Many of the Askaris in Eritrea were drawn from local Nilotic populations, including Hamid Idris Awate, who reputedly had some Nara ancestry.

[1] Of these troops, the first Eritrean battalions were raised in 1888 from Muslim and Christian volunteers, replacing an earlier Bashi-bazouk corps of irregulars.

Expanded to eight battalions, the Eritrean Ascaris fought with distinction at Serobeti, Agordat, Kassala, Coatit and Adwa[2] and subsequently served in Libya and Ethiopia.

Except for the German parachute division in Italy and the Japanese in Burma no enemy with whom the British and Indian troops were matched put up a finer fight than those Savoia battalions at Keren (Eritrea).

Created and the so-called "gangs" (from the Italian word bande - a group), small cavalry military formations, as a rule, consisted of 100-200 people.

Unlike Hitler's Nazis, who, moreover, did not yet have overseas colonies, the Italian fascists did not have a clear ideology of racial superiority, but were rather typical classical colonialists, so they tried not to destroy the local population, but exploited it.

[11] The ascari of Eritrea, Somalia and AOI wore the colonial uniform in white or khaki cloth with the aforementioned distinctive sashes, felt tarbush (a high red fez) with bow and frieze depending on the speciality.

The Muslim ascari of East Africa (most of the colonials were Copts) wore a turban as their headdress, with a battalion-coloured diagonal band on the front.

He could wear either khaki straight trousers or breeches with high brown field boots with or without lacing at the foot.

The rank badges consisted of chevrons in red and yellow wool fabric, made at an angle, with the tip facing the shoulder, mounted on a pentagonal blue, later black, triangle cloth brassard, in the manner of the Ottoman Army.

Libyan troops wore the same insignia until 1939 when they became officially Italians, they could also wear the Star of Savoy at this point, with another change to a modified smaller version sewn directly onto the upper arm sleeve in 1941.

The Italian colonial forces were armed with older model weapons, mainly produced in Italy itself, or captured, but by the beginning of World War II, they were clearly outdated.

Since the 20s, the following armored vehicles were transferred to Libya; Colonial units were primarily equipped with light artillery and mortars The Royal Corps of Colonial Troops has been awarded 4 Gold Medals of Military Valor ("Medaglia d'oro al valor militare"): Two Gold Medal of Military Valor: In one hundred and fifty battles gloriously sustained in the service of His Majesty the King of Italy, gave constant evidence of strong heroic military discipline, of fierce warrior spirit, of unquestioned loyalty and value, lavishing their blood with a zeal and devotion than never had limitations.

- May 12, 1930[33] With the courage of their race, fueled by love for the flag and the belief in the higher destinies of Italy in Africa, gave during the war, many proofs of the most brilliant heroism.

[34] One Gold Medal of Military Valor: With the courage of their race - fueled by love for the flag and the belief in the higher destinies of Italy in Africa, gave during the war, many proofs of the most brilliant heroism.

[35] One Gold Medal of Military Valor: With the courage of their race - fueled by love for the flag and the belief in the higher destinies of Italy in Africa, gave during the war, many proofs of the most brilliant heroism.