"Which British uniforms in Sicily and Italy" Topic

Hi folks;

As move forward with mini gaming plans for scenarios in Sicily and Italy, to what extent, would it be realistic to use figures with "8th army style" uniforms with khaki shorts and short sleeved shirts for some units?

Thanks, Dan

Which uniforms in Italy? All of them, from shorts and shirtsleeves, to wrapped up head to foot in BD, greatcoats and waterproof capes.

Italy has extremes of climate from blazing to hot to freezing cold and pouring rain/snow. So yes, it was common for people to wear a mix of KD and BD.

For sure – in Italy you have a lot of leeway!

A few examples

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Note the Germans officially regarded Italy as a "tropical" theater--which maybe it is if you grew up on the Baltic--and issued uniforms accordingly. I keep thinking of the divisions shunted from Italy to Lorraine in the fall of '44, and wondering when they got a new uniform issue.

…to what extent, would it be realistic to use figures with "8th army style" uniforms with khaki shorts and short sleeved shirts…

I was under the impression that 8th army style (shorts etc) were fairly commonplace in Sicily but phased out quickly as the campaign progressed to the Italian mainland, replaced by a standardised MTO order of uniform and equipment.

It's a mix. Early part of the campaign was shorts and tropical gear. Later part of the campaign is pants and cold whether gear.

January 1944 was the Anzio landing. Two british divisions landed with the U.S. 5th army. The Poles that took Cassino were in British gear. This was fought in a series of battles over late 43 into 44. Cold weather, wet, mountainous. We went with standard uniforms for this period.

I have a picture in the family album of both of my Uncles in Italy and they were wearing standard dress . They were Engineers.

Thanks everyone!

Dan in Vermont,

Glad to hear you're getting into Sicily and Italy. I have been doing North Africa for decades and more recently Greece, Crete and Sicily (and what-ifs for Malta!) but have yet to make it to the Italian mainland.

And, yes, I did paint new figures in BD for the more northerly parts of the Mediterranean, though as others have said there are times when KD has worked fine.