My Grandfather in the Regia Aeronautica

My mother's father, Oscar Casazza, was an airman in the Regia Aeronautica before and during WWII. He was not a crew member but a truck driver and, occasionally, a chauffer (once he even had to drive Mussolini). I found some pictures of him, taken while he was standing beside aircraft. Click on the pictures to download bigger versions. I am grateful to Ferdinando D'Amico for the identification of the aircraft.

Ferrara, Italy, December 12, 1935. My grandpa is third from the right. He was 21 at the time.

My grandpa is the tallest one in uniform. He is standing beside a CMASA (FIAT) G.8 biplane.

My grandpa is leaning on Breda Ba.39 or Ba33. The aircraft on the right is a Caproni Ca.113.

Vicenza, Italy 1936: a Savoia Marchetti SM.81 "Pipistrello" (Bat) has crashed. It is finished in Bianco Avorio 11 (Ivory White 11), as it was customary for trainers of this kind. Mr. Giuseppe Versolato kindly sent me more information about this aircraft: it belonged to the 14th Stormo Bombardieri Terrestri (Land Bombers), which was the first unit to come to Vicenza to a new airfield still under work. Official inauguration of the airfield was MArch 1939. The aircraft had French engines, Gome Rhone K14, which did not enjoy much success and were later replaced with Alfa Romeo.

Another picture of the same aircraft.

And another one

Mechanics at work on the crashed Pipistrello

Vicenza, 1937. My grandpa is the one on the right. He is standing in front of a Caproni CA 133, in Bianco Avorio 11 (Ivory White 11).

Roberto Lionello's Leisure Home Page / roberto.lionello@gmail.com