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  #1  
Old 26th January 2026, 17:25
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Memories of Italian airmen

Gents
I do not think it was a popular subject but does anyone know of published memories of WWII Italian aircrew or groundcrew?
I find I falchi del deserto by Sergio Flaccomio and Obbedire E Combattere by the same author. I do not know what period the former covers, and if the latter is memories at all.
Were there any others? Web search produces anything but what I look for!
TIA
Franek
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  #2  
Old 26th January 2026, 17:44
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Nick Beale Nick Beale is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

The late Ferdinando D'Amico mentioned this one as a source but I don't know any details about it:

G. Venè: "Coprifuoco" (Mondadori)
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Old 26th January 2026, 18:09
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Watch out for our forthcoming book on the CAI in the Battle of Britain.... due to be delivered end of April.
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Old 26th January 2026, 19:19
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Nick, the full title says Daily life of Italians in the Civil War, so it seems not a memory book.
Richard, actually I am interested in a different theatre.
Franek
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Old 26th January 2026, 19:55
alessandro bray alessandro bray is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

There are quite a few.
From torpedo bomber pilots:
Giuseppe Cimicchi- CIM le mie battaglie aeree nel Mediterrano
Giulio Cesare Graziani - Con bombe e siluri fra le cannonate
Martino Aichner- il gruppo Buscaglia

Alessandro
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Old 26th January 2026, 20:11
alessandro bray alessandro bray is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

From fighter pilots:
Degli Incerti-Pilota legionario
Paravicini- Pilota da caccia

Alessandro
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Old 26th January 2026, 23:56
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Luigino Caliaro in his book on the Reggiane fighters quotes from Un Pilota Raconta by Giacomo Metellini (self-published, 2007). This pilot flew the RE.2001 over Malta in 1942 with 2 Gr.Aut. CT.
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Old 27th January 2026, 13:38
Gianandrea Bussi Gianandrea Bussi is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Franek,
I Falchi del deserto covers activity of 159° Gruppo, 50° Stormo Assalto CR.42 in the North Afrika, 1942.
Obbedire e combattere is short account of the activities of the Regia Aeronautica during WW2.

There are several books written by italian airmen who fought (also or only) in World War two.
Some are already mentioned. I may add:
Paolo Moci, Seguendo la bandiera (bomber)
Gabriele Casini, Il Gruppo Buscaglia alla vigilia e dopo l'armistizio (torpedo bomber, bomber)
Adelmo Rigoli, 1943 Decollo verso l'ignoto (fighter 1943-45)
Raffaele Chianese, Primo e Ultimo (fighter)
Joseph Vincent Patriarca, Un americano a Gorizia (fighter)
Francesco Pierotti, L'aria delle mie colline (bomber, Ethiopia)
Alberto Briganti, Oltre le nubi il sereno (general in WW2)
Silvio Costigliolo, Una puntata nell'azzurro (fighter)
Tullio De Prato, Un pilota contadino (fighter and Reggiane test pilot)
Francesco Di Bella, un aviatore racconta le sue battaglie 1940-43 (torpedo bomber)
Flaminio Pagani, Ali d'Aquila (fighter, recollection of memories by pilot Giuseppe Ruzzin)
Martino Aichner, Il Gruppo Buscaglia (torpedo bomber)
Publio Magini, L'uomo che volò a Tokio (transport)
Corrado Ricci, Vita di Pilota (fighter and night fighter)

Some of these books cover the whole life of the authors, including Spain civil war.

I add that the Graziani's book mentioned by Alessandro Bray has been re-printed by Edizioni Rivista Aeronautica (ItAF official magazine) with the title "Dal primo all'ultimo giorno".

Gianandrea
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  #9  
Old 30th January 2026, 22:55
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Thanks for the replies! I am confused with the book of Incerti though. Are those memories? I find it under the title Cap. Valentino Tocci, pilota legionario del 23º Gruppo C.T. “Asso di Bastoni”, Edizioni Sarasota, Roma, 2010.
Franek

Martino Aichner, il gruppo Buscaglia (torpedo bomber)
Francesco Di Bella, un aviatore racconta le sue battaglie 1940-43 (torpedo bomber)
Alberto Briganti, Oltre le nubi il sereno (general in WW2)
Gabriele Casini, Il Gruppo Buscaglia alla vigilia e dopo l'armistizio (torpedo bomber, bomber)
Raffaele Chianese, Primo e Ultimo (fighter)
Giuseppe Cimicchi- CIM le mie battaglie aeree nel Mediterrano (torpedo bomber)
Silvio Costigliolo, Una puntata nell'azzurro (fighter)
Giulio Cesare Graziani - Con bombe e siluri fra le cannonate/ "Dal primo all'ultimo giorno", Edizioni Rivista Aeronautica (torpedo bomber)
Enrico Degli Incerti, Pilota legionario (fighter) [23° Gruppo C.T. "Asso di Bastoni" - SCW]
Publio Magini, L'uomo che volò a Tokio (transport)
Giacomo Metellini, Un Pilota Raconta, self-published, 2007 (fighter) [RE.2001 Malta 1942 with 2 Gr.Aut. CT]
Paolo Moci, Seguendo la bandiera (bomber)
Joseph Vincent Patriarca, Un americano a Gorizia (fighter)
Francesco Pierotti, L'aria delle mie colline (bomber, Ethiopia)
Tullio De Prato, Un pilota contadino (fighter and Reggiane test pilot)
Flaminio Pagani, Ali d'Aquila (fighter, recollection of memories by pilot Giuseppe Ruzzin)
Pier Paolo Paravicini, Pilota da caccia, Mursia, 2011 (fighter) [51o Stormo, air defence, CoBell]
Corrado Ricci, Vita di Pilota (fighter and night fighter)
Adelmo Rigoli, 1943 Decollo verso l'ignoto (fighter 1943-45)
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  #10  
Old 30th January 2026, 23:27
alessandro bray alessandro bray is offline
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Re: Memories of Italian airmen

Valentino Tocci was his "nome de guerre", used to conceal the pilot's identity by italian piloti legionari
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