Caption: Spitfire MkVc RAF 336Sqn N ER194 at Kalamaki Greece

AF 336 Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron

RAF 336 Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron

callsign: 336 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού, 336 MB), callsign 'Olympus'

The second squadron to be formed from Greek personnel, this took place at LG 219 in the Western Desert on 25 February 1943. From them until February 1944 the squadron was involved in shipping protection and air defence duties along the Libyan coast.

Foundation and service in World War II

After the fall of Greece to the German Wehrmacht, the Greek government in exile established Greek armed forces to fight alongside the Allies in the Middle East. By 1942, two Greek squadrons, the 13th Light Bomber Squadron and the 335th Fighter Squadron, were operating under British command. Their good service record and the existence of sufficient numbers of Greek pilots, newly graduated from aviation schools in Rhodesia, led to the establishment of a third squadron.

The 336th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron (336 Βασιλική Ελληνική Μοίρα Διώξεως, 336 Β.Ε.Μ.Δ.), designated within the British Royal Air Force as No 336 (Greek) Squadron, was established on 25 February 1943 at LG 219. Equipped with 21 Hurricane Mk IIc aircraft and under the command of Flight Lieutenant Spyridon Diamantopoulos, it counted many veteran pilots from 335 Squadron in its ranks. This allowed the unit to quickly begin operations: its first combat mission was carried out on 1 March, and the unit was declared operational on 11 April. It was subsequently employed in shipping protection and air defence duties along the Libyan coast, as well as fighter sweeps. The squadron received its first six Spitfire Mk Vc aircraft on 12 October, and over the month of November it participated in several Allied raids against Crete. Although successful, these missions involved great danger from the German air defence and the Luftwaffe, and resulted in several losses. By March 1944, the unit had been completely re-equipped with Spitfires, and on 15 September, the squadron was moved along with its sister unit to the Italian theatre, from where it carried out operations primarily over occupied Yugoslavia.

In November the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations from the Ellinikon airfield against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete. In May 1945, the squadron moved to Sedes airfield near Thessaloniki, where, on 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control.

Squadron Codes used: - ZP Allocated Apr - Sep 1939