New display featuring original World War II aircraft wreckage opens 15th September at Ta’Qali
On September 15, the Malta Aviation Museum is inaugurating a new exhibition focusing on the discovery and preservation of a World War II Reggiane Re.2001 fighter aircraft shot down over the island in 1942.
That year, the skies over Malta became the scene of some of the most intense aerial combat of World War II. On a clear morning during a fierce dogfight against British Supermarine Spitfires, Italian Regia Aeronautica pilot Remo Cazzolli was shot down. Against all odds, he survived both the catastrophic crash and the remainder of the war, enduring years of captivity as a prisoner of war − an ordeal he would later reflect upon deeply in his personal memoirs:
“In the spring of 1942, I flew my final raid over Malta against the Spitfires. I was shot down on a clear morning − one that felt welcoming, under what would be my last Mediterranean sun before a long captivity in a foreign land.”
The recovered wreck of the Reggiane Re.2001 now takes centre stage as the physical core of the exhibition, honouring the memory of that day and bridging the gap between the machinery of war and the human experience that followed.
“This exhibition is built directly around the tangible remains of the Reggiane Re.2001,” said Ray Polidano, director of the Malta Aviation Museum. “The wreckage is not merely an artefact; it is a direct link to the fierce air battles of 1942 and a testament to a story of survival that was nearly lost to time.”
Polidano highlighted the broader educational mission of the initiative: “Our mission with this exhibition goes beyond preserving aviation history; it is about honouring the human lives caught in the crossfire of war.
“We invite the public, historians, and future generations to visit the Malta Aviation Museum and step into this history, while reflecting on the deep historical bonds that today unite those who were once adversaries.”
What: Official Exhibition Inauguration – Remo Cazzolli and the Reggiane Re.2001: The Pilot, The Wreck, The Legacy
When: 15th September 2026 at 18:00
Where: Malta Aviation Museum, Ta’ Qali, Malta
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