Italy, Kingdom. A Rare Royal Air Force Gilder Pilot Badge, Ii Class, C.1941

(Regia Aeronautica Italiana). Two-piece construction, insignia in bronze gilt with blue and white enamels, mounted to a base in die-stamped brass. maker marked "EDIZIONI D'ARTE BOERI - ROMA" (Boeri Art Editions, Rome) on the reverse, measuring 80 mm (w) x 17.2 mm (h), horizontal pinback, intact enamels, very light contact, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The glider pilots were a clandestine unit, with the Gilder Pilot Badge coming in three classes: I Class (prima classe) with one gull (called a "gabbione"), II Class (secondo classe) with two gulls and III Class (terza classe) with three gulls, referring to the criteria of actual flying hours of training before being awarded the "brevetto". The III Class badge was the most difficult to attain and was only awarded for pilots who succeeded in nighttime training and operations, including landing the craft at night. The Glider school was at Novara before and during the war, but after September 1943, this closed. It re-opened in 1944 under the RSI Airforce at Varese. After the war, gliders were replaced by helicopters by 1949. Italians were one of the first nations to experiment with gliders, starting in 1904. Since the First Nucleus was formed in June 1942, that is the best approximate date we use for the issue of the wings. Less than 250 glider pilots graduated from the Novara school and ten Italian gliders took part in the C3 Malta Operation. Only one Glider pilot Group was organized, it was called the First Nucleus of Assault Gliders under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Adolfo Contoli (later General). Sometimes the wings are called "Brevetto A, B, and C." There also existed the blue enamelled badge for the lapel of the civilian jacket and a large one for the flying suit."