The work of General Basilio Di Martino is part of the publishing project celebrating the centenary of the Italian Air Force.
Wednesday 28 September, the presentation event for the volume titled took place at the “Adriano Visconti” Auditorium in Palazzo Aeronautica. “The Royal Air Force in the Dodecanese” written by Chief Inspector General (Ret.) Air Force Engineer Basilio Di Martino.
Less than a year before the centenary of the Armed Force (28 March 2023), General Di Martino, who currently holds the position of President of the “AM Centenary Programme Office”, has created this work which retraces, not without critical spirit, the history of the Armed Force in the Dodecanese during the period from 1927 to 1943.
The volume, edited by Aeronautical Magazine and the result of meticulous research activities carried out also at the’Historical Office of the Air Force, it fits into the Centenary editorial series of the Armed Forces which “It aimed to promote the commitment to spreading aeronautical culture in the country and abroad, telling and transmitting the values, the history and traditions that accompanied it in its first century of life. It is in this context that this volume is included, embellished with previously unseen images of real operations, an important work that, for the first time, vividly portrays a historically fascinating subject, so far little discussed but of immense importance for understanding unknown pages of the Regia Aeronautica's commitment in the Aegean.“, as highlighted in the volume's preface written by Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti.
“The book is born with the aim of narrating what represents the Regia Aeronautica's only true aerial campaign, in which the aeroplane is positioned as an offensive operational component.” the author of the book told the audience present. “But what's the use of a book like that? And what is military history for? First and foremost, your study is functional in the construction of that invisible organisation made up of myths, rituals, and symbols, of ways of thinking and of seeing oneself and one's role in relation to others and the world, which is essential for the existence of an organisation, and especially a military organisation. Military history allows for create an identity, a bridge to the present that serves as a stimulus for individual action and has strong unifying value, so that the organisation can successfully face difficult times and survive inevitable crises.
A further advantage that any military organisation can receive from the study of military history is to draw valid conclusions such as source of inspiration in problem-solving processes. Scope, depth, and context: these are the three keywords that should guide the study of military history and which must be kept firmly in mind to make it a central element once again in the curricula of institutions concerned with the higher education of officers.” General de Martino concluded.
The presentation began with a welcome address by the Head of the 5th Communications Department of the Air Force General Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Giovanni Francesco Adamo, who, as head of publishing for the Air Force, reiterated the value of the work that was introduced to the public through a video
Next, the presentation was moderated by Journalist Vittorio Argento, who in highlighting the importance of the work, both from a literary and historical point of view, coordinated the interventions of the two speakers – the Professor Gregory Alegi,journalist, historian, and the Professor Gastone Breccia, a lecturer and author of numerous books on military history – and the author of the book.
