Umberto Utili (1895-1952) was an Italian general known for his service with the Italian Co-belligerent Army in 1943-1945.

Biography

Utili took part in the Greco-Italian War and in the Russian Campaign. At the time of the

Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...

on 8 September 1943 he was in

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, where on 9 September 1943 the

1st British Airborne Division The 1st Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was formed in late 1941 during the Second World War, after the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an airb ...

landed. In January 1944 he was appointed command of the I Motorized Grouping the first large formation of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army, which was assigned to the

British 8th Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...

. In March 1944 the grouping was expanded to the Italian Liberation Corps. After the successful participation in the Battle of Ancona in July 1944 the Italian government proposed to expand the Italian forces. The Allies accepted and on 24 September 1944 the Italian Liberation Corps was used to form the first division-sized combat groups. After the war Utili commanded the III Territorial Defence Command in Milan. He died in 1952 and was buried in the

Mignano Monte Lungo Mignano Monte Lungo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about northwest of Naples and about northwest of Caserta. Mignano Monte Lungo borders the following municipalities: Conca dell ...

Military Cemetery, where 975 Italian soldiers, who were killed fighting on the Allied side lie.

Commands

Commands held by Utili: * Commander Central School of Artillery * Chief of Staff Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, Soviet Union 1941-42 * Chief of Staff XXV Army Corps, Soviet Union 1942-43 * Commander I Motorized Grouping, Italy 1943-44 * Commander Italian Liberation Corps, Italy 1944 * Commander Combat Group "Legnano", Italy 1944-45 * Commander

58th Infantry Division "Legnano" The 58th Infantry Division "Legnano" ( it, 58ª Divisione di fanteria "Legnano") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Legnano's predecessor division was formed on 8 February 1934 in Milan and named for the m ...

, Italy 1945-? * Commander III Territorial Defence Command, Italy 1950-52

Honors and awards

Knight of the Military Order of Italy

4 August 1942. Ufficiale OMS BAR

Officer of the Military Order of Italy 26 October 1945. Legion of Merit rank commander

Acknowledgements

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

dedicated a plaque to him in the ''Rocca'' (city castle).Sito Chi era costui - Lapide alla memoria a Bergamo
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Bibliography

References

External links

Esercito Italiano Home Page - CIL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Utili, Umberto Italian generals Italian military personnel of World War I Italian military personnel of World War II Italian soldiers Military personnel from Rome Recipients of the Military Order of Italy 1895 births 1952 deaths