Raimondo Di Pauli was born in Vienna on 23 May 1919.

Raimondo enlisted as a volunteer in the Regia Aeronautica on 17 July 1935 and he began his career as a pilot at Elmas airport (CA), obtaining his first-class licence on 12 September 1935.
He then moved on to the Central School of Piloting in Grottaglie (TA) where, on 21 March 1936, he obtained his military licence
He was pro-moted to the rank of Sergente on 15 June 1936, when he was transferred to the 6^o Stormo at Campoformido (UD) where he served in the 151^a Squadriglia, 3^o Gruppo CT, with Fiat CR.32s.

On 20 December 1936 he embarked in Syracuse, reaching Benghazi two days later to be taken on in force with the 77^a Squadriglia, XIII Gruppo, 2^o Stormo.

On 6 April 1937, he was transferred to the Saharan Air Force, first to the Avio section in Hon and then, in September, to the section in Cufra, where he obtained his qualification to fly the Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli.

On 26 July 1938 he returned to fighters, with the 93^a Squadriglia, VIII Gruppo, 2^o Stormo at Benghazi.

He was placed on leave on 12 October after his request to be released but was recalled to service and promoted Sottotenente with 88^a Squadriglia, VI Gruppo, 1^o Stormo at Campoformido from 23 November 1938.

As a volunteer in the OMS, he was transferred there on the ship Franca Fassio, arriving in Seville on 10 January 1939, where he was assigned to the 20^a Squadriglia of the XXIII Gruppo Asso di Bastoni, with the nom de guerre "Raimondo Di Polo".

On 29 May 1939 he was repatriated in a civilian aircraft and due to his actions in Spain, he was promoted to SPE for war merits.

On 10 June 1939 he joined the 21^o Stormo OA in the 32^a Squadriglia, XV Gruppo, based in Bolzano.
The unit became part of the 22^o Stormo OA Wing in September of the same year.

On 6 December 1939 he was again assigned to the Fighter Wing and transferred to the 77^a Squadriglia, XVII Gruppo, 1^o Stormo.
Shortly afterwards, he asked to be assigned to East Africa (AOI), possibly in a fighter squadron; his request was granted and on 1 February 1940 he was assigned to the 84^a Squadriglia, 10^o Gruppo, 4^o Stormo, in Gorizia, which at the time was destined to join the unit that would be sent overseas.

With the 412^a Squadriglia, he was promoted to Tenente on 4 July 1940.

On 4 August , five Wellesleys of 14 Squadron and the same number of 47 Squadron took off to attack the submarine fleet moored at Abd el-Cadér. The aircraft from 14 Squadron included Flight Lieutenant Stapleton (K7722), Pilot Officer Willitts (L2657), Sergeant Taylor (K7767), Sergeant Patey (L2676/D) and Pilot Officer Illesley (L2645). while the aircraft from 47 Squadron included Wing Commander Elton (K8521), Flight Lieutenant Dally (K7779), Pilot Officer Harrison (K7756), Sergeant Wragg and Pilot Officer Joyce (K7728).
The approach route included an overflight of the Eritrean hinterland. At 10:30, the 47 Squadron attacked the ammunition depot on the island of Scec Sáid, but all bombs missed the target. In the meantime, three CR.42s (Tenente Mario Visintini, Sergente Lugi Baron and possibly Tenente Di Pauli) scrambled and attacked the bombers. Five minutes later, the 14 Squadron also arrived on target and dive-bombed the fuel depots at Archìco. Sergeant Patey's Wellesley L2676/D was hit by an anti-aircraft shell that knocked out the hydraulics. As a result, the undercarriage dropped and the plane slowed down. Immediately, two of the fighters pounced on it and attacked it repeatedly until their ammunition run out, while the third FIAT continued to duel with the 47 Squadron for another 10-15 minutes, but without result. Sergeant Patey remembered:

“[...] About 20 miles [32km] north of Massawa two aircraft were seen approaching from behind and they turned out to be CR.42 fighters. They decided to attack almost simultaneously from the rear quadrants, one on each side, which made it hard for my gunner who could only deal with one at a time. Since my speed was very low, I did not even try to outdistance them, so I decided to prevent them from attacking from below by lowering myself a few feet overboard and staying there. [...] During their last attacks, I could see the water splashing where the bullets entered the sea in front of me. Things were looking bad, as my plane had received quite a few hits near the tanks, when suddenly the fighters stopped their attacks and flew away. […]”

At 07:00 hours on 1 September, Wellesley L2689 of 14 Squadron, with pilot Sergeant Norris, navigator Sergeant D'Arcy and the gunner Leading Aircraftman Charles D. Lampard on board, took off for a photographic reconnaissance of Harmìl, the northernmost island of the Dáhalac archipelago. The purpose was to photograph the Regia Marina's Giulietti battery, consisting of four 120/45 pieces. The aircraft was sighted and the alarm was immediately raised. Three fighters, Tenente Mario Visintini, Sergente Lugi Baron and probably Tenente Di Pauli, immediately took off and flew to a height north of Massawa to intercept the enemy reconnaissance aircraft. They spotted it while it was making its third overflight of the island, attacked it in a dive and, after seriously wounding the gunner, forced it to make an emergency landing on Harmìl, on the field located on the south-eastern offshoot of the island and next to the battery itself.
Antonio Raffi recalled the episode after the war:

“On a small island one hundred and fifty kilometres north of Massaua, [...] Visintini and two wingmen, one I think was Di Pauli and the other I don't remember, intercepted a Wellesley on reconnaissance and hit the tanks without setting it on fire; Considering the condition of the enemy aircraft, Visintini and the wingmen stopped firing to give the crew a chance to save themselves; in fact, the British, after firing a few rockets as a sign of surrender, landed on the small island where there was a Navy observation post and were captured.”

“In the middle of the third lap we were attacked by three CR.42s. The first 20 mm [sic] burst hit Lampard in the leg and damaged the engine controls and hydraulics... I had no engine and nowhere to go but down. Ahead was a fairly small, rocky, irregular island. I made a classic emergency landing approach, but there was a danger of going over the island and into the water. Without flaps, we almost stalled on the shoreline, I hit my left wing and the bomb rack on the rocky ground and quickly stopped. Before I could unfasten my belts and parachute, the plane was surrounded by a disorderly crowd of Italians... I left the plane and tried to reach the rear gunner, but was prevented from doing so. D'Arcy was not allowed out until Lampard was lifted up and taken away. His leg was almost off and bleeding profusely.”

“Dear friends, yesterday I had a particularly good day [...]. In his tour of the centres of the Empire, yesterday the Viceroy was in Massaua. We were to await him in the air, he was flying a Green Sorcio. But a sudden air alarm changed things and we had to leave in search of the enemy.
With the fortunate intuition that has always helped me so far, I took up position, high up, hidden by a cloud, far away from the base. After 10 minutes of cruising, I gasped: here he comes, without any suspicion, to carry out his mission. He is several hundred metres lower than me; I would not have imagined that he would also be at such a high altitude!
I pounce on him like a hawk on an innocent sparrow. He only notices me when he is already, lightning fast, liquidated.
Engine fire; he has to surrender and give thanks that be-neath him, amidst so much Red Sea, there is the island, the very one he had intended to attack. […]
Before leaving the sky of the island I make sure that the enemy aircraft lands well in our territory. Later, a dispatch from the island gave the following detail: enemy aircraft recoverable; crew of three, captured gunner seriously wounded (poor fellow was the first to take my volley).
[...] As soon as he got off, he had to report the incident to the authorities waiting for the Duke. And they, in turn, reported it to the Duke as soon as he got off the train. He appreciated the good news very much. He recognised me immediately and entertained me very cordially, congratulating me with precious expressions of sympathy.
My fifth victory has therefore been sanctioned by the Viceroy!

