Rosmino was born 12 August 1911 in Casale Monterrato.

In September 1940, Sottotenente Fiorindo Rosmino served in the 412^a Squadriglia Autonoma Caccia in the Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana - AOI).

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 Raimondo Di Pauli, who was flying with Sottotenente 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 Raimondo Di Pauli and Sottotenente 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.

In response to the transfer of 1 SAAF Squadron, 237 Squadron, 430 Flight and a Flight from 47 Squadron to Khartoum, five CR.42s were detached to Góndar on 3 October with Tenente Rosmino, Sottotenente Mario Proserpio, Sergente Maggiore Ottavio Bracci, Tenente Niso Provinciali (probably already detached with the 413^a Squadriglia in the nearby Bahàr Dar and later transferred to the 412^a Squadriglia) and, possibly, Capitano Antonio Raffi himself.
On the same day, Tenente Niso Provinciali stalled during take-off, damaging the CR.42 MM4403, which was deemed "presumably repairable at the company", while the pilot himself was unharmed.

Having known since 13 October, by aerial reconnaissance, that a Flight of 47 Squadron had been detached to Al Qadarif (Gadáref), pilots of Regia Aeronautica planed a strafing attack on that field. Thus, on the evening of 15 October, the Italian Northern Sector Command transferred three S.79s and several CR.42s to Barentù, in addition to those already present at the base, bringing the total number of available fighters to nine.
Also during the night, infiltrators cut the tele-phone link between the secondary camp and the city of Gedáref, from where the alarm could be transmitted by radio to the 'Azaza camp, Gladiator base of the 1 SAAF Squadron detachment.
At 06:00 on 16 October, a S.79 of the 19^a Squadriglia, piloted by Tenente Edmondo Carlucci and Tenente Colonnello Luigi Klinger (CO of the 28 Gruppo), with Generale Pietro Piacentini (CO of Settore Aeronautico Nord AOI) also on board took off together with at least eight of the nine CR.42s available. The figther pilots from the 412^a Squadriglia were Capitano Antonio Raffi, Tenente Mario Visintini, Tenente Carlo Canella, Tenente Raimondo Di Pauli, Sottotenente Rosmino, Sottotenente Giovanni Levi, Sergente Maggiore Lugi Baron, and Sergente Pietro Morlotti. Some sources states that nine CR.42s were involved in this strike, but possibly the ninth pilot, newly arrived Sergente Carlo Scarselli, was left to protect Barentu.
The formation headed for Càssala and from there followed the railway line to Gedáref. What happened is vividly described by Vittorio Beonio-Brocchieri, correspondent of the Corriere della Sera:

“Imagine that you see in front of you, from an aerial perspective, a quadrangular polygon surrounded by a clearing of small woods and bushes. British equipment appears scattered partly in the centre and partly on the edges of the range.”

“At this moment, our pilots were able to observe a very curious scene on the field: the mad flight of the British soldiers and officers who were at the defensive positions of the airfield. Rarely does one witness such a funny spectacle: seeing the entire airfield staff abandon their machine gun emplacements and anti-aircraft guns during an attack in order to save their legs and jump into the armoured "fifaus"!”

“As the first columns of smoke rose from the stricken machines on the northwest side of the airfield, two large explosions detonated at the other end, showing that three of the British aircraft were not refuelled but were already loaded with bombs. About three minutes into the action, columns of smoke began to rise, stretched obliquely by a south-westerly wind. In the fourth minute, while the chain of assailants in pursuit repeated the attack without giving the enemy the material time to attempt a sufficient reaction, a larger explosion erupted at the ammunition depot, which was blown up at three consecutive times, at intervals of a few seconds. Even a lorry loaded with petrol at one end of the field caught fire and gave off a smear of smoke which, in the photograph, looks like a torrent in flood. Before our aircraft had moved away, the smoke from the fires had invaded all the vicinity of the range and was spreading far and wide. The pilot of one of the aircraft responsible for photo-graphically documenting the feat, having descended to within a few metres of the ground, was able to recognise and ascertain that the destruction of the enemy's war material had been completely, utterly and exhaustively successful.”

