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

MC.205’s pilot

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

Personnel of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR), the Air Force of the Fascist Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI), on an airport of Northern Italy (Lonate Pozzolo?), Spring or Summer 1944. The serviceman in foreground whit a briefcase is an officer, precisely a lieutenant, notably from the ranks over the jacket’s sleeve, not of the flying personnel (is has a fine pair of glasses!), but of the ground services (technical or likely administrative). Note also a serviceman with a bicycle, at this time the mean of transport most widespread, a regular equipment of military units. The plane is a three engine bomber CRDA Cant-Z-1007ter, one of very few exemplars of the last version of well known “Alcione” on line with the ANR but never employed for combat duties by the RSI’s Air Force. As the other multi-engine aircraft of ANR, also this plane has the German crosses under the wing to avoid mistakes. Victor Sierra