The flight suite for high altitudes of the gunner of an Italian bomber Savoia-Marchetti S.79 at the side station of the 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun in the waist mounts. Note the large and certainly heavy and uncomfortable oxygen mask adopted by the Italian Air Force’s crew during the WW2 afterwards replaced with German or (for the Co-Belligerent Air Force) British and American equipment. Victor Sierra

Italian bomber’s gunner

A Regia Aeronautica’s Macchi MC.200 “Saetta” reading for take-off from an Italian airfield, perhaps on Sicily. Strange the person over the wing near the pilot: on civilian clothes, but with a flight helmet. Victor Sierra

Ready for take-off

This pilot of a Macchi MC.205 Veltro of 1st Gruppo of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the Air Force of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, show an equipment in good part of German source like the helmet, headphone and oxygen mask while the flight jacket is the classic Italian Marus with fur-trimmed collar. Clearly visible on this photo, behind the pilot, the large armor plate for defence of cockpit’s rear sector. Victor Sierra