“[...] I wish I knew how to express to you the impression of the fires caused at Ghedaref: you know, between night and dawn, when the blackness of the night has not completely gone and the first light has not succeeded in overcoming the darkness, tongues of fire of a colour between carmine and violet burst from the ground, emanating from a dense envelope of smoke, and in between you see the great wings of the aircraft crucifying themselves on the ground, now useless, lost. And the carousel of fighter planes spiralling in that air of tragedy and triumph. And the descents at very low altitude, amidst the stupefaction of the adversary who can no longer even decide to retaliate against the offence: and the pale dawn, which little by little widens and overcomes the darkness, and then a triumph of dazzling sunlight which eats up the fires of the earth and only in the still air are scarves of smoke left to reach the clouds.”

“The first warning the 1st Squadron detachment had of the attack was the billowing clouds of black smoke visible in the distance from the burning bombers. By this time, the Regia Aeronautica was on its way home after a successful day.”

“At dawn bombing and fighter formation attacked at low altitude the new Gedaref airfield by surprise, where previous day and night reconnaissance had discovered and ascertained an important concentration of enemy aircraft, probably a base for offensive action against our north-western array: in repeated passages all the aircraft (11 Wellesley and Gloster types) present and decentralised on the field were set on fire with fragmentation and machine-gun fire; an ammunition depot was blown up and several trucks set on fire; troops were observed fleeing hastily amidst fires and columns of smoke; all our air-craft returned unharmed to base. […]”

04.05 [GMT]. The airfield is attacked by an S.79, 4 CR.32s and 3 CR.42s. The S.79 releases a salvo of bombs, apparently to no effect. Then the CR.32s break away from the formation and machine-gun the 8 Wellesleys and 2 Vincents on the ground while the S.79 and CR.42s circle above. All our aircraft are burnt out and completely destroyed. There were a considerable number of personnel on the airfield at the time, but all were miraculously unharmed.
08.00 [GMT]. Two S.79s flew over the field, apparently on reconnaissance. There was an exchange of machine gun fire, but no casualties.
It was decided to evacuate the area, the camp was disman-tled and all personnel left by train for Khartoum at 1200 [GMT].”

“In October 1940, a detachment of 47 Squadron moved from Khartoum to an airfield near Gedaref, some 230 miles south-east of the capital and which - appropriately enough - was located near the railway system from Port Sudanto Khartoum itself. The unit was skeleton staffed, meaning that everyone had two jobs - which can work well if you have the right people - and consisted of eight Wellesleys and four Vincents. The idea was to be able to operate closer to our targets, taking a calculated risk, thus saving a lot of flight time for both machines and crews.
Within a few days our hideout was discovered by a Savoia Marchetti SM.79, which was indeed a bird of ill omen. At dawn the next day, it returned, carrying six Fiat CR.42s. It was the moment of despair, the one that "Digger" Magill and I had feared, but thought would not happen. We had underestimated the Italian commander, General Piacentini; we were later told that he had accompanied the attack in person, exercising command from the front line. A smart guy!
With no ground defence against air attacks - albeit with an Indian Brigade quartered nearby - and no communications with a Gladiator squadron whose job it was to give us adequate cover, the Italians had a field day. In no time at all, CR.42s set fire to all our planes, and the General no doubt smacked his lips in satisfaction from his vantage point 3,000 feet [910m] above us. Within minutes it was all over, and for the first time in living memory the sun was eclipsed on that side of the world by dense columns of black smoke rising thousands of feet above us. It was an absolutely depressing sight: burning planes scattered all around the field. I felt like crying.
The only distraction came with Black Mac's telegram, which simply said, "Do you want your horse?" I didn't feel like answering. So, back to Khartoum by train - what else could we do? We had learnt our lesson the hard way; this I must repeat to myself, as the idea had been all mine. In other words: if you're going to get close to the enemy, you've got to be damn sure you can defend yourself adequately against air attacks.”

