Giulio Lega

Last updated
Giulio Lega
Born 12 November 1892
Florence, Italy
Died 11 July 1973
Allegiance Italy
Service/branch Flying service
Rank Capitano
Unit 21a Squadriglia, 81a Squadriglia, 76a Squadriglia
Awards Silver and Bronze awards of Medal for Military Valor, Croce di Guerra

Capitano Giulio Lega was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. After finishing the war, he completed medical school, and began a near lifelong career caring for the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Flying ace Distinction given to fighter pilots

A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.

Chamber of Deputies (Italy) lower house of the Parliament of Italy

The Chamber of Deputies is a house of the bicameral Parliament of Italy. The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform identical functions, but do so separately. Pursuant to article 56 of the Italian Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies has 630 seats, of which 618 are elected from Italian constituencies, and 12 from Italian citizens living abroad. Deputies are styled The Honourable and meet at Palazzo Montecitorio. The Chamber and the parliamentary system of the Italian Republic and under the previous Kingdom of Italy is a continuation of the traditions and procedures of the Parliament and Chamber of Deputies as established under King Charles Albert (1798–1849), during the Revolutions of 1848, and his son Victor Emmanuel II (1820–1878) of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont which led in the "Italian unification Risorgimento movement" of the 1850s and 1860s, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Count Camillo Benso of Cavour.

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Early life and service

Giulio Lega was born in Florence on 12 November 1892. [1] He was a medical student when he was accepted for officer's training in 1915. Because of his height, he became an "extended infantryman" in the Grenadiers. He went into action with their 2o Reggimento and made his mark with them at the Fourth Battle of the Isonzo. [2] On 20 November 1915, he was awarded the War Merit Cross for valor. [1] He fought through May 1916, winning a Bronze Medal for Military Valor in close-quarters combat, [2] awarded on the battlefield on 30 May 1916. [1]

Florence Comune in Tuscany, Italy

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 383,084 inhabitants in 2013, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.

Fourth Battle of the Isonzo A battle in 1915 on the Italian Front during the First World War

The Fourth Battle of the Isonzo was fought between the armies of Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front in World War I, between November 10 and December 2, 1915.

The Italian War Merit Cross was instituted by King Victor Emanuel III on 19 January 1918.

Aerial service

Lega volunteered for aviation in late 1916. He qualified as a pilot on 1 September 1916, and was granted his license on 1 November 1916. By 30 January 1917, he had finished pilot's training, as he was then posted to reconnaissance duty with 21a Squadriglia. He was further rated in Savoia-Pomilio SP.2s on 14 February 1917; he was also promoted to tenente. His duties as a reconnaissance pilot between May and November 1917 earned Lega a Silver Medal for Military Valor. [1] He remained with this squadron until it was withdrawn from service in the wake of the Battle of Caporetto. [2] He was selected for fighter pilot training, which he began on 16 November 1917 at Malpensa. When that was complete, he went for gunnery training; on 27 December 1917, he passed his gunnery test with a "mediocre" rating. [1] Lega then returned to action as a member of 76a Squadriglia. [2] He would fly 46 combat sorties with them. [1]

The Savoia-Pomilio SP.2 was a reconnaissance and bomber aircraft built in Italy during the First World War. It was a refined version of the SP.1, and like it, took its basic configuration from the Farman MF.11: a biplane with twin tails and a fuselage nacelle that accommodated the crew and a pusher-mounted engine. The SP.2 entered mass production with SIA, and with co-designer Ottorino Pomilio's own firm that he had recently established.

Reconnaissance military exploration beyond the area occupied by friendly forces

In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration outside an area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about natural features and other activities in the area.

Battle of Caporetto battle

The Battle of Caporetto was a battle on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central Powers and took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid. The battle was named after the Italian name of the town.

On 17 March 1918, he teamed with two other Italian pilots for his first victory. Eight days later, he again split a victory, this time over Montello. His final victories came during the last Austro-Hungarian offensive. On 24 June 1918, he downed a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I from Flik 2d. The following day, he shot down an Albatros D.III from Flik 42j and shared a second win with Silvio Scaroni and Romolo Ticconi. [2] This string of victories earned him another Silver Medal for Valor. [1]

Hansa-Brandenburg C.I aircraft

The Hansa-Brandenburg C.I, also known as Type LDD, was a 2-seater armed single-engine reconnaissance biplane designed by Ernst Heinkel, who worked at that time for the parent company in Germany. The C.I had similarities with the earlier B.I, including inward-sloping interplane bracing struts. Like other early-war Austro-Hungarian reconnaissance aircraft, such as C-types of Lloyd or Lohner, the Type LDD had a communal cockpit for its crew.

Albatros D.III fighter aircraft

The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (Luftfahrtruppen). The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Wilhelm Frankl, Erich Löwenhardt, Manfred von Richthofen, Karl Emil Schäfer, Ernst Udet, and Kurt Wolff, and Austro-Hungarian ones, like Godwin von Brumowski. It was the preeminent fighter during the period of German aerial dominance known as "Bloody April" 1917.

Silvio Scaroni Italian flying ace

Tenente Silvio Scaroni was an Italian World War I fighter pilot credited with 26 victories. He was the second ranking Italian ace of the war.

In July 1918, Lega transferred to the 81st Squadriglia. He would serve through war's end with no further victories. [1] By the Armistice, he had earned a Bronze Medal for Valor, as well as the two Silver ones [3] and the War Cross. [1]

Armistice situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting

An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, since it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the Latin arma, meaning "arms" and -stitium, meaning "a stopping".

Post World War I

Lega finished his medical studies, though briefly interrupted by a recall to military duty. [2] He graduated from the University of Bologna in July 1920. He remained in the Air Force Reserves, and would eventually rise to tenente colonnello in May 1935. On 13 March 1931, he was appointed head of the medical service for Italy's Chamber of Deputies. During World War II, Lega would be assigned to the headquarters of the Servizi Aerei Speciali. He would not give up his post with the Chamber until 1957. [1]

University of Bologna university in Bologna, Italy

The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the oldest university in continuous operation, as well as one of the leading academic institutions in Italy and Europe. It is one of the most prestigious Italian universities, commonly ranking in the first places of national rankings.

He eventually qualified as a university instructor. When he died on 11 July 1973, he was still a medical consultant to the Italian parliament. [2]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Franks et al 1997, pp. 141-142.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Varriale 2009, pp. 41-42.
  3. ↑ Proof of awards

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References

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