RIP Vespa2

[bismarck]

Luigi Gorrini, last Italian ace of World War II, died on 9 November at the age of 97!
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Gorrini

Luigi Gorrini, MOVM, (12 July 1917 – 8 November 2014) was a former Italian World War II fighter pilot in the Regia Aeronautica and in the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. During the conflict he flew with the Corpo Aereo Italiano (CAI, Italian Air Corps) during the Battle of Britain, fought over Libya and Tunisia, and was involved in the defence of the Italian mainland. Gorrini was credited with 19 (24 according to some sources) enemy planes shot down plus 9 damaged, of several types: Curtiss P-40, Spitfire, P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt, B-17 "Flying Fortress" and B-24 Liberator. He claimed his air victories flying the biplane Fiat C.R.42 and monoplanes Macchi C.202 and C.205 Veltro. Gorrini was the top scoring C.205 pilot. With the Veltro he shot down 14 enemy planes and damaged six more.[1] He was the highest ranking Italian ace still alive until 9 November 2014, and the only surviving fighter pilot awarded the Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare (Gold Medal of Military Valor).[2]

Giorgio

[ronniegj]

May he rest in peace and make friends among old enemies on the other side!