Throughout this move the enemy air force was busily engaged over the Larissa plain and before the advanced convoy had reached Pharsala it had been attacked by Me 109s. The operational echelon now only consisted of two Hurricanes, the Lysander strength having been decimated by sudden allotment and enemy action. Two Lysanders were shot down by Me 109s as they were leaving Kazakiar to fly to Athens. They were attacked not far north of Larissa and both aircraft dived for the ground intending to low fly and evade. Unfortunately both aircraft bit the ground and disintegrated. One pilot was uninjured, however the other had to be removed to hospital to have his injuries treated. The two passengers in the Lysanders were the sole surviving pilots of a formation of 211 Squadron which had been destroyed the previous day by enemy fighters. One was killed, the other received serious injury to one of his legs and had two fingers shot away, but not before he had discharged a pan of ammunition at his attacker.
After a hazardous journey negotiating the winding passes out of the Larissa plain into the plain of Lamia and hence to the steep sided valley enclosing Amphiklia, all the time travelling very slowly in close convoy, not aided by the presence of broken down Greek transport which included farm waggons, tractors and all manner of farm equipment, the Squadron finally arrived at Amphiklia. En-route it had lost one or two vehicles, one in fact was a stores vehicle which went over the side of a hill during a ground strafing attack, but in the main the Squadron was intact. Amphiklia presented a chaotic sight. The landing ground resembled an aircraft park; the town and its surroundings was a confused mass of milling people and vehicles. It was obvious that the Squadron would be quite unable to operate from such a place and together with the absence of adequate refuelling facilities it was decided to take the whole Squadron to the Athens area. A signal from Army Headquarters placed the Squadron under the direct command of Athens.
The move south was resumed early in the morning and by night fall most of the Squadron had pulled in to the transit camp near Hassani. The aircraft were located at Hassani aerodrome. Upon their arrival a brief interim followed during which it was hoped that some policy regarding the Squadron’s future would be formulated. The Commanding Officer on visiting AHQ Athens was informed firstly that the Squadron’s operational echelon, refuelling and rearming party should not have left Amphiklia, whereas in fact they were ordered to do so by signal from AHQ. Secondly a refuelling and rearming party of two officers and seventy men should leave
