The RAF Balkan Air Force reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

RAF Balkan Air Force

The RAF's Balkan Air Force was a late-World War II air formation. It was activated in Italy on 7 June 1944 to simplify command arrangements for the air support of operations in the Balkans. The Desert Air Force had been responsible for those operations, but its prime job was the support of the troops of the Eighth Army, thus making operations over the Balkans a distraction.

The Balkan Air Force was a polyglot unit, including units from many different countries. At one point it even included a Soviet transport squadron. It mainly supported the operations of Tito\'s partisans against German forces in Yugoslavia, but also provided support to Greek and Albanian resistance organisations. It transported supplies to the partisans, evacuated wounded, dropped agents to help them, and provided air support in their operations against German troops.

Towards the end of its existence, it operated a small number of units from Yugoslav soil to harras the retreating Germans. However, disgreements with Tito, who was becoming more and more closely aligned with Stalin, meant that all RAF units were out of Yugoslavia very shortly after the war in Europe ended. It was disbanded on 15 July 1945.

During its short existence, it was commanded by Air Vice Marshals William Elliot and George Mills.

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