Souvenirs of the Liberation of Florence, August 1944

[loupie1961]

Being born in Florence, I am an avid collector of any piece of militaria directly connected with the city and her liberation on August 11th, 1944. I have happened to purchase with two different sets of medals two souvenirs of the liberation of Florence, theatre made for the soldiers visiting the city to buy. The first one shows the 5th US Army sign on the reverse, whereas the second, that has come with a set of medals comprehensive of the 1939-1945 Star, Defense Medal, Italy Star and War Medal, has the 8th Army Crusader Shield, and is named to M. Duffy whose service number hints to his service in the Royal Engineers (lots of mines to be removed and Bailey bridges to build, in the summer of 1944, in Florence!).