Italian Forces

Marus

ModellismoPiù

A Regia Aeronautica’s Officer, a Capitano (Captain), standing in front a fighter unit’s Macchi MC.202 tropicalized (anti-sand filter and North African finish), likely in North Africa 1942. The officer, together a no standard foulard, wear upon the uniform’s coat the flight jacket Marus Model 1940, the classic and ubiquitous item of clothing of the Italian Air Force’s air crew during all the WW2, and after the Armistice both by the Regia Aeronautica co-Belligerent and by Repubblica Sociale Italiana’s Air Force (ANR-Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana). The Marus, from the name of the producer, was a single-breasted all-wool waterproof flight jacket with central zip, two pocket with cuff and jacket-base stretch-wool. The Officer of this photo wear the Marus with the detachable lining fastened to collar in lamb hair shaved beaver type, another “classic” of Italian aviators clothing of this time. The Marus was in service also after the war, until the first half of the Fifties when the jet era required different flight suites. Some surplus Marus was purchased by many flying club pilots and used for another dozen years (And I remember my father with a splendid Marus in impeccable conditions). Victor Sierra