The Mystery Envelope

 

The Mystery Envelope

So many questions!  I found this envelope in a box of family stuff I received, I looked at the pin that was inside and was about to put away in the box.  A Sons Of Italy pin is nice, I guess, but not a real important family heirloom.

"Sons of Italy Medal"

Upon closer look, nothing said "Sons of Italy", the bust on the front was the King Victor Emmanuel III and the rear had 1900-1901 CINA.  So the year matched the envelope, but what was CINA.  I google translated and was confused to learn that translates to "China".

                         

Back to Google Image search and it found the medal.  It is a very rare Commemorative Metal Of the Campaign In China, also known as The Boxer Rebellion.

So this is not a metal available to anyone, like something you would have purchased, this is only awarded to Italian military participants of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900-1901.  So we have an ancestor that went to China in the Italian military to join the Eight-Nation Alliance to put down the Rebellion.  My grandmother - or really any relatives never mentioned an ancestor with a military background.  So who was it?

The envelope says Grandpa Imprescia - so that depends who wrote on the envelope, but there are really two choices: Dominic Imprescia (b:1849) or his son Filippo (b: 1880).  In 1900, Dominic would be 51 years old and Filippo would be 20 years old.  So it makes sense this metal belongs to Filippo since he was military age and Italy did have required military service.

Filippo Imprescia and Maria Filippa Siciliano
Wedding photo from 23 Jan 1908

So looking up history - this means my great grandfather Philip (Filippo) when he was was 20 was a member of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in China a small group of 2,500 soldiers that volunteered for service with the promise of extra pay. Departing from Naples in 19 July 1900 and arrived in China on 29 August 1900. 

It is hard to guess what Filippo’s role would have been.  Did he remain on the Naval Ships or did he venture into China mainland and see combat?  It is amazing that this was never a family story. 

But - there is a family story in an earlier blog post that he wanted a career as a “Polizia Stradale”.  So there is a slight factual errors since that term is related to "traffic police" - that was created during the era of automobiles.  So a “Polizia di Stato” or "State Police" makes more sense, and what if Filippo was in the military and went to China and upon return wanted to become a Polizia di Stato or Carabinieri and his parents did not want him to continue this profession - it may explain the story about his desire to be a police officer, with a twist. 

So the mystery envelope contained an amazing unknown family story - no offense to the Sons of Italy and their metals.