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Italy Military Records: Difference between revisions
Expand and correct discussion of liste di leva and liste di estrazione; add sample images
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The military records that are most useful to family history researchers are described below. | The military records that are most useful to family history researchers are described below. | ||
=== Conscription Records [''liste di leva''] and Draft Records [''liste di | === Conscription Records [''liste di leva''] and Draft Records [''liste di estrazione].'' === | ||
Since the creation of the Italian state in 1860, all Italian males, subject to certain exceptions, have been subject to military duty. Training would begin at an early age and would continue throughout the life of the Italian male.The points in time of interest to us in this present discussion are (1) that point in time at the beginnning of the three ''premilitari ''years, which occurs at age 18 and continues to age 21 and (2) that point in time at the beginning of the period of military service itself, beginning at age 21.<br> | |||
Then when | The draft of young men occurred in two steps. First, all towns in Italy sent to the military district of their province or region, year by year, a list of all living males who had been born in their town eighteen years earlier. The compiliation of the lists into one volume resulted in the ''liste di leva''. These records, recorded in volumes on a year-by-year basis by military district within a region or province, list all living eighteen-year-old males within a district by year of birth and provide (1) the young man's name, his parents’ names, his place of birth, and his currrent place of residence, to which is added (2) information concerning the information about any referrals, additional comments, and information showing verification of the list by the municipal council, followed (3) by data necessary for the operations of the draft commissioner (''commissario di leva'') such as information about the final verification of the list, the number assigned to the male at the time of the closure of the list, personal characteristics of the male (height, color, marital status), and (4) by information on the operations of the draft board (''consiglio di leva'') such as results of a final examination and enrollment, and finally (5) by data defining the status of the male, such as departure date from the district, the destination of the male, and indication whether the male is infirm. Often the ''liste di leva'' provided some but not all of this information. Examples of a title page and of a typical two-page spread in a ''lista di leva'', showing five typical entries, appears immediately below.<br> | ||
{| width="600" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" summary="Lista di Leva of the community of Borzonasca in the mandamento of Borzonasca in the circondario di Chavari for males born in 1870 and registered in 1888" | |||
|+ '''Title Page and Two-Page Spread of a Lista di Leva''' | |||
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| [[Image:D:\Genealogy\SKE GENEALOGY\Italian Military Records (FamilySearch Wiki)\Lista di Leva sample 01 (title page).jpg|center]]<br> | |||
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Then when a male became eligible at age twenty-one years of age, the draft board (''consiglio di leva'') would examine the man to determine his physical condition and the results of his premilitary training and in connection with that examination would compile (again on a year-by-year basis) a listing of those who were determined to be physically, mentally, and legally eligible to be drafted, or exempted therefrom. (For example the third or fourth son of a family whose older brothers had already served in the military was often exempted, as were sole-surviving sons.) The young man had to be present for the examination or could be represented by someone (usually a parent) to document why the young man should not be drafted.This listing is the ''lista di estrazione.'' The li''ste di estrazione'' show the man's name; his parents' names; his community of domicile; his date and place of birth; his community of residence; his occupation, profession, or craft; an indication whether he was included in an earlier listing; the results of an examination of him by the draft commssioner (stating his height, giving a declaration of any inability to serve, and a statement of any commissioner decision concerning any inability to serve); the results of a final examination of him by the draft board (its decision and the date thereof). If the draftee had emigrated, the date and destination are noted. Examples of a title page and of a typical two-page spread in a lista di estrazione, showing five typical entries, appears immediately below.<br> | |||
{| width="600" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" summary="Lista di Estrazione of the mandamento of Cicagna in the circondario di Chavari for males born in 1849 and registered in 1870" | |||
|+ '''Title Page and Two-Page Spread of a Lista di Estrazione''' | |||
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Young men had no right to emigrate from Italy before the age of 18 unless the whole family had departed. From the list of all males eligible for the draft, a certain amount of young men were called (extracted) to actually serve the draft. This depended on eligibility and the number necessary to fulfill the draft quota of the Italian State. Therefore, the ''liste di estrazioni'' were those eligible who were actually drafted. If a young man did not present himself for the draft and was not represented at the draft call he could be declared eligible and labelled as a deserter. This happened at times to those who emigrated to North or South America and who did not return because they could be legally imprisioned for draft evasion. | Young men had no right to emigrate from Italy before the age of 18 unless the whole family had departed. From the list of all males eligible for the draft, a certain amount of young men were called (extracted) to actually serve the draft. This depended on eligibility and the number necessary to fulfill the draft quota of the Italian State. Therefore, the ''liste di estrazioni'' were those eligible who were actually drafted. If a young man did not present himself for the draft and was not represented at the draft call he could be declared eligible and labelled as a deserter. This happened at times to those who emigrated to North or South America and who did not return because they could be legally imprisioned for draft evasion. | ||
Therefore, in essence ''liste di leva'' was the list of all young men and the ''liste di estrazione'', also called ''liste di arruolamento'' was a list of those who were declared eligible. The ''liste di leva'' were eliminated in 1923 and only those of ''estrazione ''remain. | Therefore, in essence ''liste di leva'' was the list of all young men who had reached eighteen years of age and the ''liste di estrazione'', also called ''liste di arruolamento'', was a list of those who were declared eligible to enter or were exempted from military service. The ''liste di leva'' were eliminated in 1923 and only those of ''estrazione ''remain. | ||
=== Draftee Curriculum of Service Record [''registro dei fogli matricolari'']. === | === Draftee Curriculum of Service Record [''registro dei fogli matricolari'']. === | ||