Yugoslav ground crew wheel a trolley of 3-inch rocket projectiles past re-armed Hawker Hurricane Mark IVs of No. 351 (Yugoslav) Squadron RAF in their dispersals at Prkos, Yugoslavia (today Croatia), March-April 1945. The No. 351 was the second operational Yugoslav unit in the RAF and was formed in Libya, at Benina, on 1 July 1944, but on September moved to Southern Italy, where it became part of No.281 Wing, Balkan Air Force (alongside the first Yugoslav fighter squadron, No.352) with base at Canne and detachment at Vis, after the liberation of this Adriatic island, and Prkos as advanced bases. The unit’s main role was ground attack missions in support of Tito's partisans. The Squadron operated until the end of the war and was disbanded on 15 June 1945. Victor Sierra



Second RAF Yugoslav fighter squadron

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

First RAF Yugoslav fighter squadron

Czechoslovak solsiers prepared to defend the border, probably southern Slovakia, October 1938. Machineguns in the pic: ZB-7/24 Schwarzlose, LMG ZB-26.