Bands (Italian Army Irregulars) - Gruppo Bande Amhara

Gruppo Bande Amhara

One of the most famous Italian irregular bands was the "Gruppo Bande Amhara".

At the beginning of World War II the Italian Viceroy Amedeo the Duke of Aosta gave lieutenant Guillet command of the 2,500 strong Gruppo Bande Amhara, an irregular troops unit made up mainly of recruits from Ethiopia's region of Amhara. This force was primarily a cavalry one, but also included camel mounted troops and some Yemeni infantry led by Eritrean Ascari NCOs.

At the end of 1940, the Allied forces faced Guillet on the road to Amba Alagi, and specifically, in the proximity of Cherù. He was charged with the task of delaying the allied advance from the North-West and his Eritrean Ascari were successful but suffered many casualties. Guillet's most important battle happened towards the end of January 1941 at Cherù when he decided to attack enemy armoured units. At dawn the "Gruppo Bande Amhara" charged a column of tanks armed only with swords, guns and hand grenades. They passed unhurt through the British forces who were caught unaware. Guillet then turned to charge again. In the meantime however, the British had organised themselves and fired horizontally with their howitzers. Their shells ripped open the chests of Guillet's horses and soldiers before exploding. This was the last cavalry charge the British faced and the last but one in the history of Italian cavalry.