Furio Niclot Doglio Furio Niclot Doglio , MOVM ( 24 April 1908 – 27 July 1942 ) was an Italian test pilot and World War II fighter pilot in the " Regia Aeronautica " . Doglio set nine world aviation records in the 1930s during his time as a test pilot . During the war , he claimed seven kills ( six of them Spitfires ) , flying FIAT G . 50 s and Macchi C . 202 s , establishing himself as one of Italy ' s aces . Doglio was killed in combat on 27 July 1942 during the Siege of Malta by George Beurling , who became Canada ' s top ace of the war . He was awarded a " Medaglia d ' oro al Valor Militare alla memoria " ( Memorial Golden medal for military valour ) . Early life . Furio Niclot Doglio was born in Turin , Piedmont . During the early to mid - 1930s , he worked as a test pilot for Italian aircraft manufacturers " Compagnia Nazionale Aeronautica " ( CNA ) and Breda . Records . Doglio set nine official aviation world records ( as recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale or FAI , the aviation world record adjudicating body ) . World War II . When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940 , Doglio enlisted in the " Regia Aeronautica . " His first posting was the 355a Squadriglia of 21° Gruppo . On 17 June , Niclot flew his first mission : a patrol over Rome , flying the Fiat G . 50 . Corpo Aereo Italiano . In autumn 1940 , Doglio was in Belgium with the " Corpo Aereo Italiano " , the Italian air expedition against England . Niclot carried out his first mission on 27 October , by escorting a Fiat BR . 20 , on a mission to attack Ramsgate . During the whole campaign , Niclot , like the other Italian G . 50 pilots , did not encounter enemy fighters , nor fire his guns . North Africa . Doglio ' s first " kill " was a Hawker Hurricane , in North Africa , while he was flying a Fiat G . 50 . On 30 June 1941 , Captain Furio Niclot Doglio , while escorting Ju 87 Stuka s that were bombing an English convoy off Ras Azzas , attacked three Hurricanes that were bouncing the dive - bombers and shot down one , damaging the others . For this action , Niclot received a Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare ( Bronze Medal for Military Valour ) . Malta . Doglio ' s other air victories were all claimed at Malta in July 1942 , while flying the Macchi C . 202 , as " Capitano " of 151a " Squadriglia " . His first Spitfire was shot down on 2 July 1942 . That day , while escorting three Savoia - Marchetti SM . 84 , leading 10 MC . 202s of 151a " Squadriglia " , Doglio fought with Spitfires from 249 and 185 Squadron . During a head - on attack , he hit the Spitfire BR377 of " Flight Sergeant " C . S . G . De Nancrede from " Squadron " 249 , that had to crash - land on Ta ' Qali airfield , near Mdina . On the 6th , Doglio encountered again the Spitfires of 249 Squadron , while escorting three Cant . Z . 1007 bis , and he claimed another Supermarine fighter , confirmed by his wingman Tarantola to crash north of Valletta , but the 249 that day had no losses , even if the Squadron had two aircraft shot up , one of them was flown by Sgt . Beurling , who three weeks later would kill Doglio in combat over Gozo . The following day , Niclot and seven other Macchi pilots were escorting for the first time the Ju 88A - 4 of " Kampfgeschwader " 77 . In the sky over Luqa , they clashed with seven Spitfires . Niclot and his wingman shot down the Spitfire of Flt . Sgt . D . Ferraby from Squadron 249 ( AB500 ) . Niclot ' s last air victory was a double " kill " : two Spitfires downed on 13 July 1942 . On 27 July 1942 , Doglio was leading three others Macchi , on the coast of Gozo . Six Spitfires of 126 Sq . attacked them head - on , while eight other Spitfires of the 249 Sq . attacked from left ( " 10 hour direction " ) . Niclot was preparing to counter - attack the Spitfires or 126 Sq . when his wingman , " Sergente " Ennio Tarantola , tried to warn his commander , waggling his wings , as Italian radios worked badly , of the Spitfires diving on them from the left , but Niclot understood that Tarantola was warning him of the Spitfires he had already spotted . Fl . Sgt . George " Screwball " Beurling , from 249 Sq . , first scored hits on " Sergente " Faliero Gelli ' s aircraft , who later crash landed on Gozo , and soon after shot down Doglio ' s C . 202 ( MM 9042 ) , who was waggling his wings to warn his fellow pilots of Spitfires closing " head - on " . " The poor devil simply blew to pieces in the air " , Beurling recalled the following year , writing the book " Malta Spitfire " , together with journalist Leslie Roberts . When he was killed , Doglio held the rank of " Capitano " and was the commanding officer of 151a " Squadriglia " , 20° " Gruppo " , 51° " Stormo " , and was flying a Macchi C . 202 , aircraft number 151 - 1 . In less than a month , July 1942 , Niclot had flown 21 missions of war , over Malta , was involved in 18 air combats , claimed six aircraft shot down plus four more probable and two shared with his wingman , Ennio Tarantola . Doglio left a wife and two sons , Stefano and Gian Francesco , doctors , who are still alive and live in Northern Italy . In " via Ravenna 7A " , near " piazza Bologna " , Rome , the house where Niclot lived with his family on the first floor , is still standing . Honors and tributes . In Rome , in the entrance of the building built by himself and his father , in via Bolzano 14 , a plaque in the hall displays the citation from Doglio ' s Gold Medal . The citation of the Gold Medal is also on a plaque on the Bonaria cimitery of Cagliari , Sardinia , where the local section of " Arma Aeronautica " is dedicated to Furio Niclot Doglio . In Fiumicino , near Rome , a street in the area of Isola Sacra is named : " Niclot " . Awards . In 1936 , Doglio became one of the first recipients of the FAI ' s Louis Blériot medal . Doglio was awarded the " Medaglia d ' oro al Valore Militare " ( MOVM ) ( Gold Medal for Military Valor ) , a Silver medal of aeronautical valour , a Silver Medal of Military Valor " on the field " , two Bronze Medals and the Iron Cross , Second Class ( EK II . Klasse ) .