1944 Passaporto di Servizio (RSI)
Superb Italian Social Republic service issue.
The new republic was established at the second half of 1943 following the allied advances in northern Africa and the Allied invasion of Sicily. These events caused the Grand Fascist Council with the backing of the King Victor Emmanuel III to overthrow Mussolini from power. Following his ousting, the new government began secret talks with the allied powers and when an armistice was reached by the sides and publicly declared, Hitler stepped in. Germany who feared such an event and was prepared for this, rescued the imprisoned Italian leader, and placed him at the head of a newly established republic, also known as Republic of Salò (RSI) – a puppet state not recognized by the international community. Italy was divided into two: Southern part liberated by the allies; and the north, 2nd half, a satellite state military controlled by Germany but run by the Italian fascists.
The RSI was proclaimed on September 23rd 1943 and came to an end on April 25th 1945, less than 2 years later. Its head was executed 4 days later and publicly hanged.
The passport in this article is an official issued travel document by the RSI (Repubblica Sociale Italiana). What makes this item extra interesting is that it is a Foreign Office issue, and possibly made out by personnel-department general director Vittorio Emanuele Bonarelli. The sample here is the second of its kind that I have set my eyes on.
The title page is different from the pre-1943 Italian passports because of the honorary greetings on it: Previous documents were inscribed with “IN NOME DI SVAMAESTA Vittorio Emmanuele III” were as the RSI sample was headed with “In Nome Del. DUCE della Repubblica Sociale Italiana“.
The passport includes two additions inside: two late war German consular visas from their diplomatic missions in the Republic, northern Italy: 1st is the GRATIS visa that was issued in the location near the capital of the RSI, at the small village of Fasanao, Gardone Riviera province of Brescia. Visa No. 646/44 was issued on November 9th by Karl Kuno Overbeck (1909-1972).
Some brief points in his career:
- 1934 – entered the Foreign Office;
- 1935-36 posted to the embassy at Helsinki;
- 1937 – posting to Hungary;
- 1938-40 legation secretary;
- 1940 – Political department (military affairs) at the AA;
- 1942-44 Military service due to war;
- 1944 March 1st – posting to the RSI – Northern Italy – at the Bevollmächtigten des Großdeutschen Reichs: Plenipotentiary of Greater Germany at Fasano.
- 1945-46 Interned by the Americans after the war;
- 1949 – after a brief spell in the private sector at Baden Baden, he is recruited, again, into the Foreign Office of Western Germany and his first posting was representative to the Allied High Commission to Germany;
- 1950 – commissioner posting to the embassy in Paris;
- 1950-52 service at the German embassy in Stockholm;
- 1971 stepping down from official duties due to health reasons.
2nd addition to this passport is the second German diplomatic annotation, dating from December 16th 1944, seems to be an extension for the entry visa issued earlier on November 9th. This hand written annotation was inscribed by the consulate Kanzler at Bozen, Alfred Schmidt, who has been posted to the consulate since November 28th 1940.
Service passport number 00699 (exceptionally very low SN, though not many have been seen to date, a handful at best) was issued to Dr. Dario Petrini, and sadly to say, not much has been uncovered to date regarding his duties or profession – a true mystery as to these moments that I am writing these words. But what can be said clearly, is that he held an official position that enabled him to obtain a SERVICE passport rom the Foreign Ministry that took him to Nazi Germany (entering on December 19th via the Brenner crossing point and eventually returning back home, around February of 1945, the period his passport is marked at Udine).
I have added images of this rare late-in-the-war Fascist Italy passport (including the distinctive watermark appearing on every page).
Thank you for reading “Our Passports”.
