Was 1435 Sqn RAF part of the Balkan Air Force?

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

Wikipedia and subsequently all internet sources I saw say that 1435 Sqn was assigned to Balkan Air Force. Some even write that it happened "In October 1943 the squadron moved to the mainland of Italy and joined the Balkan Air Force" (a year before the BAF was created!) http://www.historyofwar.org/air/unit...1435_wwII.html

RAF Historical Society Journal 46: Seminar – North Meditteranean Operations during World II (Italy, Balkans, Greece) https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/researc...iety-journals/ does not mention 1435 squadron at all in the article THE BALKAN AIR FORCE by Wg Cdr Jefford.

Yet the 1435 Sqn had detachment at Vis, Yugoslavia (Croatia) a long time (Sep '44 to Apr '45). A fact I didn't realize until Danijel Frka's book Vis - the last hope.

I have downloaded 1435 Sqn ORBs period June 1944 to May 1945 and I did not find mention of the squadron being part of Balkan Air Force.

But what is the truth? If 1435 Sqn was not in BAF order of battle to whom the unit was subordinated?

I hope someone is in the know and can answer.


Cheers,
Kari

[Graham Boak]

If it had detachments on Vis, these were acting as part of the BAF. Its other operations in this period were also entirely consistent with it being part of BAF.

[Larry deZeng]

Kari L. wrote in part:

Some even write that it happened "In October 1943 the squadron moved to the mainland of Italy and joined the Balkan Air Force" (a year before the BAF was created!)

You might want to double check the formation date for BAF. IIRC, it was already operating over Croatia and BiH in May and June 1944. I have photocopies of the BAF manuscript history along with many of its documents, although I do not have access to them at this time. So I am writing from memory and could be wrong.

L. deZ.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Stig,

Here's a little information for earlier in the war.

From the squadron ORB on 22 October 1943: "We are now part of Northwest African Coastal Airforce."

According to the British official history by Playfair et al., on 2 January 1944 No. 1435 Squadron was under the MACAF, as part of No. 242 Group RAF and No. 286 Wing RAF.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[Nick Beale]

That would tie in with their being scrambled to intercept a jet reported over Rimini on 2 April 1945. I think it’s less likely that a Balkan Air Force unit would have been given the job.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Originally Posted by Andrew Arthy

Hi Stig,

Here's a little information for earlier in the war.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Not sure how many are called Stig on this forum Andy but I have no wish to steal anything away from Kari...

Cheers
Stig

[Boris Ciglic]

Hi!

1435 Sqn was never part of BAF. As for single-engine fighter i.e. fighter-bomber units which operated within BAF at one time or another in 281st, 283rd and 254th Wing, these were 6, 32, 73, 213, 249, 253, 335, 336, 351 and 352 Sqn.

Boris