Italian Historian Finds WWII Kiwi Badge in Forest

Piero De Tommaso was walking through woods near his Italian home when something unusual caught his eye in freshly disturbed soil.

The surveyor from Ginosa, Italy, bent down expecting to find a simple medal. Instead, he discovered a World War II cap badge bearing the word "ONWARD," worn by New Zealand soldiers from the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

For De Tommaso, a military history enthusiast, the moment was electric. "Not just an artifact, but a symbol of strength, a motto, and a piece of home that once belonged to a World War II hero," he told Stuff NZ.

The location made the find even more meaningful. De Tommaso discovered the badge in the San Basilio woods near Mottola, where New Zealand troops established defensive lines during the Italian campaign from 1943 to 1945. His research confirmed Commonwealth forces, including Kiwi soldiers, held positions in those exact woods before fierce battles at Sangro and Monte Cassino.

When De Tommaso shared his discovery on Facebook, the response from New Zealand overwhelmed him. "It showed me just how deep and meaningful the memory of these soldiers remains in New Zealand today," he said.

This isn't De Tommaso's first effort to honor Allied troops. He and his brother have spent years recovering artifacts from Operation Slapstick, the Allied landing in southern Italy in summer 1943. They created a small museum inside the Stella Caracciolo Castle in Palagianello to preserve these stories.

Sunny's Take

But this badge deserves something special. Rather than adding it to his collection, De Tommaso wants to return it through official channels to a New Zealand military museum or veterans' association where it can receive proper recognition.

He plans to send the badge with a jar of soil from the exact spot where it rested for eight decades. "A piece of this Italian land where the sacrifice of these New Zealand heroes will remain eternal," he explained.

De Tommaso even dreams of hand-delivering the badge himself. "It would be a dream to visit your beautiful country, and perhaps even accompany the badge on its journey back home in person."

One chance walk through familiar woods created an unexpected bridge between two nations separated by oceans and generations, proving that heroes are never truly forgotten.