‘Italiaanse helden uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog’ (4)
18 July 2019
17:00
Amedeo Guillet (1909-2010) vocht nog te paard en met de blanke sabel. Hij deed dit in Ethiopië en omstreken zowel koloniaal voor de ‘blanken’ als voor de fascisten. Lokaal, zeker onder Eritrese helden, had men desondanks best waardering voor hem volgens Wiki.
In 1940, he was tasked to form a “Gruppo Bande a Cavallo”. The “Bande a Cavallo” were native units commanded by Italian officers. Amedeo Guillet succeeded in recruiting thousands of Eritreans. His “Band”, already named in the history books as “Gruppo Bande Guillet” or “Gruppo Bande Amahara a Cavallo”, was distinguished for its absolute “fair play” with the local populations. Amedeo Guillet could boast at never being betrayed, and 5,000 Eritreans knew perfectly well who he was and where he lived. It was during this time in the horn of Africa that the legend of a group of Eritreans with excellent fighting qualities, commanded by a notorious “Devil Commander”, was born.
