Division "Aosta". On 9 July 1943 the Allied invasion of Sicily began and the division was badly mauled by US Army troops during the Battle of Troina in the North of the island. The remnants of the division were evacuated to mainland Italy between 9 and 12 August 1943. After the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces of 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by German Forces near the city of Trento. On 20 September 1944 the Italian Co-Belligerent Army formed in Sicily the III and IV internal security brigades with the regiments of the disbanded 47th Infantry Division "Bari". On 14 October 1944 the two brigades entered the newly activated Internal Security Division "Aosta", which was tasked with public duties, demining and airfield protection tasks until the end of the war. Cold War Infantry Division "Aosta" On 15 August 1946 the Internal Security Division "Aosta" was reorganized as Infantry Brigade "Aosta". On 1 September 1946 the regiments of the brigade returned to their old names 5th respectively 6th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" and were based in Messina and Palermo. With the expansion of the Italian Army after World War II the brigade was expanded to a full division on 1 February 1948 and the two "Aosta" infantry regiments were joined by the 46th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" and the 22nd and 24th Field Artillery regiments from the dissolved Infantry Brigade "Reggio". However already on 15 June 1955 the division began to shrink with the disbandment of the 6th Infantry Regiment. The III Battalion of the 5th Infantry Regiment received the colors and traditions of the disbanded regiment. The Division was under the command of the XI Military Territorial Command/Sicily Military Region in Palermo, which had administrative command of all units based in Sicily and was tasked with the defense of the islands of Sicily, Pantelleria and Pelagie. Infantry Division "Aosta" 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta", in Messina I Infantry Battalion II Infantry Battalion 6th Infantry Regiment "Aosta", in Palermo (disbanded on 15 June 1955) III Infantry Battalion (joined the 5th "Aosta" on 15 June 1955) IV Infantry Battalion 45th Infantry Regiment "Reggio", in Catania (disbanded on 15 June 1955) I Infantry Battalion II Infantry Battalion (joined the 46th "Reggio" on 15 June 1955) 46th Infantry Regiment "Reggio", in Palermo (left the division on 31 January 1959) III Infantry Battalion IV Infantry Battalion 22nd Field Artillery Regiment "Vespri", in Palermo I