Spit/Hurr 1939 - 1941 (2)
GREECE 1941
February 1941 saw the Squadron recalled to Egypt for a period of rest. In March they were due to go to Aqui in Palestine to re-equip with Hurricanes but the plans changed due to the requirement for an Army Co-operation squadron to go to Greece (15) in support of the landing forces. The 4 Hurricanes and 2 flights of aging and under-performing Lysanders
deployed to Greece. The command and control of the air
resources left much to be desired and given that the Luftwaffe provided far stiffer opposition than the Italian Air Force in the Western Desert, the Squadron suffered heavily and were on the move constantly. Finally, during a heavy attack on their airfield the the squadron aircraft were destroyed and the personnel were evacuated from Greece in April.
Notes written by the late Sqn Ldr Bill Weeks (who was then a Sergeant) take up the story: “That was when the skies 
above us were never clear of German bombers and fighters; when German troops were racing towards Athens after the battle over Larissa and smashed the Expeditionary Force’s air power. The last of 208’s aircraft were destroyed at Argos and the men marched, under W.O. Taplin’s leadership, undisturbed during the night, but harried throughout the day, dispersing among trees, diving into ditches and snatching small arms shots as we could. Then we watched Air Cdre d’Albiac (16) (himself an ex-Naval Eight pilot in the days of Geoffrey Bromet’s command) standing in the open, calmly and contemptuously firing a revolver at the hunting ME110s.
“We gathered at a beach that evening and were led to boats which took us to a Royal Navy vessel which had ventured into these hostile waters in darkness. That was when an unlit boatload of troops was mown down by a blacked- out warship, so near to safety. Then the packed ship took us to Crete - and later still escorted us from that Island while men we knew stood to face the German paratroops with dwindling ammunition and finally, bayonets. Then, there will be no record of the farmer and his wife above Suda Bay, who filled an empty water bottle for a battered Sergeant fitter - with brandy. Such splendid, kind people”.
Spitfire / Hurricane 1939 - 1941 Page 1 2 3
