about RSI

[huddyhuddy]

Good morning,
What would O.G stand for? what city?
Also, how can Fasano be in RSI control in 1944 if it was in southern Italy? thought it would be in Allied hands...

[ziomanno]

Hi, actually the "Fasano" in your interesting document is not the town in the South, but "Fasano del Garda", close to Salò, where Germany had her embassy during RSI period. About O. G. I don't know, but it could be also Q. G. which stands for Quartier Generale (head quarter). Since the minister of foreign affairs was Mussolini himself, it could indicate that the document came from the Duce's H Q (just my guess), placed nearby.

[huddyhuddy]

Thank you, it does look puzzling indeed with the names.
I do think it is O.G. and still find it curious to the location...
Now to try and identify the German and Italian signatures who issued the passport and the visas!
Thank you again.

[ziomanno]

You're welcome! About the location, the O. G. (or Q. G.) stamp is placed where it goes the date ("dato" means "issued the" + date). Right above, you read "rilasciato da", which means "issued by" and then Ministero degli Affari Esteri, so it was actually issued by the Ministry, which at that time was placed in Salò. The round stamps confirm this.
This is a map of the whole RSI Government locations plus Germans and Italians army/police H Q's




This other RSI passport, for comparison, was instead issued by the Venice Police Headquarter.



I think plausible that Mr. Petrini was an official of the Foreign Affair Ministry, or at least in charge in some branch of the RSI Government.

[huddyhuddy]

I love the map and especially the RSI passport! exactly what I collect, lovely sample!
I added an image of the front of the passport and of another one I have.
If you ever want to part from yours, let me know.
Thanks again for sharing the images.

[ziomanno]

Ah, isn't mine, I got it from the web... you can try this site:

Documenti e Manifesti della R.S.I. ! MyMilitaria RSI

Seems that Mr. Petrini was quite important: this is a "Service Passport", and there is nothing about his job ("professione"), but you see "dott.", which means he had a degree and was an high rank official. Also, there are stamp and signature of the Internal Affair's General Director of the personnel (himself!). This person signed also the other page, instead of the Ministry (Mussolini).

[huddyhuddy]

Yes, seems he was on an offcial mission and it is a mystery that he has no profession...quick internet search did not yield anything about Mr. Petrini, nothing about him appears to register...strange.
Can you identify who issued the passport? the director general?
Thank you again for the replies.

[ziomanno]

I found that the Personnel General Director 'till November '44 was Vittorio Emanuele Bonarelli. Very interesting document indeed... as you stated it seems that dott. Petrini was sent for some reason in Germany by the Foreign Affair Ministry, provided with a service passport. Can you translate the German writings on it?

[huddyhuddy]

The one is a regular visa for entering Germany, via Brenner pass up north, then extended via the consulate at Bozen (Bolzano), 3rd time, in December 1944.
He enters Germany on December 19th and apparently returns back to Italy shortly afterwards, its got an annotation from Udine from February 1945...

[ziomanno]

He lived and worked in dangerous days... just a couple of months and his Government ceased to exist; fascist officials were chased and shot dead by partisans. Curiously, his passport hadn't the possibility to last: the expiring date is just a day after the fall of the RSI.