Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were all named for officers, soldiers and partisans, who were posthumously awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valour for heroism during World War II. The 19th Tank Battalion's name commemorated 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment Second Lieutenant Francesco Tumiati, who had served in the Western Desert Campaign in 1941-1942 and joined a partisan unit after the German occupation of Italy in 1943. After 8 months as commander of a partisan detachment Tumiati was caught by German forces and executed on 17 May 1944. Equipped with M47 Patton tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers the battalion joined the Motorized Brigade "Friuli".