Name: Gianmarco BELLINI
Rank/Branch: Major
Unit: Italian Air Force
Age:
Home City: Padua
Date of Loss: 16 January 1991
Country of Loss: Iraq
Loss Coordinates:
Status: Released Prisoner of War 03/04/01
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Tornado
Other Personnel in Incident: Maurizio COCCIOLONE (Navigator)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 09 March 1991 from one
or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
published sources, interviews. Update 2010 POW NETWORK.
REMARKS: OPERATION DESERT STORM
SYNOPSIS: On January 16, 1991, Allied forces began concentrated air strikes
on Iraqi military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. Participating in the strikes
were U.S., British, Italian and Kuwaiti air forces. The United Kingdom had
the second largest military contingent of troops after the U.S. with
35-40,000 troops, 75 Tornado fighter/bombers, and sixteen warships.
Italian Air Force Captain Gianmarco Bellini was the pilot of a Tornado GR1
fighter/bomber which flew in the first wave of strikes. During the strike,
two Italian fighter jets were shot down, including Bellini's Toronado. It
is not possible from early reports to determine the exact locations of the
losses.
Bellini was captured by Iraqi forces. In all, seven Allied airmen were
shot down captured in the first waves of strikes.
Major Bellini was awarded The Military Valour Medal the highest award in
the Italian army.
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:52:06
+0200 From: "Enrico Manfredi d'A. L. v. S." To: "P.O.W. Network - Chuck and Mary Schantag" <info@pownetwork.org> Subject: Italian court insults POW !!!!
Dear sir and friend,
This information is to be sent to all the veterans POW all around the world ! It's a real shame!!!
In the night between 17 and 18 January, 1991, Major
Gianmarco Bellini (Italian pilot) in his Tornado aircraft,
took off with all the other members of the Italian wing for
the first mission of Desert Storm in the airspace controlled
by the Iraqi Army. Major Bellini was assigned to a squadron
of fighter airplanes comprised of various nationalities
(U.S. & UK). He was the only one able to complete the air
refueling, while the other aircraft, hampered by weather
conditions, had to come back. The mission profile provided
that this action must be accomplished with a single
aircraft, therefore Bellini went alone. His plane was hit by
flak and he had to eject from his aircraft inside the Iraq
border. He was captured by Iraqi troops. On March 3rd 1991,
the offensive was then already over, he was released from
Prisoner of War status. All of us Veterans of that conflict must shout "You will never walk alone Colonel Bellini!"
original flight record of the mission http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DF6Yt3jr5fDE&h=b8612 |