Annibale Bergonzoli

Who was Annibale Bergonzoli?

Annibale Bergonzoli, nicknamed "barba elettrica", "Electric Whiskers", was an Italian Lieutenant General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He commanded the defences of Bardia, Libya, after the short offensive into Egypt made by Rodolfo Graziani. At the end of 1940, a British offensive called Operation Compass, led by General Richard O'Connor, took Bardia forcing the Italians to retreat into Cyrenaica. Bergonzoli continued to command the XXIII Corps of the Italian Tenth Army during the retreat. In February 1941, after the disastrous defeat at Beda Fomm, Bergonzoli surrendered to Australian forces. He was held as a prisoner in India and the USA before being repatriated to Italy. Bergonzoli settled in his birthplace, Cannobio and died there in 1973.