Bersaglieri

   Organized in 1846 by General Alfonso La Marmora Ferrero as part of the army of the Kingdom of PiedmontSardinia, these assault infantry were praised by Anglo-French general officers for their performance in the Crimean War, contributing much from the point of view of Piedmont-Sardinia’s military prestige.

   Two particulars mark the Bersaglieri: their means of locomotion and their uniform. Alight infantry, their march-step is a trot enabling them to cover great distances in short order and requiring that all be in excellent physical condition. Even their (brass) instruments are played at a trot. In both 20th-century world wars, they were issued sturdy, collapsible—hence, portable—bicycles that further enhanced their mobility. Second, their uniforms set them apart from the rest of the Italian army, an important factor in the morale of any armed force. La Marmora’s original uniform was black with a high collar; that has given way to the standard-issue brown of other Italian troops. However, there remains of the original uniform the headgear, a flatbrimmed patent leather hat kept cocked at a jaunty angle over the right ear by a thick leather chin strap. To the low, round crown is affixed a cluster of shiny black and green feathers cascading over the right shoulder. In both World War Iand World War II, as well as in United Nations (UN) missions in Lebanon, Somalia, Bosnia, and Albania, a smaller cluster of feathers adorned the steel helmets of these troops.