FIGURE 8 NARSHAL GRAZI~NI The asterisks before certain of Marshal Graziani’s decorations indicate those which he lost due to his conduct as Mussolini’s Defense Minister in the Italian Social Republic. NARSHAL ITALO BALBO Italo Balbo was born in Ferrara in 1896 and died at Tobruk in 1940, when he was erroneously shot down by his own troops. He was a co-founder of Fascism in Italy, made spectacular flights with entire squa~Irons to South America and Chicago. Later he did not see eye to eye with Mussolini. I have thus far ~ot been able to get a clarification about his awards. It seems, however, that apart from the Annunziata, he had them all. He was a very intelligent man, who knew that the Duce had led Italy into the war on the wrong side. FIGURE 9 MARSHAL BALBO -14- Emilio de Bono was born a~ Cassano d°Adda (~ilano) on !9 March ]86~ and died before a ~rffn~ squad aS Verona on 11 January 1944. It is known that he was mostly a political Marshal,. He was Director of Public Security and an ardent Fascist, until he turned a~ainst Mussolini~ 25 July 1943. He vote4 a~ainst the Duce durin~ the fatef~d meetin~ of the Fascist Oran4 Council, thereby helpin~ to brin~ down the man he had aided earlier to come to power. De Bono was later arrested, tried T~or himh treason, and shot in the compnay of Mussolin’s son- ~n-]aw, Count Clang (whom the Germans insisted should die and whom -the Duce could not save). Marshal de Bono had received the Annunziata in 19~7. A list of the Marshal’s deco~’ations fo i lows ¯ Croce di Csvaliere ne]l’Ordine della Corona d’Italia (1907) Croce di Cavaliere nel]’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro (1911- I912) Croce di Cava].iere nell’Ordine Militate di Savoia (1919) Med{~]ia d’Ar~ento al Valore Milit~re (Altopiano Carsico, 2 Nov. i915) Meda~lia d’Ar~ento al Valore Militate (Gorizia, 6-16 1916) Croc~ di Ufficisle nell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia (1917) Croce di Commendatore nell’Ordine Militate di Savoia (M. Grappa, 15-16 June ]918) C~oce di Commend~tore nel]’Ordine della Corona d’Italia (1918) Croce di Uff]c]a]e nel]’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro (1919) Croce di Grand’Ufficiale ne]l’Ordine della Corona d’Italia (’19) Meda<lia d’Ar~ento al Valore Militate (NIonti del Grappa, 24 Oct.-2 Nov. 1918) Croce di Commendatore ne]]’Ordine dei SS. Mauriz]o e Lszzaro (’19) Cava]iere di Gran Croce decorato del Gran Cordone nell’0rdine della Corona d’Italia (1920) Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorato del Gran Cordone nell’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro(1926) Croce di Grand’Ufficiale nell’Ordine Militate di Savoia (Tripolitania, 1928) Gran Croce nell’Ordine Coloniale della Stella d’Italia (1912) Cavaliere di Gran C~oce nell’Ordine Militate di Savoia (Africa Orientale, ]915) Caval]ere dell’Ordine Supremo della SS. Annunziata EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been another in the continuing series on Field-Marshals by General Dennis. The Editor, as a military historian must take issue with Genera]. Dennis’s high opinion of Narshal Cadorna, whose futile campaigns in World War I would hardly entitle him to the rank of Marshal of Italy. However, one must respect the author’s opinion in this matter, even though one may disagree with it. -15- .