Fiat Cr-42 Falco, RAF

In the North African campaign, which culminated in the defeat of Beda Fomm, the lightning British advance was so impressive that at one of the main Italian airfields, the pilots, still in their pajamas, woke up to find they had a rifle. Lee-Enfield aiming at them.

The tanks blocked the runway, the infantry was dispersed throughout the base, the planes fell intact into British hands, entire squadrons, which were quickly painted with British insignia, obliterating the Italian ones, but preserving their camouflage.

It seems that only a few were used, as hacks in the Gladiator squadrons, I suppose that most of them went straight to the scrapheap, because when the RAF had problems with the Iraqi insurrection, it had nothing but trainers, and in that case , even the Cr.42 biplanes would have been useful

This is a Fiat Cr.42 Falco of the 85 Squadriglia, in a desert pattern, it is not the one preserved in the RAF Museum in London