M1909 Grigio-verde

M1909 - Italian infantry uniform in 1915




The uniform shown in the picture is of the 1909 pattern in grigio-verde, the colour shade used by the Italian army throughout the First World War. This colour shade is very similar to the Feldgrau shade used by the armies of the Central Powers. The field cap is M1909 Berreto, and bears the royal crest and the number of the regiment in which the soldier served on the forehead. At this early period of the war, Italian infantry did not use helmets. The blouse is characteristic in that it has no external breast pockets and the buttons are concealed by a flap. The collar clearly shows the coloured regimental insignia ( individual regiments had distinctive colour combinations on the collar tabs ), which always bore a five-pointed star, in this case facing downwards, but this was not the rule.
The colour of the M1907 leather carrying system could be described as greenish grey, although there were variations in colour and material throughout the war, with the M1907 being dyed white in the winter. The breadbox and rucksack are canvas, not visible in the photo.
The trousers not pictured here were of a clichéd straight cut with no distinctive pockets. They were slipped directly into high boots ( sometimes mountain boots ) without the use of wraps, although these also appeared as the war progressed and in some regiments from the beginning of the war, depending also on the footwear used.
The fit markings in the form of various combinations of black clothing were on the forearm of the blouse.
The standard weapon of the infantry was the Mannlicher-Carcano repeating rifle


Reference
Niccole D.: The Italian Army of the World War I, Osprey Publishing 2003

I would add that this uniform was the standard uniform worn by our legionaries in Italy.