On 10 September, three Wellesleys flown by Flight Lieutenant Robinson (K7731), Pilot Officer Willitts (K7767) and Pilot Officer Ferguson (K7763) of 14 Squadron bombed a grove of palm trees east of Càssala at 14:30.
Twenty minutes later and on the way back, the patrol was intercepted by two CR.42s which the crews believed had probably taken off from Sabderàt (actually most likely from Barentu). In the ensuing combat, Pilot Officer Ferguson's aircraft No. 3 (left wingman) crashed in flames. Ferguson, managed to parachute and was captured, while Pilot Officer James Lynch (RAF no. 43642) and Sergeant Thomas Conway (RAF no. 535666) were killed and were be buried in the Chéren War Cemetery.
Most probably the Wellesley was victim of the attack of Tenente Pauli, who was flying with Sottotenente Fiorindo Rosmino. They seems to have taken off from Barentu, which is about a 100 kilometres from Sabderàt and about 130 kilometres from Càssala. It is difficult to assume that the two fighters took off for an interception on alarm and it is more credible that the Italian pilots were engaged in a patrol and came across, more or less by chance, the enemy bombers. Sottotenente Rosmino later reconstructed the sequence of his missions after the conflict and noted (albeit on 21 September):

"Combat on the Cassala front with three Wellesleys in collaboration with Tenente Di Pauli who shot down an aircraft.”

At 14:50 18 September, three Gladiators of 1 SAAF Squadron took off from ‘Azaza, to patrol in the Càssala area. Two CR.42s climbed up to challenge them around 16:00. The South Africans got in first, Major Schalk van Schalkwyk claiming one and 2nd Lieutenants John Coetzer and John Hewitson (N5852) claiming a second shared; one CR.42 was seen to spin and crash while the other was chased to its airfield at Tessenei, where it was reported to have crash-landed.
2nd Lieutenant Hewitson reported in his logbook a dogfight with two CR.42s over Kassala. One retired while the other apparently fell out of control. He fired 1000 rounds of ammunition during the combat. The South African Gladiators landed at Khasm-el-Gírba at 17:15 without having sustained any damage.
The manner of combat described by Hewitson suggests that this episode coincides with one described in the notes of Lieutenant Andrew Duncan’s notes on 1 September, and reported as such by other sources, but without confirmation from the Italian side. This should therefore be the first combat between CR.42 and South African Gladiators on the Eritrean-Sudanese front.
Italian Bulletin No. 101 seems to confirm the battle, noting that "Blenheim and Wellesley escorted by Gloster-type fighters" had been intercepted over Càssala. The same document claims one ”Blenheim shot down in flames and another probable” and admits that only one Fiat ”hit [its] engine in combat [and] landed regularly [at] the field [of] Càssal””. The use of Gladiators as bomber escorts was probably a simple inaccuracy in the Bulletin, which nonetheless attests to their presence. There is no explicit mention of fighter combat in the document, nor is there any indication of the names of the Italian pilots involved in the action, although it is known that a section of the 412^a Squadriglia was stationed in Barentu in September, including at least Tenente Di Pauli and Sottotenente Fiorindo Rosmino.
Tenente Di Pauli, when he returned from captivity, reported that he had been shot down in combat on 16 September 1940, that he had parachuted and suffered minor shrapnel wounds to his lower limbs. However, apart from this precise testimony of the pilot, there is no other evidence to confirm this shooting. In fact, there is no trace of it in the afore-mentioned bulletin, which reported the regular landing of one of the fighters on the field of Càssala, even if its engine was hit, nor has the corresponding form for recording flight accidents been found so far. Such a shooting would also contradict the testimony of Tenente Leone Concato who, on the following 4 October, explicitly identified SergenteMaggiore Ottavio Bracci as the first pilot of the Squadriglia shot down by the enemy and his fighter as the first aircraft lost in combat. The above, and the precise testimony of 2nd Lieutenant Hewitson, who merely reported an enemy aircraft "apparently" out of control and another that had escaped - without noticing any of the enemy pilots parachuting - suggest that the engine-damaged CR.42 was piloted by Tenente Di Pauli, who nevertheless managed to disengage and land regularly at Càssala despite the damage. On this occasion, he pilot may have suffered minor leg injuries.

