Allied Military Government of Occupied Territory.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES IN WARTIME ITALY

District of Ionia.

Printed broadside on blue paper measuring 375 by 250mm. Text in English and Italian. A fine copy. [Iona,] September 1,

A rare and unlikely survival. This desirable broadside is one of the few to demonstrate the reach of an occupying army.

 

While many are familiar with Eisenhower's Proclamation number one that declared the Allied Expeditionary Force came as "conquerors but not oppressors", this was not the only broadside produced by the Allied military government. In 1944, a broadside proclamation was printed in Nantes, and perhaps elsewhere, directed towards French citizens "Le jour de la délivrance se léve ..."  (see OCLC: 79289357). Other broadsides were printed, presumably on presses accompanying the invading troops.

 

Code-named Operation Huskey, the invasion of Sicily was the first step in the Allied victory over the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. and just days before the allies and Italy signed an armistice. With the signature of Capt. Burbank this broadside was printed within weeks of the successful allied invasion of Sicily. It shows that the army was not just concerned in the large scale movements of soldiers, but quickly oversaw the minutiae of everyday life. The Ionia district was a short-lived municipal entity established by the Fascists. In fact, it was only used until 1945, and incorporates villages between the Ionian sea and Mt. Etna, such as Mascali, Fiumefreddo, Calatabiano, Piedemonte, Linguaglossa.

 

The broadside provides a long list of wholesale and retail prices for fruit and vegetables. Among the ingredients are those needed for the Sicilian staple, pasta alla norma: garlic, onion, eggplant, and tomatoes. These are supplemented by an array of fruit: figs, peaches, pears, as well as table grapes and grapes for wine making. At the bottom of the broadside is a warning that any infringements "of this order will be punished severley," The dual language is presumably not only for the benefit of the Sicilans, but also Allied soldiers.

 

Not in OCLC, not in COPAC.

Stock Code: 232579