Italian Africa Police/Polizia dell'Africa Italiana

ChrisF202 Wed 02 Sep 2009, 8:29 am

I was able to find a list of the ranks on Wikipedia but the uniform and rank insignia details are very vague.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Africa_Police

Ranks were as for the Italian Army with enlisted rank being the older style larger pattern of red chevrons worn on both upper sleeves.

PAI Rank Italian Army equivalent Translation

* Allievo guardia/Soldato/Assistant Guard
* Guardia di Polizia/Caporale/Police Guard
* Guardia scelta/Caporale maggiore/Senior Guard
* Vice brigadiere/Sergente/Vice Sergeant
* Brigadiere/Sergente maggiore/Sergeant
* Aspirante ispettore/Aspirante/Cadet Inspector
* Ispettore aggiunto/Sottotenente/Assistant Inspector
* Ispettore/Tenente/Inspector
* Primo ispettore/Capitano/First Inspector
* Ispettore capo/Maggiore/Chief Inspector
* Vice questore/Tenente Colonnello/ ?
* Questore/Colonnello/ ?
* Ispettore generale/Generale di Brigata/Inspector General
* Capo della polizia dell'Africa Italiana/Generale di Divisione/Chief of the Italian Africa Police

In regards to uniforms it simply states:

Personnel wore the standard Italian khaki tropical uniform but with a blue aiguilette fixed from the right shoulder strap to the second button down the front of his tunic. Personnel also wore a small gold PAI badge on the front of their headgear and small brass fasces pinned directly to their collars. Motorcycle mounted personnel wore a brown leather crash helmet, light khaki breeches with brown leather boots and leather leggings to protect the lower legs.

My questions:

1) What would be the direct translation of Vice questore and Questore?
2) What is ment by

enlisted rank being the older style larger pattern of red chevrons

? AFAIK the Italian Army wore black chevrons on the cuffs prior to the 1920s.
3) Rank insignia for officers was the same as Italian Army officers as seen in the below charts?
http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/data/563/italyarmyranks.jpg
https://media.photobucket.com/image/Italian%20Army%20ranks/ryanemilia/ARMYCHART1.jpg

Les-Art Wed 02 Sep 2009, 11:57 am

Hi Chris,
Question 1:
Regarding the ranks that you are trying to find the equivelant title for ,the 'Polizia di Stato' has them as;
Vice Questore/Deputy Commander (of an area)
Questore/Commander (of a province)
Question 2.
Aren't the ranks those illustrated in a previous post on Italian Ascari, which shows the large arm chevrons and the PAI badge.
Question 3.
Yes, Military ranks as detailed in your charts but on Khaki epaulattes to match uniform colour.

Any help ?
Regards,
Les

ChrisF202 Wed 02 Sep 2009, 12:19 pm

Hi Les, thanks for the response. I believe the European ranks had different style chevrons then the Askaris did as seen in Bill (WFRADs) post, however I am still looking online for pictures to confirm this but unfortunately I cant see to find any pictures that show chevrons! I am going to check my Osprey book on the Italian Army 1939 - 45 in North Africa as I vaguely recall that they included some pictures and possibly a color plate figure on the PAI but finding one book in a collection of at least 200 is harder then it sounds.

buistR Wed 02 Sep 2009, 9:08 pm

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Hi Chris - attached are a group of Italian NCOs of the Corpo di Polizia dell' Africa Italiana in various orders of uniform as worn in 1938. These show what presumably are the red chevrons referred to in the Wikipedia article. The plates are from the large work "Atlante delle Uniformi Militarie Italiane dal 1934 ad oggi", which includes 42 P.A.I. figures from this period. Only the Italian personnel wear the small red chevrons shown - the native ascaris, Buluk-Bascis etc wear the large inverted (pointing upwards) chevrons typical of Italy's indigenous troops and portrayed by WF in earlier threads. The P.A.I. included motor cyclists, cavalry and colourful ceremonial units and the uniforms were very diverse - almost the only common feature seems to be the light blue aiguillette.

Les-Art Sat 05 Sep 2009, 7:06 am

Hi Chris,
Just found this photo on the Italian Wki page of the PAI outside rome 1943.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/pai19410.jpg
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It's not the clearest photo but I think it is quite interesting in illustrating the various types of uniforms, some of which correspond with the colour plate from BuistR.

Check out the license plate onthe Armoured car.

Regards,
Les

Les-Art Sun 06 Sep 2009, 12:17 pm

Hi Chris,
Was bored tonight so had a surf and came up with the attached PAI photos, copyright of the Centro Studi Sicurezza Pubblica.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/pai_gr12.jpg
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Note the the guy with the trumpet second from left.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/pai_gr15.jpg
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This appears to be a very Italian way to stand at ease with a rifle.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/eagle_11.jpg
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Official badge of the P.A.I.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/pai_vi11.jpg
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Note arm chevrons repeated on the side cap.

And finally from Flickr an Anniversary parade photo showing the uniforms through the years used by the PAI and Sicurezza Pubblica.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f88/13/98/25/75/polizi11.jpg
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Best Regards,
Les

ChrisF202 Sun 06 Sep 2009, 1:12 pm

Excellent work Les, I will work on a rank insignia chart tomorrow.

wfrad Sun 06 Sep 2009, 10:33 pm

Yes les, photo's are a good find.
WF

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