Pier Ruggero Piccio

Count Pier Ruggero Piccio (September 27, 1880–July 30, 1965) was an Italian aviator and the founding Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force. With 24 victories during his career, he is one of the principal Italian air aces of WWI, behind only Count Francesco Baracca and Tenente Silvio Scaroni. Piccio was commander of the same squadron as Baracca- the "91a Squadriglia"- "The Squadron of the Aces" . Piccio married Loranda Batchelder, a Chicago Heiress. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,729320,00.html Milestones] . "TIME Magazine". Accessed November 13, 2006.]

Early Life

Piccio attended the Military School of Modena, enrolling on October 29, 1898. He graduated on September 8, 1900, as a sottotenente (second lieutenant) assigned to the 43rd Infantry Regiment.

In 1903, he was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From November of that year until February, 1907, he was engaged in a mission to Kalambari, Africa, which is located in what is presently the nation of Chad.

Upon his return to Italy, he spent from March, 1908 to July 1909 assigned to the 2nd Joint Company of Crete.

From November 14, 1911 through December 2, 1912, he served in the Italo-Turkish War; this war is also sometimes called the Libyan War because Libya became Italian property as a result of the conflict.This war was notable for the first use of aircraft in battle, although the pioneer events of aerial reconnaissance and bombing occurred just before Piccio's arrival.

Piccio's duty station was with an artillery unit belonging to the 37th Infantry. He was decorated with the Bronze Medaglia al Valore Militare (Medal for Military Valor) during this service.

On March 31, 1913, Piccio was transferred to the 19th Infantry at the rank of captain. In July, 1913, he began pilot training. Upon qualifying as a pilot, he was assigned to the 5to Squadrone.

World War I

When World War I broke out, Piccio was assigned to the Aeronautical Military Corps. For his reconnaissance flights between May to August, 1915, he was again decorated with the Bronze "Medaglia al Valore Militare".

He then was posted to Malpensa to qualify on Caproni bombers. He also became commander of Squadrone 3, which operated Capronis.

In the spring of 1916, he went to Paris for upgrading his skills to French Nieuport fighters. In June, he assumed command of 77to Nieuport Squadrone, which was stationed at Istrana, Italy, near Venice. In October, he was again decorated for valor; this time, it was a Silver "Medaglia al Valore Militare" awarded for the hazardous combat duty of shooting a German observation balloon down in flames. This was the first of his air victories, on October 18, 1916; at 36 years of age, he was one of the oldest pilots in a war full of 20 and 21 year old aces.

In December, 1916, he was promoted to major and transferred to command the 10th Group Squadriglie. During this time, he flew with either of two squadrons within the group. There was a break in his record until May 20, 1917. On that day, flying with the 91st Squadrone, he shot down an Albatros. By June 29th, he was an ace.

On August 2nd, he caught Austro-Hungarian pilot Frank Linke-Crawford flying a two-seater without a rear gunner and shot him down for victory number eight. Linke-Crawford survived the downing and went on to begin his own victory string, which would mount up to 27 triumphs.

Piccio accumulated successes until his double wins of October 25, 1917, at which time his tally was up to 17. It was during this stretch of time he transferred from the Nieuport he had been flying, to a Spad adorned with a black flag painted on the fuselage. He was meritoriously promoted to lieutenant colonel in October, 1917. Once again, there was a break in his string.

It wasn't until seven months later, on May 26, 1918, that he resumed his winning ways. He followed up with two victories in July, three in August, and an unconfirmed on 29 September 1918. In the meantime, in the summer of 1918, he had become Inspector of the Italian fighter squadrons. He was also decorated again for valor, twice, this time with both Gold and Silver "Medaglias al Valore Militare".

Post War Life

In 1918, even as the war ended, one rather dramatic report says Piccio was courting the young daughter of a deceased Louisiana millionaire. Piccio had been assigned to the Air Attache's office of the Italian Embassy in Paris. Loranda Batchelder was just sixteen years old and finishing her education at Ecole Lamartine. The teenager's mother objected to the match, but Piccio followed them to the United States and they were married in New York.

It was a stormy relationship that descended into a welter of cultural misunderstandings and child custody issues over their child.

However later records show Piccio's spouse as being Matilde Vigil, and his son's name as Pier Giacomo. If this is true, then it seems the earlier relationship was either not a valid marriage, or was annulled, because there was no divorce in Italy at that time.

No matter what his marital status, Piccio's career ran more smoothly.

He was named an honorary field assistant to the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III as of March 1st, 1923.

He was the Commanding General of "Regia Aeronautica" from October 23, 1923 through March 1, 1925.

He was the air attache to the Italian Embassy in Paris from April 17 through November 15, 1925. From January 18, 1926 through February 6, 1927, Piccio was the first Chief of Staff of the "Regia Aeronautica".

He was appointed a Roman Senator on November 3, 1933, as a member of the Fascist Party. While in the Senate, he held several different positions. He spent two terms on the Board of Finance, from May 1, 1934 to March 2, 1939, and from April 17, 1939 to January 28, 1940. He served on the Commission to verify new senators from March 26, 1939 through August 5, 1943. He was also on the foreign trade and customs legislation Committee, from April 17, 1939 through August 5, 1943.

Decorations and Honors

Commemorative Medal of Italo-Turkish war

Bronze "Medaglia al Valore Militare" (2)

Silver "Medaglia al Valore Militare" (2)

Gold "Medaglia al Valore Militare"

Medal military aircraft long air navigation 2 first instance (silver )

Commander of the Legion of Honour (France)

Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy on December 31, 1914

Knight of military Savoy February 28, 1918 (AD - A)eronautics

Knight Journal of military Savoy May 17, 1919

Knight of the Order of SS Maurice and Lazarus June 11, 1922

Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy on September 5, 1923

Commander of the Order of SS Maurice and Lazarus November 20, 1924

Great Journal of the Crown of Italy on January 28, 1926

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy on September 29, 1935

References/External Links

*it icon [http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/SitoAM/?idsez=112&idarg=395&idente=1394 Biography from the Italian Air Force website]

*fr icon [http://www.vieillestiges.com/Historique/html/Piccio-PR.html Biography from the website of Les Vieilles Tiges]

* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/italy/piccio.php Accessed 11 September 2008.

* http://www.aspeterpan.com/book1/Piccio.htm Accessed 11 September 2008. Translated via Google.

* "Galveston Daily News", August 15, 1924. Accessed via Internet September 11 2008 via http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/italy/piccio.php

* Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey. "SPAD VII Aces of World War I", 2001, Osprey Publishing.

* http://notes9.senato.it/Web/senregno.NSF/a0cb28c16d0da661c1257134004754fc/f3ec89186ce21df24125646f005e7bff?OpenDocument Accessed 11 September 2008. Translated via Google.