Italian pilots, perhaps of a multi-engine aircraft unit as indicated by the large airplane in background, dressed with a winter flight suit, preparing itself for a mission. The presence of the life jackets and signaling rockets packs on the flight suit seem perhaps the preparation for a mission over the sea or anyway with a large part of the route over the sea: a torpedo aircraft mission? Victor Sierra

Preparing for an over sea mission

Cross-section of an Italian "Thermos" bomb; picture abstracted by "Italian and French Explosive Ordnance", Bureau of Ordnance (US Navy) publication 14 June 1946. “Thermos bomb” is the nickname of the Anti-personnel (AP) Bomb Manzolini, or 4 AR, for the Italians “Spezzone”, employed in Libya during the first phase of the war both by the S.79 (which used also the 2 kg “spezzoni”) and Breda 65 of the 50th Stormo Assalto. In substance a multipurpose mine scatterable by aircraft used against airfields, vehicles and personnel. The bomb was a cylinder with lenght 31 centimetre long and weight 3.68 kilograms. It could be fitted with a very sensitive motion-sensitive fuze that would detonate if any attempt was made to move it, and could be lethal in the open up to around 35 metres away. A later variant of the fuze introduced an additional time delayed detonation, which was triggered between 60 to 80 hours after. Victor Sierra

The Italian “Thermos” bomb

Regia Aeronautica’s Officers on an Italian Mainland base dressed two with the classic dark grey-blue uniform in use until to second half Eighties of XX Century and the two other with the Sahariana, an elegant and handy clothing used by the Italian Armed Forces Officers during the WW2 especially in North Africa (as specified by the name). The Officer on the right fitted with a camera (the mythic Leica?) is a Capitano (Captain) as indicated by the ranks over the sleeve, but isn’t a pilot - notice in effect the absence of the turreted eagle (the “Aquila Turrita”, even now official emblem of the Italian Armed Forces Officers licensed militaries pilots) – likely an Officer of the Administrative Services. The ranks are repeated over the cover, the “bustina” (garrison cap), abandoned by the Officers after the war in favor to the beret, but restored by the modern Italian Air Force’s uniform (but not much loved, the Officer preferring the beret). The Officer in the center of the photo, with a large orange envelope (typical of the Government’s envelopes) is a military pilot, as indicated by the “Aquila Turrita”, with many ribbon amounting to a number of militaries honor plus a military order, is a Maggiore or Tenente Colonnello (Major or Lt. Colonel) with Staff’s task ad indicated by the symbol over the ranks, perhaps an Aiutante di Volo (Flight Adjutant) of High Command General. On the left with the darker Sahariana a high rank Officer, an Air Force’s (grey-blue beret) three star General (Generale di Squadra Aerea, Lieutenant General in US Armed Forces), likely Commander in Chief of an Air Force’s High Command. Difficult discover exactly the rank of the second from left Officer, with the pale Sahariana. The flawless conditions of the prescribed uniform seem indicate a meet on an Italian Mainland base with representative of a Regia Aeronautica’s High Command (the “High Poppies” in the Italian Armed Forces slang). Victor Sierra