Having known since 13 October, by aerial reconnaissance, that a Flight of 47 Squadron had been detached to Al Qadarif (Gadaref), pilots of Regia Aeronautica planed a strafing attack on that field. On the 16 October, taking off at 06:00 from the Italian advanced field of Barentu, an S.79 flown by Generale Pietro Piacentini (CO of Settore Aeronautico Nord AOI) himself led in eight CR.42s of the 412^a Squadriglia flown by Capitano Antonio Raffi, Tenente Mario Visintini, Tenente Carlo Canella, Tenente Di Pauli, Sottotenente Fiorindo Rosmino, Sottotenente Levi, Sergente Maggiore Lugi Baron, and Sergente Pietro Morlotti. Some sources say that nine CR.42s were involved in this strike, but possibly the ninth pilot, newly arrived Sergente Carlo Scarselli, was left to protect Barentu.
At 06:55, the Savoia dropped its bombs on the field, then the fighters strafed between 07:00-07:20 and totally destroyed all eight Wellesleys of 47 Squadron detachment (K7742, K7762, K7779, K7781, L2650, L2675, L2677 and L2688) and, personally by Capitano Raffi, two of 430 Flight’s Vincents (K4657 and K4731) while they were taking off, which were claimed as Gladiators shot down. An attempt to call the 1 SAAF fighter detachment at Azaza (some 20 kilometers north-east) was foiled, as the telephone line between Al Qadarif and Azaza was found to have been cut. Italian claims were quite accurate, eleven aircraft being claimed destroyed, together with a munitions dump, some lorries, a searchlight and, it seems, a Packard car, the latter fired on by Tenente Canella.
Capitano Raffi was decorated with a Medaglia d’argento al valor militare as the organizer of the attack, while the other pilots gained a Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare each.

At dawn on 9 February, Capitano Mario Visintini led an attack on Akordat airfields and its satellite airfield with Tenente Carlo Canella, Tenente Di Pauli, Sergente Aroldo Soffritti and Sergente Pietro Morlotti (all from the 412^a Squadriglia).
The attack was repeated in the same evening on Akordat and Bisha airfields.
A total of 16 aircraft were claimed by Italians in these two missions: 11 burned and 5 damaged including 5 Hurricanes, 5 Hawker biplanes, 2 Gladiators, 2 Wellesleys, 1 Valentia and 1 ‘Martin’ Lysander.
The 203 Group diary admitted 6 destroyed and 4 badly damaged in the morning, 1 burned and 4 damaged in the evening, for a total of 15 out-of-use aircraft. Destroyed aircraft included two Wellesleys (K7713 and L2665) of 47 Squadron, two Hardys (K5921 and K4319) and two Lysanders L1026 and R2044) of 237 Squadron.
At this point, Visintini was granted with a Medaglia d’oro al valor militare for his outstanding combat record, while the other four pilots each gained a Medaglia d’argento al valor militare for the daring missions.

Di Pauli joined the 4th Light Blue Battalion after the 412^a Squadriglia was disbanded and was captured by the British at Manda Dabù on 10 July 1941.

He was imprisoned in Aden, then in Bairagarh, India, and finally in Yol from 20 February 1942, where he was first placed in Camp 28 and, after the events of 25 July and 8 September 1943, in Camp 25, for those who did not collaborate with the Allies. During the harsh years of imprisonment, he contracted malaria and suffered both digestive disorders and nervous exhaustion, without these illnesses being adequately treated, not least because of his situation as a punitive prisoner.

