Aldo Pellegrini (

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

, 28 August 1888 –

Cartosio Cartosio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southwest of Alessandria. Cartosio borders the following municipalities: Castelletto d'Erro, Cavat ...

, 7 December 1940) was an Italian

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Biography

He was born in Bologna on August 28, 1888, and enlisted in the

Royal Italian Navy The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' (" ...

in 1908, entering the

Royal Naval Academy The Royal Naval Academy was a facility established in 1733 in Portsmouth Dockyard to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, educa ...

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

. He graduated with the rank of

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1910, and in 1911-1912 he took part in the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War ( tr, Trablusgarp Savaşı, "Tripolitanian War", it, Guerra di Libia, "War of Libya") was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912. As a result o ...

. When the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

entered

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

on May 24, 1915, he held the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

; having developed an towards

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

, he attended the Naval School of Aeronautics of

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

, obtaining a license of

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...

pilot in June of the same year. During the war he held various positions and was in command of some squadrons of the Naval Air Auxiliary Service, distinguishing himself for courage and technical ability. In the spring of 1917 he was in command of the 258th Squadron, equipped with

FBA Type H The FBA Type H was a French reconnaissance flying boat produced in large numbers in France and Italy during World War I by Franco-British Aviation. Design and development A development of the FBA Type A, the Type H shared the same basic pushe ...

aircraft, embarked on the seaplane carrier Europa, and in June of the same year he was transferred to the 253rd Squadron, of which he assumed command on the following 5 August. From 19 January 1918 he commanded the 264th Squadron stationed in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

, also equipped with FBA aircraft. On June 3, two Austro-Hungarian seamen of Italian origin decided to desert and stole a

Lohner L The Lohner L was a reconnaissance flying boat produced in Austria-Hungary during World War I. It was a two-bay biplane of typical configuration for the flying boats of the day, with its Pusher configuration, pusher engine mounted on struts in th ...

seaplane, which they flew across the Adriatic Sea, landing near

Fano Fano is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort southeast of Pesaro, located where the ''Via Flaminia'' reaches the Adriatic Sea. It is the third city in the region by popula ...

, where they were captured; Pellegrini, along with

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

Alberto Briganti Alberto Briganti (Umbertide, 22 December 1896 – Rome, 2 July 1997) was a General in the Regia Aeronautica during World War II, and in the Aeronautica Militare after the war. Biography Briganti's career began as an Ensign in the air servic ...

, was sent from Ancona with the task of recovering the aircraft. By the end of the war he had been awarded two

silver medals A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

and one bronze medal for military valor. In 1924, when he had reached the rank of

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

, he decided to join the newly established

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...

. In March 1925 he was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

and in June 1926 he became Chief of Staff of the

Minister of Aviation The Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply. ...

, holding that post until October 1929. In July 1927 he became a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and shortly after he took part in an inspection flight over the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

, along with

Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young a ...

and engineer Ettore Alberi, in preparation for Balbo's planned mass air cruises over the western and eastern Mediterranean, that would take place in 1928 and 1929. Pellegrini himself was chosen by Balbo as flying commander for he Eastern Mediterranean Air Cruise of 1929; this choice led to a final break-up between Balbo and

Francesco De Pinedo Francesco de Pinedo (February 16, 1890 – September 2, 1933) was a famous Italian aviator. A ''Regia Marina'' (Italy's Royal Navy) officer who transferred to the '' Regia Aeronautica'' (Italy's Royal Air Force), he was an advocate of the se ...

, who expected to be chosen instead. In September 1929 Pellegrini was promoted to the rank of air brigade general (equivalent to air commodore), and in May 1931, after the sudden death of Lieutenant Colonel Umberto Maddalena, he assumed the position of commander of the High-Seas Air Navigation School of

Orbetello Orbetello is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Grosseto (Tuscany), Italy. It is located about south of Grosseto, on the eponymous lagoon, which is home to an important Natural Reserve. History Orbetello was an ancient Etruscan settlemen ...

; in this capacity he collaborated in the realization of Balbo's Italy-

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

air cruise (December 17, 1930 – January 15, 1931). Between 1 July and 12 August 1933 he took part, as deputy commander, in the

Decennial Air Cruise The Decennial Air Cruise ( it, Crociera aerea del Decennale) was a mass transatlantic flight from Orbetello, Italy, to the Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. The expedition, organized by the Italian Regia Aeronautica ...

, from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

organized by Minister of Aviation Balbo. On this occasion he personally flew a Savoia-Marchetti S.55X seaplane. Later in 1933 he replaced Manlio Molfese as head of division at the head of the Civil Aviation Directorate of the Ministry of Air Force (''Civilavia''). In view of Italy's entry into

, on 16 May 1940 he assumed the position of commander of the 3rd Air Fleet, with headquarters in Rome. After the signing of the

armistice of Villa Incisa The Franco-Italian Armistice, or Armistice of Villa Incisa, signed on 24 June 1940, in effect from 25 June, ended the brief Italian invasion of France during the Second World War. On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on France while the latter was ...

with France, on June 26 he assumed the position of Vice-President of the Italian Armistice Commission with France (''Commissione Italiana di Armistizio con la Francia'', CIAF). On 28 June he participated in the first meeting of the Armistice Commission, in which sub-commissions were created to deal with general issues and issues relating to the

French army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

. On July 20, 1940, he was elevated to the rank of air fleet general (equivalent to air marshal). On 7 December 1940 he took off from Rome aboard a

Savoia-Marchetti S.79 The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 ''Sparviero'' (Italian for sparrowhawk) was a three-engined Italian medium bomber developed and manufactured by aviation company Savoia-Marchetti. It may be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. Th ...

together with General

Pietro Pintor Pietro Pintor (20 May 1880 – 7 December 1940) was an Italian general during World War II. Pintor was the uncle of the antifascist journalist Giaime Pintor. During the Italian invasion of France (11–25 June), he commanded the First Army, whi ...

, to reach the CIAF headquarters of in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, but the plane crashed in

, on the border between the provinces of

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

and

Alessandria Alessandria (; pms, Lissandria ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, about east of Turin. Alessandria ...

, killing everyone aboard.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pellegrini, Aldo 1888 births 1940 deaths Italian generals Italian Air Force generals Italian aviators Italian military personnel of World War II Italian military personnel of World War I Italian military personnel of the Italo-Turkish War Italian military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor Military personnel from Bologna Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Italy Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1940