Page 140 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

140 airpower in 20 Century doCtrines and employment - national experienCes
tH

Figure 13: From the parade of the Royal Hellenic Air Force Squadron
(Archive of the History Museum, HAF 40080).

28
19, 1944, orders came in for the Squadron’s movement to Greece . Personnel de-
parted for Piraeus on November 5 . Aeroplanes arrived at Hassani Air Base 10 days
th
later. From the 21 to the 24 of November the Squadron began patrolling over
th
st
Crete, which was still under German occupation.
On September 17, the No.336 Hellenic Fighter Squadron’s airplanes finally
reached Biferno and the next day its allocated base in Nuova. No.336 operated over
Yugoslavia having joined 281 Wing of the RAF Balkan Air Force. Action began im-
mediately including armed recces and offensive patrols as well as escorts sorties to
fighter-bomber Hurricanes. On October 8, a Squadron’s detachment of 3 aircraft was
sent to home territory to fly offensive sweeps. On October 9, the detachment’s air-
craft got involved in a reconnaissance mission over Cornish in co-operation with 2
Spitfires of No.335. By November 14 , all remaining aircraft of No.336 had reached
th
Greece.
The final chapter of the RHAF participation in the World War II took place on
November 20, 1944, when o glorious parade took place in Athens in honour of all
29
those who fought for Freedom (Figure 13).

28
Operations Record Book, No 335 Hellenic Squadron, RHAF, October 1944, Archives of the History
Museum, HAF.
29
Hellenic Wings, Ibid, p.154.