Mario Gorlier | |
|---|---|
 Gorlier as a captain during World War I | |
| Born | (1892-02-11)11 February 1892 |
| Died | 18 July 1956(1956-07-18) (aged 64) |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | 2nd Alpini Regiment 6th Alpine Division "Alpi Graie" |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
Mario Gorlier (Nizza Monferrato, 11 February 1892 – 18 July 1956) was an Italian general duringWorld War II.
Born inPiedmont, he entered theRoyal Military Academy ofModena at age sixteen in 1908, graduating as infantrysecond lieutenant, he was assigned to theAlpini corps on 19 May 1912. He fought in theFirst World War with the3rd Alpini Regiment, participating in the conquest of MountKrn and earning twoSilver and oneBronze Medal of Military Valor.[1][2][3][4] After promotion tolieutenant colonel on 1 December 1926, he was assigned to the general staff; on 16 March 1936, he was promoted to the rank ofcolonel and given command of the2nd Alpini Regiment,[5][6][7] and from 8 September 1939, he was transferred to the command of the Motorized Army Corps for special assignments, as a trusted collaborator of GeneralGiovanni Messe.[8]
Following the entry of theKingdom of Italy into theSecond World War on 10 June 1940, Gorlier was promoted tobrigadier general and assigned to the command of theSpecial Army Corps (later XXX Army Corps) inAlbania, together with Messe, participating in thecampaign against Greece.[9][10] On 10 July 1941, he became head of the 1st department at the staff officer corps inRome (later head of the operations office at theComando Supremo), a post he held until 5 July 1943.[11][12][13] On 2 March 1942, he was awarded the honor of knight of theMilitary Order of Italy and with the Royal Decree of 8 August 1942 he was appointed officer of theOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[14] Having been promoted tomajor general on 1 January 1943, in July 1943, after theAllied landings in Sicily, he was sent to Sicily as an envoy of GeneralMario Roatta to the headquarters of GeneralAlfredo Guzzoni, commander of theSixth Army, later taking on the task of organizing a defensive line on the mountains ofCefalù.[15][16] On 15 August 1943, he was appointed commander of the6th Alpine Division "Alpi Graie", stationed inLiguria.[17][18][19][20] After thearmistice of Cassibile in September 1943, his troops defendedLa Spezia and delayed the German forces enough to allow the Italian fleet to set sail forMalta; he then evaded capture by the Germans and lived in hiding until the end of the war.[21][22]
On the proposal of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, on 2 June 1956 he was awarded as Grand Officer of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic, just a month before his death.[23]
