58 |FLIGHTPATH
whiletheSovietschosenottointervene(al-
though they did eventually fly more than
2500PolikarpovPo-2re-supplysortiesin
September).
Over in Yugoslavia, the invasion, dismem-
bering and occupation of the Yugoslavian
state(KingdomofYugoslavia)bytheAxis
forces in 1941 allowed the Communist parti-
sanmovementunderJosefBrozTitotohave
thefullsupportofthelocalpopulace.Bylate
1943,thepartisansreceivedfullsupport
from the Western Allies with acknowledg-The weather conditions could
make Warsaw unreachable.
mentattheTehranConferencebyWinston
Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph
Stalin. RAAF aircrew participated in supply-
ing the many Yugoslav partisan groups and
carryingoutSOEsabotageraidsinAlbania,
RomaniaandHungary.FifteenAustralian
airmen were lost during these operations.
Severalsquadronsof205WinginFoggia,
Italy,werecommittedtosupplydropsto
Polish and Yugoslav partisans and the Spe-
cial Operations Executive missions. They
droppedmunitionsandsuppliestothebe-
sieged Polish city between August and Sep-
tember1944aspartoftheWarsawAirlift.
ThecitywasheavilydefendedbyGerman
anti-aircraft guns and searchlights.
The weather conditions could
make the city unreachable, with
severe icing creating extra drag
and freezing turret mechanisms,
and hail battering fuselages. On occa-ABOVE:The irst of the four Australian airmen awarded the
Polish Cross of Valour was also the most well known. Clive
Caldwell(farleft)receivedthemedalforhisservicein
commandof112SquadronRAFinNorthAfrica. Hiscitation
states: ‘Granted in appreciation his buoyant co-operation with
Polish Pilots when commanding ighter squadron Middle East.
FirstawardofitskindtobemadebyPolestomember
Dominion Air Force.’ Caldwell’s medal group is on display in
AnzacHallattheAWM.[Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial 011944]
BELOW:Dakota FD857 of 267 Squadron over the Adriatic
in late 1944.[via Ken Delve, Aviation History Research Centre]