After Greece fell to the Nazis, Greek pilots fled to fight with other air forces. Pictured here are the pilots of RAF 336 Hellenic Squadron - Libya 1943.
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Having just returned from a successful sorie in which they downed a Ju-88, 336 squadron Master Sergeant Soufrillas and Pilot Officer Tsotsos are greeted by Squadron Commander K.Margaritis in N.Africa 1944.
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The 335 Hellenic Squadron was formed in Aqir Palestine in 1941 and flew Hawker Hurricanes like the one pictured here.
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336 squadron Spitfire Vb in N.Africa, 1944. The name "Petralona" on the side of the plane denotes the pilots place of origin in Greece.
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336 sqn Lt Georgios Smyrniotopoulos, a veteran of RHAF 24 Sqn. where he flew a PZL and scored 2 victories, is pictured next to his Spitfire XIc "MYSTRAS", again denoting his place of origin in Greece.
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No. 335 and 336 squadrons, after successful campaigns in N.Africa and the Middle East, were transferred to Italy in 1944, where this 336 Squadron Spitfire is pictured.
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The 13th Hellenic Light Bomber Squadron was formed in Dekheila Egypt in 1941 by former RHAF pilots. The 13th flew Avro Ansons, Bristol Blenheims and Bisleys, as well as the Vickers Wellington, and Martin A30 Baltimore until 1947 when it was transformed into the 355 transport wing.
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A Blenheim V of the 13th Hellenic Sqn.
N.Africa, 1943.
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Martin A30 of the 13th, seen here in Gambut, Libya Ca. 1943.
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Seen here in Gaza in 1942, one of the Bristol Bisley's of the 13th Hellenic squadron is being prepared for combat.
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Many Greek pilots flew for squadrons other than the 13th, 335 and 336th. Seen here is Rhodesian born, but Greek citizen Lt. Ioannis Plagis who flew with No 249 sqn RAF and scored 17 victories.
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Vasilios Mihail Vassiliadis scored 10 victories while flying P51's for RAF No.19 squadron.
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Mustang III of RAF 19 Sqn. Flown by Vasilios Vasiliadis.
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Seen here in a Spitfire, Spyros "Steve" Pissanos is unique among Greek airmen of WWII in that he flew for both the RAF and USAAF. Born in Athens in 1919, he migrated to the U.S. in 1938.
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Another picture of Pissanos and his Spitfire in 1941.
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USAAF 4FG absorbed all american pilots in RAF service in 1942. "The Flying Greek," scored his first victory on 21 May 1943, when he downed a German FW-190 over Ghent, Belgium. He was subsequently transferred to P-51's and achieved a total f 10 victories.
Pissanos retired from the USAF in 1973 with the rank of colonel.
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