Mario Scagliarini was from Persicete (Bologna).

In November 1940 Scagliarini served in the 363^a Squadriglia, 150^o Gruppo Autonomo C.T., which was equipped with Fiat CR.42s. The unit was at this time operating over Greece.

Taking off at 14:00 on 13 November, 84 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight with three Blenheims targeted Kukova aerodrome. Owing to very bad weather, the alternative target, Valona harbour, was attacked.
Four of the resident CR.42s scrambled at 16:10 led by Capitano Nicola Magaldi (CO 364^a Squadriglia). Sottotenente Ernesto Trevisi and Sergente Scagliarini (both 363^a Squadriglia) attacked, each claiming one Blenheim shot down.
84 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight reported that one of the Blenheims returned early due to a defective turret but the other two attacked at 15:50 at low level (900m) with eight 250 lb bombs and the jetty was damaged, and a small barge claimed sunk.
The Blenheims reported that the AA was very intense and that they were attacked by two CR.42s at 16:10 and for 25 minutes. Initially the CR.42s attacked the no. 2 aircraft (starboard) but on subsequent attacks were on the leader. The Blenheim gunners claimed that during the engagement incendiary bullets were seen to pass through the mainplane of one of the CR.42s causing this enemy fighter to retire from the engagement. The leading Blenheim L1385 (pilot Flight Lieutenant A. F, Mudie with Flight Sergeant H. ‘Lofty’ Lord and Leading Aircraftsman W. J. S. Chick) suffered a holed starboard petrol tank and got the outer skin pierced by an explosive bullet passing back to port faired undercarriage nacelle, grazing the spar. The Blenheims landed back at Menidi at 17:50.

On 24 December, five Blenheim Is from 211 Squadron bombed Valona airfield, destroying two 150^o Gruppo CR.42s and damaged a third.
Three 363^a Squadriglia CR.42s flown by Sottotenente Romeo Della Costanza, Sergente Enrico Micheli and Scagliarini were scrambled and duly caught the raiders. Costanza claimed a probable while Micheli fired at another.
It seems that Italian AA defenders also claimed one Blenheim probably shot down.
No bombers were lost by 211 Squadron. One of the observers, Pilot Officer Eric Bevington-Smith recalled:

"We assembled five crews and set off for Valona. The weather was appalling, with a cloud base below 2,000 feet and we flew along the Gulf of Corinth and up to Valona, where the cloud base was 1,700 feet ... we just managed to slip through in line astern, went up into cloud again, and by good luck came out of the cloud over Valona and dropped our bombs. The AA had not yet woken up, so we put our noses down and went flat out for the harbour entrance. When we were about 500 feet we met an Italian cruiser and destroyer coming in for Christmas. We turned our front machine guns on and dived on the ships, and as we passed our rear gunners sprayed the decks. It worked; we were at least two miles away before shellfire started bursting around us, and a quick change of course to the south got us away. If only those Italian gunners had not assumed that the entrance to the harbour of their home port, they were safe!"

Scagliarini ended the war with 1 biplane victory.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1940
1	13/11/40	16:00-16:25	1	Blenheim (a)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Valona area	363a Squadriglia

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 destroyed.
(a) 363^a Squadriglia claimed 2 Blenheims shot down. Blenheim L1385 from 84 Squadron slightly damaged.

Sources:
53^o Stormo - Marco Mattioli, 2010 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-977-5
Air war for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete - Christopher Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia, 1987 Grub Street, London, ISBN 0-948817-07-0
Blenheims over Greece and Crete 1940-1941 - Brian Cull, 2014 Fonthill Media, ISBN 978-1-78155-280-3
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell' A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 2 Volume M - Z
Fiat CR.42 Aces of World War 2 - Håkan Gustavsson and Ludovico Slongo, 2009 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-427-5