On the 6 November, the British forces in Sudan launched an offensive to capture the Italian fort at Gallabat as well as occupy Metema, which was just across the frontier. All that the RAF could provide in way of support was six Wellesleys, two Vincents, six Gauntlets, ten Gladiators (drawn from ‘K’ Flight and 1 SAAF Squadron) and four Hawker Hardys (from the Rhodesian Air Force). The Wellesleys were first into action bombing Gallabat, with the Gladiators requested to over fly the area in large formations. Three Gladiators of ‘K’ Flight arrived over the advancing troops at low level. They were patrolling to the east of Metema when a formation of an estimated six or seven CR.42s from 412^a Squadriglia led by the unit commander Capitano Antonio Raffi attacked them from out of the sun. The Gladiator pilots were taken by surprise; 24-year-old Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Howard Savage (RAF no. 37483) (L7614) was shot down and killed while Pilot Officer H. B. Kirk (K7969) was forced to take to his parachute; neither pilot saw their attacker. Pilot Officer Kirk was wounded in the leg and became a PoW. Pilot Officer Jack Hamlyn evaded the initial onslaught but his aircraft (L7612) was badly damaged and he force-landed, returning later on foot. These three victories were claimed by Capitano Raffi, Tenente Niso Provinciali and Sergente Pietro Morlotti.
Meanwhile, Major Schalk van Schalkwyk (N5855) of 1 SAAF Squadron had also taken off from Azzoza, but on arriving over the front was also attacked by the CR.42s. Observers on the ground at once rang the strip at ‘Heston’ to report the lone Gladiator in combat with eight opponents, and despite thick mud caused by an unexpected downpour during the night, Captain Brian Boyle at once took off, arriving just in time to see the commanding officer’s Gladiator going down in flames, the pilot taking to his parachute with his clothes on fire; he did not survive. Immediately Boyle was also attacked, bullets entering the cockpit and wounding him in hands and legs; desperately he fought on until the engine of N5852 stopped, and he had to crash-land between the lines. Boyle was brought in by Indian troops and sent by ambulance to Wadi Seidna where he was hospitalised for some weeks. He was subsequently warded a DFC (1 SAAF Squadron’s first) on 7 January 1941 for his gallant action in going single-handed to van Schalkwyk’s assistance.
It seems that Captain Boyle was credited to Sottotenente Rosmino.
Capitano Raffi reported that four victories were claimed as a result of these engagements, but Sottotenente Rosmino’s aircraft was hit and he returned with his parachute pack riddled with bullets.
During the morning another ‘K’ Flight Gladiator was flown up to the front, and shortly after midday Flying Officer Jack Maurice Hayward (RAF no. 40111) joined four Gladiators of 1 SAAF Squadron from ‘Heston’, which took off at 13:20 in another patrol over the front. There, five Ca.133s were seen at 7,000 feet, 2,000 feet lower than the Gladiators, approaching the battle area. As the fighters prepared to attack, they were bounced from above by six CR.42s and 21-years-old Hayward’s aircraft (K7977) was seen to crash in flames, the pilot being KIA (possibly shot down at 15:30 by Tenente Mario Visintini of the 412^a Squadriglia). The South Africans at once split up into pairs, Lieutenants John Coetzer and Robin Pare taking on the fighters while Lieutenants Andrew Duncan and John Hewitson went after the bombers. The Caproni attacked by Duncan crashed on the Metema-Gondar road, while Hewitson’s fell out of control after he’d fired three burst and crashed; he also damaged a third bomber on the ground. The crew of one of the shot-down bombers survived, and was to return on foot several days later.
While this was going on, the two pilots fighting the CR.42s had managed to drive them off, each claiming one of the fighters shot down; no losses of CR.42s were recorded however, although either or both of those attacked may have been damaged, and force-landed.
By the end of the day, despite the loss of air superiority by the British forces, Gallabat Fort had been captured and the garrison virtually annihilated, only to be lost again the following day, under Italian ground counter-attacks supported by continuous hammering by Caproni and SIAI bombers, as in that moment the Regia Aeronautica had the main control of the air space.

