Early Italian Tank Driver's Badge 1935-43

Often mistaken for Italian Pilot Wings, the official name for these Tank Drivers Wings was "Pilota Di Mezzi" Corrazzati which literally translates to "Pilot of armoured means" or armoured vehicle or tank pilot/driver/navigator.  These wings were privately purchased and issued at tank schools from 1935-1943. Approximately 750mm in length, they are constructed in a gilded bronze with a pin back and is in very good condition.

They are non-regulation items. The Italian Army was going to issue a final regulation for the tank pilot but the war ended in September 1943 before the official regulation was put in effect. These continued to be worn even into the R.S.I. period of 1943-1945. There is no official regulation as to why the tank appears above or below the eagle (the only importance was the vehicle the pilot was trained for) or the metals and size used be we can assume, since all these were made by the same companies that made the official Pilot wings, that they were of different sizes depending on the type of uniform of the day the pilot would be wearing.