Sebastiano Gallina

Sebastiano Gallina
Sebastiano Gallina
	Lieutenant General
Commands held	2nd Libyan Battalion; 43rd Infantry Regiment; 1st Eritrean Mixed Brigade; Southern Libya Military Command; Libyan Army Corps
Battles/wars	Italo-Turkish War; Battle of Sciara Sciat; ; World War I Battle of Caporetto; ; Pacification of Libya; Second Italo-Ethiopian War March of the Iron Will; ; World War II Italian invasion of Egypt; Battle of Sidi Barrani; ;
Awards	Silver Medal of Military Valour (three times); ; Bronze Medal of Military Valour (three times); Order of the Crown of Italy; Colonial Order of the Star of Italy;

Sebastiano Gallina (5 October 1873 – 9 January 1945) was an Italian general who served in the

colonial warfare

.

Biography

Gallina was born in

Bronze Medal of Military Valour after distinguishing himself in the battle of Sciara-Sciat (9 November 1911). He remained in Libya after the end of the war, participating in counterguerrilla operations against Libyan rebels in the Fezzan region in 1914.^[1]^[2]

He returned to Italy after the outbreak of

pacification of Libya. Leading the 2nd Libyan Battalion, he distinguished himself in the clashes of Ras El Gattara (21-22 February 1923) and Beni Ulid (27 December 1923), which earned him two more bronze medals of Military Valour. After promotion to colonel, he assumed command of the 43rd Infantry Regiment "Forlì" in the late 1920s, after which he left the army.^[1]^[2]

He returned to active duty on March 10, 1935, being sent to

war criminals for crimes committed during the conquest of Ethiopia.^[3]

In 1936 Gallina was promoted to major general for war merit; after the conquest of Ethiopia he remained in East Africa where he led counter-guerrilla operations, being decorated with an additional two Silver Medals of Military Valour. On April 4, 1939, he was promoted to lieutenant general and on September 13 of that year he assumed command of the troops of southern Libya. He was still there when the Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940. On 6 July 1940, due to his vast African experience, despite his advanced age (66 years), he was placed in command of the Libyan Army Corps (1st and 2nd Libyan Division, "Maletti" Group), with which he participated in the Italian invasion of Egypt (9-16 September 1940). After the capture of Sidi Barrani was conquered (16 September), the 10th Army of General Mario Berti stood in defense.^[1]^[2]

Gallina remained in Egypt with his units in the occupied zone, but

POW camp of Dehradun; after suffering a mental breakdown, he was repatriated for medical reasons in March 1943, during a prisoner exchange held in Turkey.^[1]^[2]

After returning to Italy he retired to private life in Trana, near Turin, but was killed when the train on which he was travelling between Giaveno and Turin was strafed by Allied aircraft on 9 January 1945.^[1]^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Biography of Lieutenant-General Sebastiano Gallina (1873 – 1945), Italy". generals.dk.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Mitragliamento 2".
^ Andrea Santangelo, Operazione Compass. La Caporetto del deserto, p. 42

[auto-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Biography of Lieutenant-General Sebastiano Gallina (1873 – 1945), Italy". generals.dk.

[auto1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Mitragliamento 2".

[3] Andrea Santangelo, Operazione Compass. La Caporetto del deserto, p. 42

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