Giorgio Michetti " Tenente Colonnello " Giorgio Michetti was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories . Early life and service . Giorgio Michetti was born in Francavilla al Mare , Kingdom of Italy on 29 May 1888 . He was the son of famous painter Francesco Paolo Michetti . The younger Michetti was raised in a bohemian household on the Adriatic seafront ; he grew up in a progressive atmosphere , knowing Gabriele d ' Annunzio . Giorgio Michetti served his conscription duty in 1905 . Ten years later , he was recalled to military service when Italy entered World War I . World War I . Michetti originally served with the 27th Field Artillery Regiment , but volunteered for aviation . On 1 August 1915 , he was forwarded for aviation training at Cameri as an aspirant . Beginning 26 March 1916 , he was posted to a reconnaissance unit , rank " sergente " . By January 1917 , he was serving with " 43a Squadriglia " , where he first met Silvio Scaroni . On 20 June 1917 , he went off to fighter training on Nieuport s at Malpensa , and was commissioned . He moved to Pisa for a quick gunnery course on 25 July . On 29 July 1917 , he was posted to " 76a Squadriglia " and reunited with Scaroni . During the next few months , he clocked up flying time for experience , but had few brushes with the enemy . It was probably during this era that Michetti played one of the practical jokes for which he was noted ; he bombed the Austro - Hungarians with a bag full of rats . On the day after Christmas , he scored his first victory , being one of several winners over a German DFW C . I . His old friend Scaroni shared in the victory , as did Antonio Riva and three British fliers . The victory , shared or not , won Michetti a Silver Medal for Military Valor . On 12 March 1918 , while landing at Casoni , Michetti rammed a plane from " 22a Squadriglia " . Although the airmen escaped with minor injuries , both planes were totally destroyed . On the 21st , he unsuccessfully claimed to share a victory with Scaroni ; the victory was awarded solely to the latter . On 3 May 1918 , he shared his second confirmed aerial victory with Flavio Baracchini . Michetti then downed three more enemy planes during May and June . He ended this string on 24 June 1918 , when his fifth confirmed win made him an ace . June would also see him awarded a second Silver Medal for Military Valor . He would stake one more unsuccessful claim in August . In September 1918 , he was assigned to Aerial Gunnery School ; the war ended while he was still in this slot . Post World War I . On 1 February 1919 , an Italian military intelligence committee released its evaluation of World War I aerial victory claims . Michetti was deemed to have downed five enemy planes in combination with other pilots ; however , other claims he had filed were awarded as sole victories to Romolo Ticconi and Silvio Scaroni . At about the same time in 1919 , Michetti and Scaroni promoted Italian aircraft sales in a visit to Argentina . The " 350a Squadriglia " was formed just for this purpose . On 20 June 1919 , Michetti flew an attention - grabbing round trip flight between Buenos Aires and Montevideo in 3 hours 5 minutes . Nothing more is known of Michetti until he was divorced in Austria in May 1935 . The following year , he moved to Rome . He was promoted to Tenente Colonnello in the Italian Air Force reserves in 1938 . Giorgio Michetti died in Rome on 4 February 1966 .