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Can you help me identify the rank and patch on this uniform on the far right? It's from around 1910. Thank you very much.enter image description here

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  • @LarsBosteen Presumably that's the guy in the other two photos.
    – Schwern
    Jul 8, 2019 at 23:11
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    If you can provide us with higher quality and resolution photographs that would help to make out small details for identification. Also any additional context for the photographs would help, such as their location.
    – Schwern
    Jul 8, 2019 at 23:18
  • I'm asking for help identifying the rank and patch on this uniform on the far right haha not the left; that's just another picture of him.
    – Robin Hood
    Jul 8, 2019 at 23:23
  • They're in the Royal Italian Army
    – Robin Hood
    Jul 8, 2019 at 23:25
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    Whomever that was, he's the sort of fellow who can afford a cigarette.
    – Astor Florida
    Jul 9, 2019 at 1:18

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Hi Robin Hood and welcome to History:SE, thank you for the interesting question, if difficult question.

The soldier in the right hand photo does not give us many details to work with as he is presenting his right side towards the camera and enlisted rank insignia was worn (mostly) on the left forearm, which is not visible. I suppose that he is enlisted as he does not wear shoulder boards which would mark him out as an officer.

Unfortunately the collar patches which feature a star on each side are also not very indicative as all ranks and regiments wore them at the time. The distinguishing feature of the collar patches being their underlying colour and shape. Now, I can just about make out two horizontal light coloured stripes on a darker background. This could point to the the 1st grenadier regiment or a Carabinieri regiment which both had a similar collar patch, although without a clearer photo or colours this is only an informed guess. However, the lack of a coloured cuff would discount the Carabinieri as a possible regiment.

The man also wears a bandolier which points to a cavalry or a Carabinieri regiment. Although it might simply be a prop from the photographer as the other images do not feature it. He also appears to have a baldric under the bandolier, this does not appear in the other photos.

Lastly the patch on his upper right arm appear to feature a darker stripe on a lighter background. Again, this does not give us much information, it could well be the regiment's coat of arms, but it is not possible to make it out clearly.

In comparing the other photos this man features in, we can notice that he is wearing cavalry boots with spurs in the middle image and is now in possession of a sword. Taking this with the bandolier, I would suspect a cavalry regiment.

Possible answer: Soldato (Private) in a cavalry regiment of the Kingdom of Italy.

A source of images and uniforms of the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-1912, link.

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    I'm having trouble finding patches that match from that war and period. Is there a site you used for it? There's these for the ranks en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_ranks_of_the_Kingdom_of_Italy
    – Robin Hood
    Jul 12, 2019 at 8:49
  • Could the one sitting be a Maresciallo capo o di battaglione? While the guy to the right of the chair is Sottotenente due to the star on his arm?
    – Robin Hood
    Jul 12, 2019 at 8:56
  • Indeed, the soldier sitting in the left hand picture would seem to be a Maresciallo capo o di battaglione, as denoted by his single straight chevron on his left forearm. I perused the same page for rank patches, you can have a look here (issuu.com/cmjw24/docs/omaa387_the_italian_army_ww1), for both plates and text description. I don`t think that the soldier standing to his left is a Sottotenente though, as his rank insignia should be worn as shoulder boards and only in late 1915 did these move to the cuff as with enlisted ranks, see page 20 and plate H1 in my link. Continued...
    – BOB
    Jul 12, 2019 at 14:00
  • Additionally, he wears puttees and not the officers boots or leather gaiters which would be expected. Lastly, being the ranking officer one would expect him to be seated and not standing.
    – BOB
    Jul 12, 2019 at 14:00
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    Bob, right, he was artillery; he received awards and medals for deactivating bombs during the war and in WWI.
    – Robin Hood
    Jul 18, 2019 at 0:03

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