In these years, many visitors asked for my help to search for information about Italian sailor who served during WWII, either veterans or relatives, so I thought about the possibility to collect in this page all the hints I gave them.

At present I have contacted all of them, at least the ones who gave me positive feedback on their researches, to write down here their experience. At the moment I have received good hints about Internet researches, which are found here.

Case 1: information on a relative

Note:If you do not know the sailor name, or place and date of birth, skip this case and go to the next. If the sailor was not your relative, you can still try this way, but it is probable you will not obtain anything because, as far as I know service records are given to relatives only.

If the information you are searching for are about a sailor who was your relative, and you know his name and (at least approximately) his place and date of birth the way to follow is to obtain from Italian Navy his service records ("Estratto del foglio matricolare" are named the records in Italian).
To do so, there are three ways: the first is to be here in Italy for a short time; in this case it is enough to go to a military district (hoping to find someone who is able to speak your language) and to fill the modules. Then there is only to await the time needed for the documents to arrive.
I guess this is not always possible, and if you live outside Italy is not simple nor easy to obtain documents: Italian bureauocracy is sluggish and similar to a maze for those who are not accustomed to it, but do not lose your hope.
Ok, so what to do?
Well, there is the second way. If you are ready to try this experience (which could be faster but more often frustrating) you can phone to the Navy Headquarters (Stato Maggiore della Marina) and particulary to this office:

UFFICIO GENERALE DEL PERSONALE - RELAZIONI CON IL PUBBLICO (that means General Personnell Office - Public Relations) at this number +39.06.36804442.

I do not guarantee you will succeed, because this office is for general information, so in first place I am not sure you will find someone who will be able to speak your language, and in second place you will have to be lucky enough to find a "good hearted" person who will want to help you.

Oh, dear, I guess you're saying :-)

Ok, so there is the third way; it is the slow one but is the safest: to write a letter to this address:

Direzione Generale del Personale Militare,
5° Reparto - 15a Divisione,
Piazzale della Marina, 2
00196 ROMA
ITALY

This is the address of the Office which has in charge every military record.

I do not know if they're able to read other languages than Italian (feedback on this point will be most appreciated), and so I wrote a letter for you. You will find it below, in Rich format text (.rtf) and in Portable format document (.pdf).

Download the letter and the instructions in one of the two format

Case 2: information on a veteran or a relative

If the ex-sailor was not your relative, or he was your relative but you miss vital information (or anyway you obtained nothing with the method above), then there is another possibility.
You can contact the A.N.M.I. (Associazione Nazionale Marinai d'Italia - National Association of Italian Sailors).
They have a magazine on which there is a section where to insert veteran research; moreover they can find a person who is (or was) enlisted in their association.

These are the contact info for the National Chairman:

Address:
Presidenza Nazionale A.N.M.I.
Lungotevere delle Armi, 20
00195 ROMA
Italy

Phone: +39.06.3217693 - +39.06.3244448 - Fax. +39.06.3223076

E-mail: Chairman and Secretary's office

A.N.M.I. is already present in other Countries, where Italian sailors opened "foreign offfices"
As far as I know there are A.N.M.I. offices in:

ARGENTINA, and particularly in BUENOS AIRES, CAMPANA (Buenos Aires) and MAR DEL PLATA.

AUSTRALIA, and particularly in ADELAIDE, BRISBANE, MELBOURNE, PERTH, SYDNEY and WOLLONGONG.

BRASIL, and particularly in SAO PAOLO.

CANADA, and particularly in EDMONTON, LAVAL, MONTREAL, OTTAWA, SUDBURY and TORONTO.

COSTA RICA, and particularly in SAN JOSE'.

FRANCE, and particularly in MARSEILLES.

GERMANY, and particularly in HERDENHEIM-AALEN.

USA, and particularly in BOSTON, DETROIT, MAHWAH, NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA.

Please, note that I do have addresses and phone numbers, but they're of private persons, so don't ask me those: contact the Italian Chairman Office.