Hero from a Forgotten War - The RAF in Greece 1941
The Italian invasion of Greece on 28. October 1940 put the UK in a difficult situation. The Blitz of London was raging and the RAF still licking its wounds from the Battle of Britain. The Royal Navy had not recovered from the losses at Dunkirk and the Battle of the Atlantic was ramping up. Thus although Britain immediately pledged its support for Greece, Britain lacked the resources for a major campaign. The Greeks' greatest weakness was in the air, however, and the British made at least an effort to provide aid. It was too little and the equipment too old to turn the tide of the war, but it was greatly appreciated by the Greeks. It also gave the RAF its highest scoring ace: Squadron Leader "Pat" Pattle. “Pat” Pattle was born 3 July 1914 in South Africa, the son of British South Africans, and named after his paternal grandfather Marmaduke Thomas. As a boy he went by “Tom.” His grandfather had been a captain in the Royal Horse Artillery before emigrating to South A...