Manlio Molfese (Albano di Lucania, 20 September 1883 – Rome, 25 April 1969) was an Italian Air Force officer during World War I and World War II. During the interwar period he held various management roles in the field of civil aviation. After the Armistice of Cassibile he became State Undersecretary for the Air Force of the Italian Social Republic.
Biography
First World War
He was born in Albano di Lucania on 20 September 1883, the son of notary Arcangelo Molfese and Giuseppina Maglietta. He attended high school and later the University of Naples, where he graduated in law. After the Kingdom of Italy entered the First World War on 24 May 1915, he enlisted as a volunteer, being commissioned as second lieutenant of the Territorial Militia. On 21 June he was assigned to the 4th Fortress Artillery Regiment for the defence of Mount Coni Zugna. In September of the same year he applied to attend the airplane observer course, which was to be held at the Mirafiori airfield in Turin. He was then admitted to the aviation school of the Aeronautical Service of the Royal Italian Army, and obtained the license of military airplane observer. On 6 November 1915 he was assigned to the 2nd Artillery Squadron, equipped with Caudron G.3 aircraft, based in Medeuzza, on the Isonzo, under the III Corps of the 1st Army. During his stay in Medeuzza he met Gabriele D'Annunzio, with whom he maintained correspondence for a long time.
On April 15, 1916, the 2nd Squadron was renamed 42nd Squadron, and carried out some daring topophotographic reconnaissance at very low altitude in the Gorizia area, from Monte San Michele to the Podgora (Karst plateau), in preparation of the offensive that led to the conquest of the city. After promotion to lieutenant, he served in various reconnaissance squadrons, distinguishing himself in several actions; from June 1918 he was transferred to the 40th Squadron of Castenedolo, and in the autumn of the same year to the 113th SAML Squadron of Cividate Camuno. For the operations carried out on the Karst and on the Piave he was awarded in the field, by General Armando Diaz, a silver medal for military valor and two bronze medals for military valor. On 13 June 1918 the French government decorated him with the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with star of silver and enamels. At the end of the war he became an instructor at the Observers School located on the Centocelle Airport, after which he was discharged with the rank of major.
Head of Civil Aviation
On 13 October 1922 he joined the National Fascist Party, becoming Standard Bearer of the 5th Blackshirt Cohort of Terni, and took part in the March on Rome. Returning to civilian life, instead of resuming service at the Ministry of Education, where he worked as a legal advisor, he decided to participate in the public exam for the post Commissioner for Aviation, scoring the highest and thus obtaining the post. He held the position of Head of Air Traffic Service at the Ministry of the Air Force, with responsibility for civil aviation, from 28 May 1924 to 15 October 1933, when he was replaced by General Aldo Pellegrini. During his tenure he participated in numerous international conventions and conferences for the international regulation of aviation, and was a member of numerous international commissions for the regulation of civil and commercial air navigation (among others, the Comitè International Technique di Experte Juridiques aeriens, of which he was a member from 1929 to 1940). His knowledge of international law, and his proven experience as a pilot, made him one of the greatest aviation experts in Italy.