Rank Sergente Name Cesare Magistrini | Allegiance Kingdom of Italy | |
Unit 2a Squadriglia Parasol, 78a Squadriglia, 91a Squadriglia Awards 2 Silver and 1 Bronze award of Medal for Military Valor, Order of the Crown of Italy, Silver Medal for Aeronautical Valor Other work During his 22,000 flying hours, he served as pilot for the King of Yemen Died October 26, 1958, Maggiora, Italy Service/branch Corpo Aeronautico Militare | ||
Sergente Cesare Magistrini began his lengthy aviation career as a World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed and four unconfirmed aerial victories.
Biography
Cesare Magistrini was born in Maggiora, Kingdom of Italy on 26 January 1895.
After Italy entered World War I, Magistrini began flying training in December 1915. He received his basic pilot's license in March 1916. Rated as a Caporal, he was initially assigned to 2a Squadriglia for a short spell. On 28 August 1916, he was posted to a fighter squadron, 78a Squadriglia.
On 1 March 1917, he was promoted to Sergente. By now, he was engaging in serious dogfights, during one of which he was seriously wounded but continued fighting. On 10 May 1917, he was awarded a Silver Medal for Military Valor for his tenacity in this engagement. Nevertheless, the wound did not prevent him from scoring his first aerial victory on 17 June, when he forced an enemy Albatros to land. On 18 July, Magistrini backed Guido Nardini on the latter's victory, but Magistrini's own victory claim for participation was denied. He would stake one more unconfirmed claim before transferring to 91a Squadriglia on 1 November. On 23 November, Magistrini shared a victory with Bartolomeo Costantini. One week later, in concert with Ferruccio Ranza and Gastone Novelli, he shot down a German two-seater, killing both members of its air crew. On 7 December 1917, Magistrini and Ranza shared in the kill of an Austro-Hungarian Brandenburg C.1. Magistrini's Silver Medal award for this action noted he had engaged in 20 aerial combats