Question on Mountain Corps

[mabadesc]

Hi, I have 2 questions for starters about Mountain Corps uniforms:

1. Did they use helmets in combat or did they always wear their famous berets?

2. Generals had a star insignia on the front of their berets, but some of them also had an oval-shaped insignia on the side of the beret. Does anybody know what this representedt?

Also, I'd like to learn more about the 101, 102, 103, 104 Mountain Divisions (Comandamente Munte). They were much smaller in size - app. 6-7000 people. When and why were they formed?

Thanks in advance.

[Victor]

QUOTE

1.  Did they use helmets in combat or did they always wear their famous berets?

http://www.worldwar2.ro/foto/?id=105&area=...est&language=en

The Mountain Commands were created during the reorganization of the actual mountain divisions in May, when they had just come from Crimea and were decimated. A Mountain Command was about a quarter of a regular division IIRC. Read in the Organization section of the site.

[mabadesc]

Thanks, Victor. What about the oval-shaped insignia on the side of the berets? Do you know what that represented?

[dragos]

On the side of the beret it was weaved the symbol of the mountain troops, a hunting horn with a fir branch inside the loop, in golden thread on a green oval-shaped patch. In front of the beret, the generals had the round badge of their rank.