Other Forces

First RAF Yugoslav fighter squadron

Imperial War Museum

Watched by his rigger (left), a pilot of No. 352 Squadron, the first operational Yugoslav unit in the RAF, signs the aircraft serviceability form for his Supermarine Spitfire Mark VC on the tail plane of the aircraft, before taking off on the unit's first operation. The red star, Yugoslav national marking, is superimposed on the white portion of RAF tail stripe. The No. 352 Squadron was the first Yugoslav-manned fighter squadron formed in the Mediterranean and flew fighter escort and ground attack missions over Yugoslavia. The No. 352 Squadron was formed at Benina, Libya, on 22 April 1944 and was equipped with the Hurricane, replaced with Spitfires in June, two months before the Squadron moved to Italy to join No.281 Wing, Balkan Air Force, with base in Apulia, at Canne (location of the photo) where was deployed from August 1944 to January 1945. It was joined by a second Yugoslav squadron, No.351, in September, and the two squadrons operated in a similar way for the rest of the war. As with No.351, No.352 squadron used the island of Vis as an advanced operating base. On 1 January 1945 the entire air echelon moved to the island, before in mid-April the entire squadron was reunited at the liberated airfield of Prkos on the Yugoslav coast. The squadron continued to operate until the end of the war, and was disbanded on 15 June 1945. Victor Sierra