Di Pauli ended the war with 1 biplane victory.

On his return to Italy on 29 November 1946, he presented himself at the Centro Affluenza Reduci di Nisida (Reduci Attendance Centre in Nisida) and, when questioned by the special commission of the Regia Aeronautica, was judged "censurable" for his lack of cooperation and punished with 15 days' fortress arrest.

Despite everything, Di Pauli remained in the Armed Forces and on 10 January 1948 he resumed flying at the Comando Scuole Volo in Lecce, flying the Macchi C.202, the Macchi C.205V, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk V and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX.
He swore allegiance to the Republic on 4 March and was then transferred to Treviso to the 378^a Squadriglia 155^o Gruppo, 51^o Stormo, on 8 August 1948.
He was promoted to Capitano on 5 April 1949 with seniority from 18 March 1943.
Unfortunately, illnesses contracted during his imprisonment - which have never been cured - reappear periodically, making him unable to fly for long periods. During these last years, he held a number of ground assignments at the II ZAT Command, the Desenzano Garrison and, finally, the Ghedi Airport Presidiary Unit.

On 4 December 1951, he died in Monza hospital from a collapse caused by complications of tertian malaria contracted during his imprisonment; the illness was recognised as being due to causes of service.

In 1955, an appeal commission re-examined the judgement of censurability that had been issued by the Central Commission for Prisoners of War and Di Pauli was definitively declared "incensurable".

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1940
	10/09/40	14:50	1	Wellesley (a)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Cassala Front	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Gladiator (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Gladiator (b)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	1941
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hurricane (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hurricane (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Valentia (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hardy (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hardy (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hardy (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Hardy (c)	Shared damaged on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Gladiator (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Wellesley (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Wellesley (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Dawn	1/5	Lysander (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Evening	1/5	Hurricane (c)	Shared damaged on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Evening	1/5	Hurricane (c)	Shared damaged on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Evening	1/5	Hurricane (c)	Shared damaged on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Akordat	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Evening	1/5	Gladiator (c)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Bisha	412a Squadriglia
	09/02/41	Evening	1/5	Hardy (c)	Shared damaged on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Bisha	412a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed, 22 shared destroyed on the ground, 5 shared damaged on the ground.
TOTAL: 1 destroyed, 22 shared destroyed on the ground, 5 shared damaged on the ground.
(a) Wellesley K7763 of 14 Squadron shot down (1 PoW and 2 KiA).
(b) According to British sources eight Wellesleys of 47 Squadron (L2650, L2675, L2677, L2688, K7742, K7762, K7779 and K7781) and two Vincents of 430 Flight (K4657 and K4731) were burned on the ground, against claims for nine Wellesley destroyed on the ground and two Gladiators shot down during take-off. The latter were unofficially credited to Capitano Raffi.
(c) 412^a Squadriglia claimed 11 aircraft destroyed and 5 damaged on the ground (i.e. 2 Hurricanes, a Valentia, 3 Hardys, 2 Gladiators, 2 Wellesleys and a Lysander burned, 3 Hurricanes and 2 Hardys damaged). Actual losses were: in the morning, two Wellesleys (K7713 and L2665) of 47 Squadron, two Hardys (K5921 and K4319) and two Lysanders (L1026 and R2044) of 237 Squadron all burned, and four not specified aircrafts damaged at Akordat; in the evening, a Hurricane burned and two more damaged at Akordat, and a Vincent and a Gladiator damaged at Bisha, for a grand total of 15 destroyed or damaged aircrafts.

Sources:
Dust Clouds in the Middle East - Christopher Shores, 1996 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-898697-37-X
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell’ A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 1 Volume A - L
I Cavalieri Erranti - Ludovico Slongo, Stefan Lazzaro, Eugenio Eusebi, Michele Palermo and Danilo Ventura, 2023, ISBN 978-88-87952-37-7