Annibale Bergonzoli

Annibale Bergonzoli
Bergonzoli in 1941
Nickname(s)	"barba elettrica" (Electric Beard or Electric Whiskers)
Born	(1884-11-01)1 November 1884 Cannobio, Italy
Died	31 July 1973(1973-07-31) (aged 88) Cannobio, Italy
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Service/branch	Royal Italian Army
Years of service	1911–1941
Rank	Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Corps General)
Commands held	XXIII Corps
Battles/wars	Italo-Turkish War Italo-Ethiopian War World War I: Italian Campaign Spanish Civil War World War II: North African Campaign Battle of Bardia Battle of Beda Fomm
Awards	Gold Medal of Valour Military Order of Savoy

World War I:

World War II:

Annibale Bergonzoli (1 November 1884 – 31 July 1973), nicknamed "barba elettrica", "Electric Whiskers", was an Italian Lieutenant General during World War I, the Spanish Civil War and World War II. In 1940 He commanded the defences of Bardia, Libya. In February 1941, after the disastrous Battle of 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.

In the 1941 film, Love Crazy, starring Myrna Loy and William Powell, Powell's character refers to another character in the film, as looking like "General Electric Whiskers". This may be a reference to General Bergonzoli.