| Umberto Utili | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1895 Rome |
| Died | 1952 Milan |
| Buried at | Mignano Monte Lungo War Cemetery, Italy |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Italy, Italy |
| Service/branch | Regio Esercito, Italian Co-Belligerent Army |
| Years of service | World War I-1952 |
| Rank | Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Lieutenant General) |
| Unit | 1 Raggruppamento Motorizzato; Gruppo di Combattimento "Legnano" |
| Commands held | Commandant of Central School of Artillery; Chief of Staff Corpo Italiano di Spedizione in Russia (1941-42); Chief of Staff 25 Corps, Russia (1942); Commander-in-Chief, Corpo Italiano di Liberazione (1943); Gruppo di Combattimento "Legnano" (1944-1945); 58 Infantry Division Legnano (1945); 3 Territorial Defence Command (1950-1952)[1] |
| Battles/wars | First World War, Second World War (Greco-Italian War, Eastern Front); Battle of Mignano Monte Lungo (Italian Campaign) |
| Awards | Knight of the Military Order of Italy; Officer of the Military Order of Italy. |
Umberto Utili was an Italian general known as commander of Primo Raggruppamento Motorizzato of the Regio Esercito.
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He took part to the Greco-Italian War and to the Russian Campaign. At the time of the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces (8 September 1943) he was in Apulia just as Allied troops started their advance towards North. In late January 1944 he was appointed command of the Primo Raggruppamento Motorizzato (the early Italian Co-Belligerent Army) which, under his leadership was widened in size and became the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, attached to the British 8th Army.[2]
After the battles sustained in early 1944, Lieutenant General Utili proposed an upgrade of Italian forces. The Allies accepted and the strength of Italian units (by then called Gruppi di Combattimento) was brought up to 25,000 men.[3] Immediately after the war he commanded the 3 Army Corps in Milan (the direct predecessor of the modern NATO Rapid Deployable Italian Corps).
He died in 1952 and was buried in the Mignano Monte Lungo Military Cemetery, where 975 Italian soldiers, who were killed fighting on the Allied side, also lie.[4]
Knight of the Military Order of Italy
Officer of the Military Order of Italy
Bergamo dedicated a plaque to him in the Rocca (city castle).[7]