Salvatore Castagna

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Salvatore Castagna
Giarabub garrison
Catania
Military Zone
Battles/wars
Awards

Salvatore Castagna (Caltagirone, 14 January 1897 – Rome, 3 February 1977) was an officer in the Royal Italian Army during World War II, most notable for his leadership during the siege of Giarabub. After the war he became a general in the postwar Italian Army.

Biography

Salvatore Castagna was born in Caltagirone, in the

baptism of fire on Mount Civaron (Valsugana), being promoted to lieutenant for the courage shown in action, and in 1917 he was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor for an action on the Karst Plateau. A few days before the end of the war, on 26 October 1918, he was wounded in the head while fighting on Monte Grappa.[1][2][3][4]

After the First World War, Castagna remained in the Army, taking part in the

Second World War.[1]

Giarabub was the last Italian stronghold in

Bombay, where he remained until well after the end of the war. He was only repatriated in late 1946, arriving in Italy on 23 November, and learning that both his parents had died while waiting for his return.[1][5][4][6][7]

He continued his career in the Army, being promoted to brigadier general and appointed military commander of the Catania area, then settled permanently in Rome and retired with the rank of major general. He died at age eighty at the Celio military hospital on February 3, 1977.[1][2][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "L'eroe di Giarabub che fermò gli Alleati | Palermo la Repubblica.it". palermo.repubblica.it.
  2. ^ a b Solidale, Redazione Il. "Caltagirone, sabato presentazione del libro "La Grande Guerra-Memorie di un soldato" / CULTURA – 16/12/2015 / IL SOLIDALE, Buone nuove di Sicilia – Periodico di Informazione Online". IL SOLIDALE, Buone nuove di Sicilia - Periodico di Informazione Online.
  3. ^ Pierluigi Romeo di Colloredo Mels, Giarabub 1941. Un'oasi, una battaglia, una leggenda, p. 114
  4. ^ a b https://www.awm.gov.au/sites/default/files/svssrichardson_paper1.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ "Battle of Giarabub". WW2DB.
  6. hdl:1959.4/53040
    .
  7. ^ III, Peter Ayers Wimbrow. "Australians lead siege of Giarabub". Ocean City Today.
  8. ^ "GEN. SALVATORE CASTAGNA". The New York Times. February 4, 1977.
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