Irnerio Bertuzzi
| Irnerio Bertuzzi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 9, 1919 Rimini |
| Died | October 27, 1962 (aged 43) Bascapè, province of Pavia |
| Buried at | Rimini |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Italy;  Italian Social Republic
|
| Service/branch | Regia Aeronautica; Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Tenente (First Lieutenant) |
| Unit | 2ª squadriglia Torpedo Bombers |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Silver Medal of Military Valor;Bronze Medal of Military Valor |
| Other work | Alitalia pilot; Enrico Mattei's personal pilot |
Irnerio Bertuzzi (October 9, 1919 – October 27, 1962) was an Italian military aviator of World War II who also served as personal pilot to Enrico Mattei, head of the Italian petroleum company Eni. He died at age 43 when the aircraft he was flying was sabotaged to crash.
During World War II he flew Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 aircraft in the Aerosiluranti (torpedo bomber) squadrons of Regia Aeronautica with the rank of Tenente. After 8 September 1943 he chose to fight for the Italian Social Republic as a member of the Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia-Faggioni. Commander of the 2nd Squadron of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, he led several torpedo bombing raids against the Allied fleet at Anzio and Gibraltar, often by night, since Bertuzzi was exceptionally skilled in instrument flight.
Bertuzzi was awarded two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal of Military Valor during the war.
In the years following World War II, after a long period flying with Alitalia and a stint with Douglas DC-6s in South America, he was hired by Eni in 1958 to lead the company's aircraft fleet. The chairman, Enrico Mattei, trusted him implicitly despite his being a decorated ex-partisan and Bertuzzi an ex-fascist.
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