Italian Silver medal for Earthquake etc

[bigalni]

A friend has some WW1 German documents showing the owner to have won the Italian Silver medal for Earthquake in the South of Italy.

Issued to him in 1912.

Anyone any information on this award and the circumstances in which it would have been issued to a German Soldier?

Thanks in advance

Alan

[DirtyDick]

Probably the Messina Medal of 1908(?). Quite a few of these relatively scarce awards were given to RN sailors who helped with the rescue operation (I assume from some of the ships in the Mediterranean Fleet).

Italy was nominally still a German ally, according to the Triple Alliance, so perhaps a detachment of Germans or a German ship with soldiers aboard was in the area at the time and lent assistance.

Richard

[Guest Hill 60]

There were 3,500 awarded to the RN, 481 to the RMs and 400 to the Mercantile Marine (these figures are approx).

[BeppoSapone]

Probably the Messina Medal of 1908(?). Quite a few of these relatively scarce awards were given to RN sailors who helped with the rescue operation (I assume from some of the ships in the Mediterranean Fleet).

Italy was nominally still a German ally, according to the Triple Alliance, so perhaps a detachment of Germans or a German ship with soldiers aboard was in the area at the time and lent assistance.

Richard

There is a book about Royal Navy involvement, called something like "Angels in Blue Jackets".

Any sailors, of any navy, who happened to be in the area at the time were landed. People to help with rescue/relief work etc.

IIRC, there was a strong contingent of Russians.