Italo Balbo

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sylvieK4
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Italo Balbo

#1

Post by sylvieK4 » 26 Jul 2002, 18:46

Does anyone have any biographical information and photos of the Italian pilot-General, Italo Balbo ?

From what I have read, Balbo was an interesting man. On one occasion, during the war in North Africa, when the British built a dummy airfield to deceive Axis intelligence, Balbo led a bomber force of Italian planes to the sight and dropped wooden, dummy bombs. :lol:

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Marcus
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#2

Post by Marcus » 26 Jul 2002, 18:57

There is a street in Chicago named after him if I remember correctly.

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http://www.wmob.com/artpages/balbo1.html

/Marcus


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sylvieK4
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#3

Post by sylvieK4 » 26 Jul 2002, 21:53

Thanks, Marcus. :D

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#4

Post by David Thompson » 26 Jul 2002, 22:23

Here's some information:

Balbo, Italo (1896-1940) -- aviation pioneer and politician; WWI service as Alpini lieutenant; editor of military newspaper L'Alpino c. 1918-1919; founder (as political secretary of the Fasci di Combattimento) of fascism in Ferrara 13 Feb 1921; quadrumvir in the march on Rome Oct 1922; head of the fascist militia 1922-1923; founder and publisher of Il Corriere Padano 1924; undersecretary in the Italian National Economics Ministry 31 Oct 1925-6 Nov 1926; undersecretary for the Ministry of Aviation 6 Nov 1926-12 Sept 1929; led double crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by air (Crociera del Decennale) from Orbetello to Chicago and back 1933; Italian Minister of Aviation12 Sept 1929-6 Nov 1933; Governor of Libya 1 Jan 1934-28 Jun 1940 {KIA at Tobruk by friendly fire 28 Jun 1940 (Who Was Who in WWII p. 34; Historical Encyclopedia of WWII p. 51; Fascist Italy pp. 57-59, 589, 591, 602).}

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sylvieK4
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#5

Post by sylvieK4 » 27 Jul 2002, 16:18

David, thank you for that informative post. Apparently Balbo made quite an impression during his 1930s visit to Chicago, inspiring the street name.

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Csaba Becze
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#6

Post by Csaba Becze » 01 Aug 2002, 09:56

I have his book about the flying over the Atlantic (just the Hungarian edition). This is quite interesting. Unfortunately, he was killed by Italian anti-aircraft fire :(

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AHLF
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#7

Post by AHLF » 16 Nov 2003, 20:01

A photo.
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italo-balbo.jpg
italo-balbo.jpg (12.62 KiB) Viewed 599 times

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sylvieK4
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#8

Post by sylvieK4 » 17 Nov 2003, 23:03

Thanks, AHLF, for that great photo! :D

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R.M. Schultz
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#9

Post by R.M. Schultz » 18 Nov 2003, 04:51

Marcus Wendel wrote:There is a street in Chicago named after him if I remember correctly.
As a child, I was taught that decent people still called it by its original name: "7th Street."

Balbo brought over a gift from Mussolini, an ancient Roman column from Ostia, which has been on display in the park just west of Soldier Field ever since. To commemorate the event, the Fascist government paid to have a monument to Columbus erected in Grant Park. The statue of Columbus is still there, on a monumental plinth, the corners of which are granite fascis.

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AHLF
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#10

Post by AHLF » 18 Nov 2003, 10:24

sylvieK4 wrote:Thanks, AHLF, for that great photo! :D
At your service. :wink:

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