Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Practice, MA in MilHis, volunteer archivist, and sporadic podcaster #RegioEsercito and #WarInItaly 🇬🇧🇪🇸🇮🇹https://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3mtqg4tfymc2gJust drove past the Castle of Aznalmara, it was originally an Iberian oppidum, then occupied by the Romans, and later a Muslim stronghold. Much later, it was briefly used by French troops. It was built during the Nasrid period (13th C) as part of the defensive frontier of the Kingdom of Granada.23 Aug 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtqg4tfymc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3mjk6qqcspc2oJust one week left to take part in our short survey on veterinary practice preparedness for natural disasters. It only takes 3 minutes, and you could win one of ten £30 Amazon vouchers as a thank you. We’d really appreciate your support! https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/surrey/prepared-for-the-unexpected-a-survey-of-uk-veterinary-surgeons-15 Apr 2026 15:14 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjk6qqcspc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lwo5v2sq3k2oIf you build a sand castle with the kids, you are a great dad. If you explain to them the advantages of the Italian trace, you are just weird... #MilitaryArchitecture #MilHis18 Aug 2025 10:11 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwo5v2sq3k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lpkfqwc74s2m#OTD in 1944, 59 Italian prisoners were killed by Nazi troops in retaliation for a partisan attack days earlier. S. Engel, the Nazi commander, never paid for the Turchino Massacre, as all extradition attempts were blocked. #WarInItaly #Partigiani19 May 2025 20:25 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpkfqwc74s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lo3y6cqus22qInternational Workers' Day! Italians celebrating the "Festa dei Lavoratori" in 1946. Notice the sign on the left that says, "Give jobs to our veterans." Between 1945 and 1947, more than a million Italian POWs returned to a country already facing 2 million unemployed.01 May 2025 09:19 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lo3y6cqus22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lmrybzicc22mBunker created to defend Fuerteventura against a possible Allied invasion (Operation Pilgrim - Puma, 1941), now repurposed as viewpoint14 Apr 2025 16:29 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmrybzicc22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3le2vfkuixs2tBuon Natale - Merry Christmas. 1911-12 Postcard depicting Bersaglieri in Libia during the Italo-Turkish War24 Dec 2024 16:45 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3le2vfkuixs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3ldr6samz522dThe entrance to the Archivio di Stato may not look as cool as the National Archives but the surroundings and the interior are breathtaking...no swans though 🦢 #RegioEsercito20 Dec 2024 20:06 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldr6samz522dhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3ldgukcsdbk2p#MuleMonday Refugees escaping the Fascist advance towards Málaga. 6-7 Feb 1937. A naval bombardment killed 3-5k civilians. From the book "The crime on the road Málaga-Almeria" by Dr Norman Bethune, who went to Spain to create a blood transfusion unit to aid the Republican soldiers. #SCW16 Dec 2024 17:36 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldgukcsdbk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lbrpfgoxds25#MuleMonday [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Nov 2024 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbrpfgoxds25https://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lbrmi4dqv225#MuleMonday I was lucky enough to see some mules at work in the rugged hills of southern Spain over the weekend.25 Nov 2024 13:21 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbrmi4dqv225https://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lbfouu7vm22tWould you like to know more about the Spanish Republicans who helped liberate Paris? Are you curious about their odyssey from the African deserts to the shores of France? Join us tomorrow at 19:00 (GMT)! www.youtube.com/live/CLk2OPg... https://www.youtube.com/live/CLk2OPg..20 Nov 2024 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbfouu7vm22thttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3lbfnyn4s4k2tSoldiers of the International Brigades and their horses during the Spanish Civil War. 📷 by Elkan Vera. #WarHorseWednesday IWM: HU 7152320 Nov 2024 19:16 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbfnyn4s4k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3l5fbviob3j2d#OTD in 1944, partisan and medical student Giovanni Palmieri was executed by SS troops. After 3 days of combats, instead of retreating, he stayed behind to look after the wounded partisans. He was captured and kept alive so he could treat the wounded SS, and then they killed him. #WarInItaly30 Sep 2024 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3l5fbviob3j2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3l3dfaeqmfx2xToday, an unexpected gift from a tutee reminded me how small gestures can have the deepest impact. Grateful for the opportunity to make a difference #VeterinaryEducation #VetEd #ManyTanks04 Sep 2024 13:03 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3l3dfaeqmfx2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3l2wbrtx4uj2rI seldomly wear cufflinks but when I do...#Spitfire30 Aug 2024 07:57 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3l2wbrtx4uj2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3l2rdzfreqk2sSo it begins: #InVeST24!! International Veterinary Simulation in Teaching Congress28 Aug 2024 08:53 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3l2rdzfreqk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3l27jxovc5224Yesterday, I received a book I ordered online. It turns out it belonged to one of my favorite authors, Richard Lamb. I've bought his book War in Italy three times—once for myself and twice for friends. It might be silly, but I feel like I won some sort of (nerdy) lottery. #MilHis21 Aug 2024 06:52 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3l27jxovc5224https://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kzypwlvqlv24#OTD in 1944 the Italian partisan Silvio Corbari was executed by nazi-fascist troops. Corbari was famous for his twisted sense of humour: in one occasion he distracted the attention of the local garrison using a bomb made of pasta and beans and he used to dress up as an ... 🧵1/218 Aug 2024 13:50 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kzypwlvqlv24https://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kzllwpemqb2sIt is not every day that I get to see homing pigeons. The baskets are still very similar to those used by loftmen during #WW1 and #WW2. During #WW2 alone the British Army used more than 250k pigeons and 32 received the Dikin Medal (aka the Victoria Cross for Animals).13 Aug 2024 08:34 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kzllwpemqb2shttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kygrg6e7dw2t28.07.41 Mussolini inspects the troops of the 1st Legion of the Camice Nere in Mantova before their departure to the Russian Front. Very few will see Italy again. #WW229 Jul 2024 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kygrg6e7dw2thttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kyb5riyqe22t#OTD in 1927, the Italian antifascists and political prisoners Carlo Rosselli, Emilio Lussu and Francesco Fausto Nitti escaped the island of Lipari (N of Sicily). All 3 joined the Republican army during the Spanish Civil War: "Today in Spain, tomorrow in Italy"- Rosselli.27 Jul 2024 11:28 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kyb5riyqe22thttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kxuu3r47f42m#OTD in 1944, the Germans gathered hundreds of civilians in the Duomo di San Miniato. A few hours later, an American 105mm shell hit the church, killing 55 and wounding hundreds. The Germans were held responsible for the massacre until 2004. It is still a bitter episode. #WW222 Jul 2024 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kxuu3r47f42mhttps://bsky.app/profile/damianvalle.bsky.social/post/3kxqk7hhzx723#OTD in 1944, Italian priest Giuseppe Beotti was killed by German forces. Beotti was killed for sheltering Jews and aiding partisans during #WW2. His courage and sacrifice in the face of tyranny remain a powerful testament to the strength of human compassion and resistance.20 Jul 2024 20:56 +0000at://did:plc:qdragckmvex46bbekb3ddbwo/app.bsky.feed.post/3kxqk7hhzx723