Fig. 1 is dated Nov. 36 and represents the average volunteer in his civilian dress. He wears a heavy cloth jacket and shapeless trousers, and as headgear he has the soft peaked cap sometimes called the "Thaelmann cap" or even the "Lenin cap", with a proud red star. His rifle is a Mauser and he carries his ammo in his pockets. Colours: anything in shades of brown could go.

Fig. 2 is dated Oct. 36 and is taken from a photo of the Battalion's commissar Roasio. He wears a military uniform of sorts, in a very dark colour, probably black: shortish jacket and baggy trousers fitted into the boots. He wears the beret flat on his head and without a star. Nor does he have any insignia. He carries his pistol with a Sam Browne shoulder strap and belt.

Fig. 3 is from a lieutenant's photo in Spring 37, more elegant and military-like. He wears a turtleneck and over it a Spanish officer's jacket, probably in khaki, tight civilian trousers and mountain boots with metal details. The headgear is a sidecap of Italian cut, and it seems it was preferred to the Spanish pointed one. His rank insignia are worn both on it and on the left breast: a simple stripe (probably in yellow) below the five-pointed star.

Fig. 4 is a soldier of the assault platoon in March. 37. He wears the sheepskin jacket mentioned above, nondescript military trousers, boots and an Adrian helmet. He's carrying the distinction of his trade - a bag full of hand grenades -, his rifle, foreign-supply webbing and cartridge pouches. In all likelyhood there's a bayonet or dagger hanging from the belt on his back. Overall much better equipped than the soldier in Fig. 1; a source states that most members of this platoon also carried a pistol, but there's no photo evidence for that at the moment.

Fig. 5 is from a photo of a Spanish army soldier in 1936. However, Garibaldi men are known to have used both the items clearly visible here; the bulky Spanish M1926 Eibar helmet (note the resemblance with the precursor of the German WWII helmet) and an army-issue capote-manta.

Fig. 6 represents an assistant LMG gunner in Spring 37. He wears a light brown or khaki uniform, a conspicuous bright red neckerchief, and a beret. He's carrying an ammo box and a magazine for an Italian Breda M30 LMG, and his rifle. His dark brown webbing, with large ammo pouches and a brass belt-plate, seems to be from Spanish army stocks.

More Garibaldi

Garibaldi Bttn (SCW): Introduction
Garibaldi Bttn (SCW): Uniform Illustrations
Garibaldi Bttn (SCW): History TO&E (CD)