The officer marked with a cross on the following photos is Commander Gabriele D’Annunzio. He visited the aviation school at Desenzano in the end of each month. His task was to bring salaries to the personnel of the school. He liked to personally distribute the envelopes with the salaries to the aviators in service. D’Annunzio strongly supported the school and was very generous to all pupils, instructors and other categories of personnel. In addition to the ordinary salaries from the government, he used to add some of his own money as an individual gift or argent de poche for the whole group.

D’Annunzio was an excellent aviator. Antonio Gatti used to speak about the speed and the beautiful aerobatic figures he could see when D’Annuzio come flying down from Monte Baldo with his Macchi M 7. He ascended from 8000 ft to 400 ft in a very short time.  

Umberto Gatti still remembers his father’s words: “Oh, that fabulous Isotta Fraschini engine”. Isotta Fraschini engines have also made good service in the Swedish Defence, not only in the Air Force. The fast motor torpedo boats of the Swedish Navy used to be equipped with IF engines.

© Lars Henriksson

Updated 2010-07-12