On 12 January 1941, Pilot Officer Peter Simmonds of 237 Squadron flew a sortie with Hawker Hardy K5922 with Sergeant Gray as observer over Tessenei when Fiat CR.42s intercepted them. The Hardy was extensively damaged, but managed to remain in the air for 25 minutes before force-landing a mile south of Tessenei, the crew returning to base on foot.
They had been intercepted by two CR.42s from 412^a Squadriglia flown by Sergente Maggiore Lugi Baron and Sottotenente Rosmino, which returned to base claiming it shot down jointly.

Rosmino ended the war with 1 biplane victory.

Rosmino passed away in his native town on 3 December 2000.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1940
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Wellesley (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Gladiator (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
	16/10/40	07:00-07:20	1/8	Gladiator (a)	Shared destroyed on the ground	Fiat CR.42		Al Qadarif	412a Squadriglia
1	06/11/40		1	Gladiator (b)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		E Metema	412a Squadriglia
	1941
	12/01/41		1/2	Hardy (c)	Shared destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Tessenei	412a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 and 1 shared destroyed, 11 shared destroyed on the ground.
TOTAL: 1 and 1 shared destroyed, 11 shared destroyed on the ground.
(a) 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 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.
(b) Claimed in combat with Gladiators from 1 SAAF Squadron and ‘K’ Flight, which this day lost six aircraft while claiming two CR.42s and two Ca.133s. 412^a Squadriglia claimed six Gladiators during the day with no losses, although at least the CR.42 of Sottotenente Rosmino was damaged. Flight Officer Hayward (Gladiator II K7797) of ‘K’ Flight shot down and killed in the action.
(c) Hawker Hardy K5922 from 237 Squadron force-landed (crew safe).

Sources:
Luciano Cacciavillani's personal logbook courtesy of Cacciavillani family (Luciano jr and Alberto)
Giovanni Levi’s personal logbook, courtesy of Michele Palermo
Fiorindo Rosmino’s personal logbook, courtesy of Rossella Baron
Aroldo Soffritti’s personal logbook, courtesy of Ariella Soffritti
Various documents belonged to Luigi Baron, courtesy of Rossella Baron
Various documents belonged to Antonio Raffi, courtesy of Alide Comba
Collection of Comando Aeronautica AOI War Bulletins, USSMA, Rome, kindly provided by Michele Palermo
410^a Squadriglia war diary (1940) kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro.
Comando Aeronautica Africa Orientale war diary (June 1940) kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro.
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 2 Volume M - Z
Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War – Alfredo Logoluso, 2010 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-983-6
Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2 - Håkan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo, 2009 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-427-5
Guerra di Spagna e Aviazione Italiana – Ferdinando Pedriali, 2nd ed., 1992 Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Aeronautica, Rome, kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro
I Cavalieri Erranti - Ludovico Slongo, Stefan Lazzaro, Eugenio Eusebi, Michele Palermo and Danilo Ventura, 2023, ISBN 978-88-87952-37-7
In cielo e in terra - F. Pagliano, 1969 editore Longanesi, Milan, kindly provided by Alfredo Logoluso.
Mario Visintini. Storia e Leggenda di un Asso Italiano – Gianni Bianchi, Associazione Culturale Sarasota, kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro
Le Vittorie Aeree di Mario Visintini in Africa Orientale – Eugenio Eusebi, Stefano Lazzaro, Ludovico Slongo, in: Storia Militare no. 246 (XXII), March 2014, Albertelli Edizioni Speciali, Parma, ISSN 1122-5289
Spanish Republican Aces – Rafael A. Permuy López, 2012 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84908-668-4
Springbok Fighter Victory: East Africa Volume 1 1940 – 1941 – Michael Shoeman, 2002 African Aviation Series No. 11, Freeworld Publications CC, ISBN 0-958-4388-5-4
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Story of no. 1 Squadron SAAF – Vivian Voss, 1952 Mercantile Atlas (Pty.) Ltd., Cape Town, kindly provided by Ludovico Slongo.
Visintini, il Pilota Solitario - Silvio Platen, 1942 editore Rizzoli, Rome, kindly provided by Alfredo Logoluso.
Additional info kindly provided by Stefano Lazzaro, Alfredo Logoluso and Ludovico Slongo.