Aviatori e mezzi aerie della Guardia di Finanza 1913-1978 65 anni di Flamme Gialle nel ceilo

by Maurizio Di Terlizzi

Reviewed by Mick Evans

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Maurizio Di Terlizzi is a Warrant Officer crew chief with the Italian Customs Police.  He is also a meticulous modeller who has won gold medals in competitions held in Paris and Telford. Over the years we have also seen his work on HyperScale.

This new title focuses on the aerial service of the Revenue Security Corps.

This is an excellent publication by Maurizio, detailing the history of Revenue Security Corps. 

The story starts with the Wright Brothers first flight back in 1903 and their subsequent visit to the Rome Aviation club in 1909.  There are many historical facts throughout this section such as S.Ten Gavotti performing the world’s first bombing raid when he dropped four 2 kg bombs from his Bleriot XI on the enemy during the Libyan campaign in 1911. 

The next couple of chapters are dedicated to the Regia Aeronautica when it was first formed in 1923 through to about 1946 when helicopters began to emerge as an aircraft of purpose.  Maurizio details the licensing of the Augusta family to build Bell helicopters and this would be the beginnings of a force in the helicopter industry that we know today as the Augusta Westland Company.  The book the goes on to describe the Bell 47 in the Guardia di Finanza before detailing the history of the Security Corps through to 1978.  There are many photographs and details of the two prime helicopters (Bell 47 and Hughes OH-6) used through this period.

Throughout the book there are many historical photographs including some very good quality WWII and earlier prints.  There are some very nice colour profiles of many of the aircraft detailed throughout the book and finally the book finishes with the equipment used by the pilots.  This includes uniforms, badges, watches, knives, gloves and cameras.  Also included is a list of available kits to build the aircraft of the Guardia di Finanza in all scales.

The body text is presented in Italian but an English translation written by Richard. J. Caruana is also included at the back of the book.  Once I found this translation, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

The book is of extremely high quality, containing 200 pages and hundreds of both black and white and colour photographs.

This publication is a concise history of the Guardia di Finanza from 1913 to1978.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Maurizio Di Terlizzi for the review copy.