Maiella Brigade

The Maiella Brigade was a partisan formation established in Abruzzo in late 1943 that assisted with military actions to conquer the Gustav Line positions and drive the Germans out of south-central Italy. Formed as a result of the initiative of lawyer Ettore Troilo, the partisan formation became involved in multiple missions against Nazi forces on behalf of the Allied Army. In fact, from January 1944 the Brigade was officially acknowledged as a support unit to the Allied command based at the Gustav Line, and from the following month it was embedded in the Italian Army within the 209th Infantry Division.

After participating in the battles on the Sangro, liberating Abruzzo from enemy occupation and forcing the Germans to retreat from the Gustav Line, the Maiella Patriots Brigade decided not to disband and to continue its military action in the Italian campaign, moving northwards and assisting the partisan fights and the allied armies. After moving up Italy as far as Asiago and helping safeguard the nation's freedom, the Brigade officially disbanded in a solemn ceremony held in the province of Ravenna on 15 July 1945.