Rare picture, unfortunately of poor quality, of two of eight Yugoslav coastal reconnaissance and light bomber floatplane Rogožarski SIM XIV captured by Italians after the Yugoslavia’s fall on April 1941. The aircraft seized and switched in Italy were one SIM-XIV-H and seven SIM-XIVB-H. One aircraft was transferred at Vigna di Valle, Bracciano Lake, for test, the story of another is unknown, six was assigned to Scuola Osservazione Marittima (Maritime Observation School) at Orbetello, on Tuscany’s coast. The six plane, number 151, 161, 165, 158, 167 and 169, was employed by the Orbetello’s school for training and communications purposes until the end of 1942. Victor Sierra

Yugoslav floatplanes in Italy

Edda Mussolini-Ciano (in fantastic bathing cap) and Count Galeazzo Ciano on the beach.  Hard to know what to make of this marriage.  On the one hand, Ciano (like Papa Mussolini) was an inveterate womaniser and (in his case) brothel patron.  Edda did rather a lot of drinking, and was also known for "consoling" herself on the amorous front.  On the other, they had three children (Edda is supposed to have wanted only one), and were a very good working partnership, with Edda having a huge talent for the role of the old-fashioned diplomatic wife.  She remained loyal to him to the end, attempting to flee with him to Spain (their plane was forced down by the Germans with Mussolini's agreement, and they were sent back to the RSI), and pleading with the Duce for clemency on Ciano's behalf.  That the Duce did not heed this plea may be due to anger at Ciano's betrayal (as he would have seen it) at the Fascist Grand Council; though I am inclined to think it had more to do with the hostility of the Germans towards Ciano (he did not like them very much, either), and Mussolini was not in much of a position to say no to the Germans at this stage.  However much he loved his daughter - and he seems to have loved her very much.  Best regards, JR.

Married bliss.

This aircraft is one of two British Fairey Albacore captured by Italians on North Africa. The X9154 of 821 Squadron failed to return from a bombing raid on a landing ground, force landed at Fuka and captured by the Italians, 5 August 1942, and his crew was taken POW. The Albacore was repaired and flown by 9th Gruppo of the 4th Stormo. The photo depict the aircraft already with the white band on the fuselage, like the other planes of Italian Air Force, and, over the band, the 9th Gruppo’s emblem (black "Prancing Horse). During the retreat from the Lybia on Autumn 1942, the aircraft was eventually abandoned in Tripoli unusable. Previously, on the night from 23 to 24 January 1942, the Italians captured the X8941 of 828 Squadron based at Hal Far, Malta, which failed to return from a night operation. The wreck was present at Guidonia Flight Test Center, June 1942. Victor Sierra