Spitfires In Greece

[Dave Homewood]

SPITFIRES IN GREECE

WORK OF CHEVIOT PILOT

(Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) GREECE, November 24.

Among the Spitfire pilots who are making things as difficult as possible for the retreating German forces in the Balkans is Flying Officer D. Jackson, Cheviot. At the moment he is stationed near Athens, but his duties take him in sweeps over Jugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Crete.

Flying Officer Jackson left New Zealand three years ago, and saw his first action with a Hurricane squadron in the North African operations. He is credited with having had a hand in the shooting down of three of four Italian Savoia-Marchetti bombers which sought to attack a convoy near Algiers. Subsequently he had a tour of instructional duty, and then went to Greece.

Since then he has seen little of enemy aircraft, but he has been engaged in constant harassing tasks against the retreating enemy columns, trains, and shipping. His squadron has been particularly successful against trains and vehicles, and has even carried out bombing missions with its Spitfires. The pilots are becoming accustomed to operations in unusual circumstances and regard as a matter of course their long sweeps over the rugged Balkan peaks and mountain passes.

One of the main worries on flights over Jugoslavia or Bulgaria is an occasional encounter with Messerschmitt 109’s. These usually turn out to be aeroplanes of the Bulgarian Air Force, now on our side, but they still have the unmistakable outline of the famous German fighter. In such circumstances an Allied pilot who attempts to get close enough to read the marking is running a risk of discovering that his companion in the air is anything but friendly.

PRESS, 29 NOVEMBER 1944

[davidd]

Allied Messerschmitts! That would indeed take some getting used to!
Dave D

[Dave Homewood]

I guess there must have been some Bf109's, Stukas and other types still flying with the Italians by then too, who were on the Allied side at that point in the region.

[phasselgren]

Very interesting, it seems the article has identified a missing name in A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945, Vol 3.

Towards evening of Monday 5 April 1943 four S.79 torpedo-bombers took off from Sardinia on an armed reconnaissance. They were intercepted by Hurricane IIcs of 253 Squadron which shot down the whole formation off Cap Corbelin at dusk.

The list of pilots which made claims has two missing names:
Flt Sgt D. Jackson, RNZAF one destroyed
Flt Sgt R.J. Cammock, RNZAF one destroyed
Sgt R.C. Shorthouse, RNZAF and unidentified pilot shared one
Flt Lt K.A.H. Mason, Plt Off D.T.N. Kelly and unidentified pilot shared one

If the information in the article is correct ("He is credited with having had a hand in the shooting down of three of four Italian Savoia-Marchetti bombers which sought to attack a convoy near Algiers") Jackson´s total claim was 1+1/2+1/3 from this combat. This must have been one of last succesful air combats for the Hurricane in the Mediterranean area even if it was used as a fighter to the end of the war

[tbf2504]

If you want to read a great account of the short career of Spitfires in Greece during 1940/41 read Roald Dahl's book "Going Solo"