Beschreibung:

including 23 T.L.s and one A.L.s to various recipients including Mario Moris, Gianni Caproni and the Contessa Caproni, some with copies of replies, 1910-47; plus several A.Pc.s, telegrams and signed photographs, and two early aerial bombardment photographs, together with several printed pamphlets and extracts, newspaper cuttings, 3 armbands of the Commissari della F.A.I. from early flying displays in Milan, Turin and Rome (1908-11), ephemeral pieces including watercolour caricatures, business cards and some more recent reproductions, mostly in 5 loose-leaf plastic folders; plus the original bullet which wounded Montu on 31st January 1912 during the Italian-Turkish war over Libya, which was extracted and then he wore as a lucky pendant, mounted, framed and glazed; plus a cap badge he wore during the Libyan war of 1911-12, a car pennant he was given on becoming the Comando del Battaglione Aviatori in Turin, May 1912 and 2 wax seals, together mounted, framed and glazed (qty) *** Montu (1869-1949), pioneer aviator, soldier, politician, footballer and sports executive. This fascinating archive focusses on Montu's involvement with Italian aviation, including the Italian-Turkish war over Libya (1911-12) and both world wars. He is perhaps best known as being the first avaition casualty in wartime, shot from the ground (while flying apparently at an altitude of 18 feet!) on 31st January 1912; he recovered and the bullet was extracted and he then wore it round his neck as a lucky charm or "badge of honour". A photograph included in this archive shows Montu (with 2 bombs slung round his neck) with his aircraftsman G.Rossi departing for the bombing mission over Tobruk during which he was shot. As well as the first airborne casualty, the war in Libya produced a number of other aviation "firsts" - first aerial reconnaissance mission (October 23rd 1911); first aerial photographs in a confict zone (January 1912); in September 1912 Montu was captured by the Turks thus making him the first pilot to be captured in war; Turkish troops were the first ever to shoot down an aircraft from the ground; and on November 1st 1912 the first ever aerial bombs were dropped on Turkish troops from an Etrich Taube monoplane. The letters included in this collection include comment to Moris on Montu's early aviation course (Corso a Mirafiori); a potted autobiography for the Presidente dei Pionieri dell'Aeronautica, mentioning his war-wounding, and listing his numerous initiatives in the field of civil aviation, awards etc. Many of the later letters, addressed to the Contessa Caproni (plus copies of replies) cover requests for photographs of various other Italian aviation pioneers for Montu's Storia dell'Artigliera.