italian Government did not authorize any official awards. Accordingly, awards from this period were instituted by individual administrative bodies and army headquarters. Such awards were manufactured in Italy and presented to appropriate personnel as souvenirs as opposed to official awards. The majority of these awards, which are bronze and 37mm in diameter, were made by the firm of Lorioli of Milan.

Obverse: A 34 mm diameter medal bearing a larger central

and detailed circular shield and crossed spears, with a

palm leaf on either side. At the top the Arabic inscription,

AL BATOOLA AL ASKARIYA (Military Heroism) and at

the base the Italian inscription, A1 VALOR MILITARE.

Reverse: Two palm leaves - the silver medal has a small 800 mark at the base between the leaf stems.

Suspension: Traditional Italian style with a blue ribbon with a 5mm central white stripe.

Figure 2: Obverse of the Star of Military Valor.

Figure 1: Second type of the Medal for Military Bravery.

Medal for Military Bravery

In my article, I refer on page 20 to the medal for Military

Bravery (1 st Type), (Figures 22 and 23). Mr. Scandaluzzi

concurs that this is indeed from the IFA period as

evidenced by the inscription in Italian. There is also a

minor variation of this type with a slightly different scroll

at the base of the spears. The ribbon used, 38mm green

with 4mm red stripes inset 3mm, is that of the Italian

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and it appears that

this ribbon has been used for a number of medals because

it was easy to obtain. There is also a very different design

struck in silver and in bronze (Figure 1).

Star of Military Valor

With regard to the Star of Military Valor I am pleased to illustrate this award (Figure 2), which corresponds to the Cross of Military Valor of the Italian Army and is suspended from the same blue and white ribbon. The star is of silvered metal and 42 mm in diameter. The original version was in Italian only and was superseded by a bilingual inscription. The reverse is plain.

Medal of Civil Valor

There also appears to be a medal for civilians - an example is known in bronze (Figure 3), but it may be that a silver medal was also made.

Obverse: A 34mm diameter medal bearing in two lines theArabic inscription LILBATOOLIA AL MADANIA (For

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Civil Heroism) andAL VALOR CIVILE. Above and below these inscriptions a horizontal bar and a five pointed star. First Battalion Badge

A lozenge-shaped silver and crimson pin-back badge, 52mm x 22mm (Figure 4) bearing a traditional vertical Somali dagger, or billao, with the inscription I* SOMALO, (lst

Somali Battalion) and SE SCATTO COLPISCO.

Figure 3: Civil Medal for Valor.

Reverse: Two palm leaves with a small scroll/ribbon over the base of the leaves.

Suspension: Traditional Italian style with a dark yellow ribbon.

In addition to these military awards the Somali Army, continued to maintain the tradition of the Italian colonial army by having distinctive badges or medals for its four native battalions or regiments:

Figure 4: First Battalion Badge.

Figure 5: Obverse of Second Battalion Medal

Second Battalion Medal

Obverse (Figure 5): The heads of a lion and soldier with

the inscription, IIe BATA GLIONE SOMALO.

Reverse (Figure 6): A diagonal green enameled cummerbund above with the arms of the IFA and below the inscription, SECUNDA NOMINE CORPE FORTISSIMAAGES and a small laurel branch.

Suspension is by the traditional Italian fitting and would have been worn from a plain green ribbon matching the unit cummerbund.

Figure 6: Reverse of Second Battalion Medal

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Third Battalion Medal Fourth Battalion Medal

Obverse (Figure 7): A swooping eagle above the

inscription, "III BATA GLIONE SOMALO.

Obverse (Figure 9): An elephant’s head and the

inscription, IV* BA TTA GLIONE SOMALO.

Reverse (Figure 10): The shield of the IFA between

crossed sword, hilts lowermost and a plain red

cummerbund scroll design. At the top the inscription,

HOC SIDI MORODI.

Figure 7: Obverse of Third Battalion Medal

Reverse (Figure 8): A flag of the checkered colors of the unit, above which the inscription, COME FALCO PIOMBO.

Figure 8: Reverse of Third Battalion Medal

Suspension is by a loop fitting and would have been from a checkered ribbon, but such a ribbon was not, it is believed, manufactured, and thus a plain yellow ribbon, being the prominent color of the checkered design may have been used.

Figure 9: Obverse of Fourth Battalion Medal

Suspension is by the traditional Italian fitting and would have been worn from a plain red ribbon matching the unit cummerbund.

Figure 10: Reverse of Fourth Battalion Medal

Also a souvenir piece exists with a lion on the obverse and the Somali arms on the reverse, which dates from the time of the Kingdom of Italy as evidenced by the use

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