Bristol Beaufighter Mark IC, T4982 “U”, of No. 252 Squadron RAF (code PN) is secured in its flying position by a crane at Idku, Egypt, as armorers prepare the machine guns for an alignment test. The no 252 was based at Idku from 14 November 1941 until 1 March 1943when it moved west to the newly captured airfields in Libya. Its area of operation changed to Greece and the Aegean, and it was occupied with anti-shipping patrols over those waters for the next two years as well for ground attack missions against the Communist rebels during the civil war that followed the German retreat. The squadron remained in Greece after the war, until being disbanded on 1 December 1946. Victor Sierra

Machine guns alignment test

Alghero, Fertilia airfield, Sardinia, Spring 1944. RAF’s armourers arm a Bristol Beaufighter TF Mark X of No. 328 Wing Royal Air Force with 3-inch rocket projectiles prior an air-to-ground attack mission. The 328 Wing RAF was formed in Tunisia during June 1943 in readiness for the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, and consisted of three Beaufighter Squadron: No 39, No 47 Squadron and No 144 Squadron. During the German withdrawal from Sardinia and Corsica in September and October 1943, 328 Wing was involved in attacking air transport used in the evacuation. Victor Sierra

Beaufighter’s rocket projectiles

From the UK Ministry of Information Second World War colour transparency collection: A Bristol Beaufighter aircraft of No 252 Squadron, Royal Air Force with an F14 camera in its nose, warms up on a North West African airfield. April 1943. Victor Sierra