Royal Guard of Albania
The Royal Albanian Guard (Albanian: Garda Mbretërore) was from 1928 till 1939 and was part of the Royal Albanian Army.
| Royal Albanian Guard Garda Mbretërore | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1928 - 1939 |
| Disbanded | 1939 |
| Country | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Albania |
| Allegiance | Royal Albanian Army |
| Branch | Royal Guard |
| Type | Defence force |
| Role | Protection of the King |
| Size | 112 officers, 14 NCOs and 800 soldiers |
| Headquarter | Tiranë |
| Engagements | Italian Invasion of Albania |
| Commanders | |
| Commander on April 7, 1939 | Cpt. Hysen Selmani |
Structure
In April 1939 this reportedly had a strength of 926 officers and men.
- "ceremonial" company
- infantry battalion
- Hqs
- 4 rifle companies
- artillery battery
- cavalry squadron (extrapolated from a film footage of a parade about 1938)
- Hqs
- 3-4 troops
- officer
- 2 sections
- 9 troopers
- Royal Band
- Depot
The infantry battalion was reported as having 21 officers, 37 officers and 422 corporals and guardsmen, but note this is the strength of the light establishment infantry battalion. A strength of 562 was reported in the late Thirties. In April 1939 the Italians found in five companies (including the ceremonial?)
- 28 officers (4 Italian)
- 6 senior NCO ("marescialli")
- 48 sergeants
- 522 corporals and guardsmen
The artillery battery is given in Albanian sources as
- 4 officers
- 8 NCO
- 140 guardsmen
- 59 horses
- 4 x Skoda 75mm L/13 mountain guns
The cavalry squadron is given in various sources as 71-91 officers and men, up from a single troop of about 32 in the late Twenties.
When the band was incorporated into the Italian army it had 34 members and the depot, 1 officer and 39 men.
Half the army appeared to be deployed around Tiranë to protect the central government from civil unrest, and the Royal Guard to protect the King from assassination and military coups. Different sources report that the guard was recruited in the south (Greek Orthodox, as opposed to the Muslims that inhabited the Tiranë region), or in the north (the Mahti region, Muslim, but also King Zog's home and power base), and the Italians re-organized the Guard into a battalion with two oversize companies ("North" in trousered uniforms and "South", kilted as the Greek Evzones). It is probable that two infantry companies were from the south and two from the north, with the ceremonial company having contingents from both.