Original Italian WWI & WWII Era Medal Grouping with the Messina Earthquake Medal & War Merit Cross - (4) Items

Original Items: Only One Lot Available. This is a lovely lot of four different Italian medals dating from the WWI through WWII period. All medals retain their ribbons, but are in varying degrees of condition.

- Medal For The Messina Earthquake 1908: The medal was instituted in 1910, by King 
Vittorio Emmanuele III and was awarded to those who had significant contribution to the relief effort following the Earthquake. The Calabrian-Sicilian Earthquake of 28 Dec. 1908 claimed more than 100,000 fatalities and it was the deadliest in European history. This is a very scarce medal to find.
- War Merit Cross: The Italian War Merit Cross was awarded to members of the armed forces with a minimum of one year's service in contact with an enemy, or who received the Medal of the Wounded, or to those who, when mentioned for war merit, received a promotion. Also, if an act of valour was deemed insufficient for the Medal of Military Valor, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead; from 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon showed this class of award. This example has a small crown device which likely denoted a 2nd award.
- Italian Fascist Youth Opera Balilla Long Service Medal: A die struck full size medal awarded to members of the Italian Fascist Youth. Made of solid bronze which has a pleasing patinated finish and is suspended from a length of the Fascist black and tricolour medal ribbon.
- Italian 2nd Army Medal 1940-1941, Bronze: During the Second World War, the 2nd Army was the Italian (Complex Major) Great Unit in charge of the activities of control and garrison of the occupied or annexed territories of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, from 1940 to 1943.

All medals come ready for further research and display.