Sergente Cosimo Rizzotto (1893–1963) was a

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

credited with six aerial victories.

Early life

Cosimo Rizzotto was born on 26 June 1893, in

Colognola ai Colli Colognola ai Colli is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about east of Verona. Colognola ai Colli borders the following municipalities: Belfiore, Caldiero, Cazza ...

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

.Franks et al 1997, pp. 157-158.

World War I

Rizzotto joined the ''Bataglione Aviatori'' on 23 September 1913 as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

. He would not be selected for pilot's training until May 1915. He learned to fly at ''San Giusto'', and took advanced training on

Maurice Farman Maurice Alain Farman (21 March 1877 – 25 February 1964) was a British-French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer. Biography Born in Paris to English parents, he and his brothers Richard an ...

s beginning 19 December 1915. In January 1916, Rizzotto was promoted to caporal. Within two months, he began flying a

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

as part of a detachment stationed at ''Cascina Costa''. Rizzotto subsequently spent from 30 March through 30 May 1916 in Paris. In July 1916, he was assigned to be a

pilot with 77a Squadriglia.Franks 2000, p. 79. Between 28 February 1917 and 15 June 1918, he scored six aerial victories, including one shared with

Alvaro Leonardi '' Tenente colonnello'' Alvaro Leonardi (16 November 1895 – 1 January 1955) was a World War I '' Sottotenente'' from Italy and a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Early life and service Alvaro Leonardi was born in Terni, Kingdo ...

; he also had an unconfirmed claim. His first victory earned him a Silver

Medal for Military Valor The Medal of Military Valor (Italian language: ''Medaglia al valor militare'') is an Italian medal, originally established as a Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of Company (milita ...

; his next four victories, from July through November 1917, earned him another.

Postwar

Rizzotto lived in both Argentina and Paraguay, making his living as a flying instructor, and fighting in the government side in the 1922 Paraguayan Civil War. However, he eventually returned to Italy, dying in Milan on 18 February 1963.

Notes

References

* Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory. ''Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI''. Grub Street, 1997. , . * Franks, Norman. ''Nieuport Aces of World War 1.'' Osprey Publishing, 2000. , . 1893 births 1963 deaths Italian World War I flying aces People from Cologna Veneta {{Italy-mil-bio-stub