Pilots of the Italian co-belligerent Air Force in front to a former RAF Martin Baltimore in service with the Regia Aeronautica’s Stormo Baltimore. Note the British flight equipment. Year 1944 or 1945. Victor Sierra

Co-belligerent pilots

Three Moschettieri del Duce (Duce’s Musketeers) passed in the Regia Aeronautica’s roles after the Italy’s entry in the war (10 June 1940) when the corps, an unit of the paramilitary Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN – Voluntary Militia for the National Security), was disbanded in order to permit the enlist in the Armed Forces, and consequently the participation to the war. In the photo, published by the magazine “Ali di Guerra” (War’s Wings) on 11 November 1941 into an article “The Duce’s Musketeers Aviators”, three torpedo aircraft’s pilots, former “Moschettieri”, of the 36th Stormo – from left to right: Vittorio Emanuele (“Rino”) Boeri, Mario Paccarié (twice awarded of silver medal), Piercarlo Amante - brought together by the same fate: all was killed in action. Boeri was killed before the publications of this photo. “Rino” Boeri, born in Tuscany, at Lucca, fascist from the beginning, founded at Rome the Edizioni d'Arte V.E. Boeri, specialized in creation of medals, post card and other graphic material of regime’s propaganda, Regia Aeronautica’s pilot, was killed in action on 27 September 1941 when the 36th Stormo, just equipped with the Savoia-Marchetti SM.84, suffered heavy losses during an attack against the British Fleet. Victor Sierra

Duce’s Musketeers Aviators

Montenegro’s partisans unloading supplies carried by an Italian transport aircraft landed on a Balkan airstrip. The plane is a Savoia-Marchetti S.82 likely of Italian co-belligerent Air Force’s 2nd Stormo Trasporto Notturno (Night Transport) based at Lecce, Apulia, and committed to transport of supplies to Italian troops and to partisan fighting in the Balkans against the German. Note the waist machine gun for self-defense. Victor Sierra